Angelina Jolie says starring in 'Maria' helped her forge a new connection with her late mother

Angelina told OK! magazine: "It's so deeply personal. It's still hard, because I have such a memory of my mother when I sing 'Ave Maria'.

"I was allowed so much space to do that with 'Maria', think of my mother. So I'm not quite yet listening to it again. I look forward to that day. But now (with the film), I associate some of the songs with the memory of something I shared, and a time I shared with those pieces of music.

"And I love Maria, I really love this woman. When I hear her, she's like a friend."

Jolie is back in the spotlight with 'Maria' after a hiatus from the industry that she took to focus on family amid her divorce from ex-husband Brad Pitt.

The 'Salt' actress - who has children Maddox, 23, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with the 'Wolfs' star - explained: "To be honest, I have needed to be home more with my family these last years.

"In that time, I have maybe become more grateful to have the opportunity to be an artist and play; to be in this creative world. I am happy to be here and I'm grateful to be an artist in any way, so that's how I'm feeling."