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Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider© GettyImages

Angelina Jolie's baddest bad girl roles of all time

This actress owes much of her fame to her iconic action movie roles


UPDATED DECEMBER 2, 2019 11:35 AM EST
Angelina Jolie alfombra roja de Disney expo© GettyImages

Action woman

Angelina Jolie is one of Hollywood's favorite badass chicks and she made it to the top all on her own. She became famous after playing Lisa Rowe in Girl, Interrupted, a role that earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Although she's taken on a wide range of iconic roles throughout her career, she's perhaps best known as an action woman. And for giving 110% in everything she does.

We take a look at Angelina's baddest bad girl roles.

Angelina Jolie como Lara Croft de Tomb Raider© GettyImages

Tomb Raider

Angelina Jolie became known to the world when she played Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, the movie based on the videogame of the same name.

Other actresses who were contenders for the role were Ashley Judd and Catherine Zeta-Jones. However, director Simon West knew Angelina was the one for him.

The movie made Angelina famous and set her on the road to becoming one of the biggest stars of our times.

Angelina Jolie en escena de The Bone Collector© GettyImages

The Bone Collector

Before she was Lara Croft, Angelina Jolie played officer Amelia Donaghy in The Bone Collector, hunting a serial killer with Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington).

The star was already making her way in the industry under her own steam, without any help from her father, actor Jon Voight.

Angelina Jolie y Nicolas Cage en escena de Gone in Sixty Seconds© GettyImages

Gone in Sixty Seconds

For her role as Sara Wayland in Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) she went blonde. Alongside Nicholas Cage, who played Randall Memphis Raines, she had audiences on the edge of their seat in this action-packed movie.

Angelina Jolie estreno Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life© GettyImages

The return of Lara Croft

Two years after Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, a sequel was released: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.

Angelina underwent a punishing training regime for this role, including boxing, rowing and yoga, plus a strict diet to get Lara's slender figure.

Angelina Jolie presentacion de la pelicula Taking Lives 2004© GettyImages

The roles keep rolling in

The parts were coming in thick and fast for Angelina. She starred in two films in 2004: Taking Lives and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

In the former, she played a distinguished FBI agent searching for a felon, and in the latter, Fanky Cook, the commander of an amphibian squad. Fun fact: She had to wear an eye patch for this role.

Angelina Jolie escena pelicula Mr. & Mrs. Smith© @MrandMrsSmithMovie

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

The year after, she starred in the movie that not only made her one of the world's most-renowned actresses, it also changed her life: Mr. & Mrs. Smith, which she starred in alongside Brad Pitt.

Angelina Jolie played Jane Smith, an assassin for hire. However, her husband is also a hitman and, with plenty of action along the way, they end up falling in love. Life imitates art, and how!

Angelina Jolie escena Wanted 2008© GettyImages

Wanted

Angelina was every director's go-to girl when they needed someone who could shoot a weapon, fight and go after the bad guys.

In Wanted, 2008, she played Fox, a woman who teaches Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) how to use a weapon.

Angelina Jolie como Evelyn Salt en la pelicula Salt© GettyImages

Salt

Australian director Phillip Noyce offered her the titular role in Salt, 2010. Evelyn Salt was a CIA agent with bags of attitude and even more cunning. This tough girl was on everyone's hit list, but she escaped every time.

Angelina was very excited about the role as it was her comeback to the big screen after taking time out to focus on family.

Angelina Jolie como Maleficent© Wenn

Maleficent

Despite being deficient in the guns-car chases-fights department, Maleficent deserves special mention here. In the movie, Angelina's character uses her evil powers to make Princess Aurora's (Elle Fanning) life difficult. Angelina was amazing in this role and the sequel - Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - recently hit the big screen.