HER CHARACTER Lara Croft, video game-inspired adventurer and archaeologist.
HER QUALIFICATIONS Since her previous turn in the role two years ago, Jolie has served as a United Nations goodwill ambassador, matching her character's penchant for globetrotting to exotic and dangerous locations. This time around, she told Entertainment Weekly, her Lara Croft is ''darker, sexier, smarter.''
FUN FACT Jolie doesn't dress or act like a typical mom, as her toddler Maddox learned on the set in Greece. ''Other kids have the hem of their mom's skirt [to cling to],'' said Jolie. ''My kid's got some leather boots and a leg knife.''
WHAT'S NEXT She puts her refugee-camp experiences to good use as a relief worker in Third World hotspots in October's ''Beyond Borders.''
