Angelina Jolie: 'I didn't think I could be a good mum'

Angelina Jolie, who is a mother-of-six, candidly confessed she never thought she would be "good enough" to be a mother. Photo / Getty Images

Angelina Jolie has admitted that she never thought she would be "good enough" to be a mother after her wild early years in Hollywood.

The actress, 44, who was once more famous for her off-screen antics than her film work, made the candid confession to a group of students from Mulberry School for Girls in East London.

She took time out from promoting her new film, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil, to meet the students on International Day of the Girl.

The mother-of-six, who is now known for her humanitarian work, was joined by Maleficent co-star, Elle Fanning, 21.

Miss Jolie, pictured, said: "When I was young... I thought I can't imagine I'd ever be good enough to be somebody's mum. You'd have to be perfect to be somebody's mum.

"You have to make mistakes in life and learn from them and we are who we are because of all the things we've done, right and wrong."

The actress added: "Hold on to the belief that you are very deserving of happiness, of freedoms, of the ability to be able to be creative and have a voice and be safe, anything that stops you from being that, get it out of your life as quickly as possible."

Miss Jolie is currently divorcing actor Brad Pitt, three years after they separated.

She is mother to Maddox, 18, Pax and Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11.

Maddox, Zahara and Pax were adopted from orphanages in Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam.