Angelina Jolie's Daughter Vivienne, 15, Drops Brad Pitt's Last Name for Broadway Playbill Debut
Vivienne Jolie, daughter of Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, has opted to use her mother's legal middle name instead of her given last name, Jolie-Pitt, in the Playbill for the Broadway musical The Outsiders. The 15-year-old helped her mother produce the musical, which debuted at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. According to People, Vivienne chose to adopt the name Jolie for this project.
The Outsiders- is a new musical adaptation of SE Hinton's beloved young adult novel. The story is told from the perspective of 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, portrayed by Brody Grant, who navigates life amidst the tension between two rival gangs in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma. Vivienne's role in The Outsiders: A New Musical is listed in the playbill as a producer's assistant, without a detailed bio. An assistant producer typically provides administrative and creative support to the producer. The Playbill credits her mother, Angelina Jolie, 48, as a producer on the musical. The producer's note reads: “Angelina is thrilled to be working on her first theatrical producing venture alongside her daughter, Vivienne, who is a theatre student and supporter of the arts.”
The Outsiders: A New Musical has received 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and Best Original Music. About a month ago, Angelina spoke to Extra about collaborating with her daughter on the project. "Viv ended up more with Justin [Levine] than with me, so you can tell by choice of attire which team she’s on," Angelina remarked during the interview. Justin Levine, who handles music supervision, orchestration, and arrangements for the Broadway show, praised Vivienne, saying, "Viv is one of the greatest humans I’ve ever met. Somebody who is an observer and who sees people and sees the world in a unique way."
Levine added, "I think, so much about this show is reconnecting with your inner child." Vivienne's decision to use the name Jolie follows a similar choice by her sister Zahara. In November 2023, Zahara joined the Mu Pi chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Spelman College under the name Zahara Marley Jolie, as reported by Essence. During the musical’s April 2024 opening night, Angelina Jolie told PEOPLE that it was Vivienne who inspired her to take on the project.
She saw an early workshop a few times and then invited me to it,” Jolie said. "Viv is a young artist who focuses her efforts on supporting others," she added. "She has been there to assist in any way she can and has learned so much from [score and co-book writer] Justin Levine and the whole creative team." Vivienne's name change comes amid years of family discord.
In 2016, Angelina filed for divorce from Brad Pitt and sought sole physical custody of their six children: Vivienne, Zahara, Knox, Maddox, Pax, and Shiloh. The former couple has been engaged in a prolonged custody battle ever since.
