Angelina Jolie relishes spy role, but only in fiction

Washington: Being a glamorous secret agent suits Angelina Jolie fine. As long as it is just for the movies.

"I couldn`t keep a secret life because it is just not natural to me and my family, but I think is a great sacrifice people make," the actress said in an interview with AFP ahead of the release of the spy thriller `Salt`, in which she stars. In the interview in a Washington hotel, Jolie said she would have a difficult time in real life as her character, CIA agent Evelyn Salt, who is accused of being a Russian spy and must prove her innocence while on the run. Jolie, a 35-year-old mother of six and UN goodwill ambassador for refugees, said the public understands spy films are fiction despite the recent high-profile case involving a dozen so-called Russian sleeper agents. "I think most people are smart enough to just recognize entertainment, because we`ve had spy movies and entertainment around for a very long time," said Jolie, her hair hanging loose around her shoulders and wearing a black sleeveless dress that revealed her famous tattoos on her arms. "In reality it is entertainment even though is based on things that are possible. I think we didn`t focus on the politics as much as the people and their personalities." For her role, Jolie consulted with a real spy, Mellisa Boyle Mahle, a former US intelligence officer and an expert on the Middle East and counter-terrorism. "I tried to take it as seriously as I would any dramatic role, I try to think about her childhood, what kind of person she would be and the things that make her sad or the things that make her happy," Jolie said. PTI