In 2008, Clint Eastwood directed an actress he called “the most prepared” he’d ever worked with

Clint Eastwood praised Angelina Jolie as one of the most prepared actresses he had worked with while directing her in the 2008 film *Changeling*. His comments highlight the preparation and responsiveness he valued in her performance, which helped show her range beyond the action roles often associated with her.

The film stars Jolie as Christine Collins, a woman in late-1920s Los Angeles who says the boy returned to her after her son disappears is not her child. The story explores how authorities dismiss and mistreat women; Jolie’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.