The former Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-stars have six kids together
It’s a big week for Angelina Jolie and her family: her youngest children, twins Vivienne Marcheline and Knox León, are officially 15 years old, if you can believe it.
The twins, who were born in 2008 and who the Maleficent actress shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt, celebrated their birthday on July 12.
The former Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-stars, who split in 2017 (though had a tumultuous, drawn-out divorce), share six kids together: Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 17, and the twins.
Angelina first announced she was expecting the twins at the Independent Spirit Awards in February 2008, when she walked the red carpet alongside Brad in a slinky black dress perfectly accentuating her growing bump.
She gave birth to her youngest daughter and son, Knox first and Vivienne minutes after, while in Nice, France.
Knox was named after Brad’s grandfather, Hal Knox Hillhouse; his middle name, León, is the name of Angelina’s great-great grandfather. Meanwhile, Vivienne’s middle name, Marcheline, is a nod to Angelina’s mom, actress Marcia Lynne Bertrand, who was married to Angelina’s father, fellow actor Jon Voight, from 1971 to 1980, and passed away in 2007.
Former power couple Brangelina at the 2008 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards
The twins made their debut in the spotlight at just three weeks old, when they appeared on the cover of HELLO!.
They spent their first few months at Angelina and Brad’s former vineyard – and major source of acrimony during their divorce – Château Miraval in Provence, France, where the Jolie-Pitt family were spending their summer.
The twins in Tokyo with their dad in 2013
“It is chaos, but we are managing it and having a wonderful time,” Angelina said at the time, with Brad adding, “[It’s] still a cuckoo’s nest.”
Despite their splashy debut as newborns, Vivienne and Knox have kept a low profile since, with the exception of some special appearances in their mom’s movies.
The twins again in Tokyo the following summer in 2014 with their mom
Knox voiced the character of Ku Ku in Kung Fu Panda 3, which was released in 2016. His mom starred as Tigress opposite Kate Hudson, Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, and others.
Angelina with kids Vivienne, Shiloh, Knox, and Zahara at the “The Breadwinner” premiere in 2017
Vivienne has also had her own time on the screen. In 2014, she had a role in Maleficent as the younger version of Elle Fanning’s character Aurora, a.k.a. a young Sleeping Beauty.
The twins already looked so grown up at the Eternals premiere in 2021
“When we did it together, we had a good time. I was actually shocked that she was doing so well she went back and hit her mark! It’s frightening,” Angelina said during a Disney roundtable at the time.
Vivienne and Knox live primarily with their mom, who in 2021 purchased a $25-million Los Angeles home in the historic Laughlin Park enclave in Los Feliz, LA, formerly owned by film legend Cecil B. DeMille, and not far from Brad’s own million-dollar Los Feliz estate, which he sold this year.
