Angelina Jolie runs a tight ship when she's in the director's seat, no matter who she's dealing with.
The Oscar winner, who graces the cover of Du Jour magazine this month next to Unbroken's Jack O'Connell, opened up about working both on the Louis Zamperini biopic and with her husband on By the Sea.
When asked how her flick with Brad Pitt is coming along, the mother of six explained that the movie making process hasn't been without its share of hurdles.
"Compared to Unbroken, this film is a walk in the park," she said. "The tricky thing is directing myself and directing Brad. It's hard, dramatic material, and we're balancing. It's a heavy film, and it's not easy for us. But even as you struggle through it, you're in the trenches together and you don't expect it to be easy. We're challenging each other, and that's a really good thing."
Jolie also shared that one of the biggest reasons she was so adamant about bringing Unbroken to the big screen were her sons.
"In the back of my mind, I wanted to make a film that would help my boys become better men. They know Louie's story, so I'm able to say to them that it's not bad to be full of fire—it's what you choose to do with that fire."
O'Connell also recalled a time on set that cemented his close relationship with Jolie.
The actor was about to arrive on the Australian set of the movie when he found out that one of his close friends had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
"I was feeling my worst, with the diet and the effects of preparation, and the only way I could possibly see him was if someone were to expedite the journey and Angie arranged for a helicopter," he explained.
"The same weekend, she organized some of my closest people around a table to have a meal with me. That exceeded the requirements of a director…That isn't a conventional actor-director relationship, so for her to make me feel like this was a two-way investment was so important."