Angelina Jolie has said that she wishes she had the presence and guidance of her late mother Marcheline Bertrand, particularly following her recent divorce.
The actress, who split from husband Brad Pitt in September last year, says she has "needed" her mother lately and added that she "would have thrived as a grandmother" to Jolie's children: Maddox, 15; Pax, 13; Zahara, 12; Shiloh, 10; and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.
"I know how much she would have contributed to their lives and I am sad they will miss out on that," she told Elle France.
"I would give anything for her to be with me at this time. I've needed her. I talk to her often in my mind and try to think what she might say and how she might guide me."
Bertrand, who died aged 56 in January 2007 after a battle with cancer, raised Jolie and her brother Haven by herself after divorcing their father, actor Jon Voight, when Jolie was a toddler.
Jolie says that motherhood is "the greatest gift and responsibility" and that she tries to "lead by example" when it comes to her own brood.
She said: "I try to lead by example, being conscious of others and being responsible. And to help them have a broader view of the world.
"But, really, the only way I know to raise them is to really listen. It's perhaps the most important thing any parent can do. They are resilient children but they are children, and as much as they need help to understand the hard truths in life they also need what we all need - protection and love."
Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016, citing irreconcilable differences after two years of marriage and a 12-year romance.
The 41-year-old actress broke her silence on their shock split by saying that they would "always be a family".
Pitt recently admitted that his drinking had been a problem in his marriage to Jolie.
