Jolie ‘moved’ by public support following surgery

US actress and humanitarian campaigner Angelina Jolie waves as she arrives for the UK premiere of her US actor and fiance Brad Pitt’s latest film “World War Z” in Leicester Square in central London on June 2, 2013. AFP PHOTO / CARL COURT

LONDON— Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie said Sunday she had been “moved” by public support after she revealed she had had a double mastectomy to reduce her high risk of breast cancer.

And she said she felt “wonderful” after the surgery.

Speaking at the London premiere of husband Brad Pitt’s film “World War Z”, Jolie said she was thankful that her actions had brought the issue into the public arena.

“I get moved to talk about it,” she told media on the red carpet, her first such appearance since she announced her surgery in May.

The 37-year-old added she was “very happy just to see the discussion about women’s health expanded and that means the world to me.”

“After losing my mum to these issues, I’m very grateful for it and I’ve been very moved by the kind support from people,” explained the actress.

Jolie’s mother Marcheline Bertrand died of ovarian cancer at the age of 56 and her aunt, Debbie Martin, died of breast cancer last week.

Pitt insisted the decision had “certainly brought our family tighter together.

“I mean the beautiful thing is that, for us, life will go on,” he added.

Three months of gruelling medical procedures including breast reconstruction ended in late April.

Jolie, whose father is Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, said her chances of developing breast cancer are now just five percent.

Her doctors estimated she had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer.

Jolie said she went ahead with the procedures so her six children would not lose her at a young age.