Angelina Jolie has spoken about her preventative double mastectomy, describing the decision and the scars that followed as deeply meaningful.

The 50-year-old actor underwent the surgery in 2013 after discovering she had a high familial risk of developing breast cancer. Although she rarely discusses the procedure publicly, she reflected on it in a recent interview with France Inter.

Jolie said she views the operation as an act of agency and gratitude. “A choice I made to stay here as long as I could with my children. I love my scars because of that. And I’m grateful that I had the opportunity and the choice to do something proactive about my health.”

She added that her perspective on physical marks has long shaped how she sees both herself and others. “I’m always been someone more interested in the scars and the life that people carry. I’m not drawn to a perfect idea of a life that has no scars.”

The decision was influenced in part by personal loss. Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died from cancer when Jolie was young. The experience has informed her approach to parenting and health, particularly as she raises her own children without a grandmother in their lives.

“So for me, I think this is life, and if you get to the end of your life and you haven’t made mistakes and you haven’t made a mess, you don’t have scars, you haven’t lived a full enough life,” she concluded.

Jolie’s latest film, Couture, is scheduled for release in France on February 18. She recently attended the premiere wearing a sheer embellished gown.