Author Patricia Cornwell has lavished praise on Angelina Jolie after they met to discuss an upcoming film project – insisting she was stunned by the actress’ down-to-earth nature. Cornwell was delighted when Jolie agreed to play crime-solving medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta in a new thriller based on her bestselling novels. The writer admits she struggled to arrange an appointment to meet the busy Hollywood star, but when she finally managed to arrange a visit on the set of Jolie’s movie Salt, she was shocked by the star’s easygoing demeanour. Cornwell says, “When Angelina came out of left field (to take the role) last year, I was floored. I think meeting the head of the KGB (Russian secret service) might have been easier. It was all hush-hush. “(Angelina) had pithy things to say about what she wanted to do. She was direct and goal-oriented. (With celebrities), usually it’s all about them… She waited on everyone, getting them their lunch, while her own staff was seated. She was aware intuitively how other people were feeling and wanted to make them comfortable. It was not typical for people of her stature.”

Angelina Jolie has reportedly reunited with her father Jon Voight. The Oscar-winning beauty was photographed with her kids and her dad in Venice on February 20 sparking rumours they have reconciled after being estranged for years. Brad is believed to have encouraged Angelina – who has recently been living in Venice, Italy, while she prepares to shoot The Tourist opposite Johnny Depp – to “smooth things over” with Jon. A source said: “Since Brad and Angelina have been together, he has been encouraging her to smooth things over with her dad. And when it comes to the kids, Brad wants them to know their grandfather the way the kids know his parents.” The Wanted actress has been at war with her dad for years after he accused her of having “mental problems” shortly after her split from ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton in 2002. Jon said at the time: “I haven’t come forward and addressed the serious mental problems she has spoken about so candidly to the press over the years, but I’ve tried behind the scenes in every way.” The screen veteran has previously spoken about how he hoped to reconcile with his daughter on a permanent basis, saying: “We’re in touch, but not regularly. We love each other and that’s the most important thing.”

Angelina Jolie has urged prospective parents not to adopt Haitian orphans following January’s devastating earthquake – because she fears the disaster could lead to a rise in child trafficking. The Hollywood actress travelled to the Caribbean country earlier this month in her role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and spent part of her time visiting injured kids. Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt share three adopted children; Maddox, eight, from Cambodia, Pax, six, from Vietnam, and five-year-old Zahara from Ethiopia – and they were recently rumoured to be considering welcoming a Haitian child into their family. The actress dismissed the reports and she’s now urging others not to rush into adoption after seeing news footage from the earthquake-ravaged nation. She says, “An emergency is not the time for new adoptions in any way. Child trafficking has been a huge problem for a very long time. Everybody that means well needs to really take that very seriously. “As an adoptive parent, I understand the urge to assist in that way. But people need to not get frustrated but really work with the country.”

Angelina Jolie has clarified reports she is considering adopting a child from Haiti, insisting her recent trip to the earthquake-ravaged nation was purely for philanthropic reasons. The Hollywood actress travelled to the Caribbean country in her role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and spent part of her time visiting kids injured by last month’s disaster. Her trip sparked speculation she and her partner Brad Pitt were interested in adding to their brood of six, which includes adopted children Maddox, eight, from Cambodia; Pax, six, from Vietnam; and five-year-old Zahara from Ethiopia. Jolie admits they are always “open” to the idea of adoption, but they are currently only interested in how they can help with Haiti’s relief efforts. She tells CNN, “I’m always open to children around the world. We’re that kind of a family; Brad and I talk about that. “But that’s not what we’re focusing on at this time, by any means. We’re not here for that. We’re here to see how we can help protect the children in this country and scale up the needs here.”

Angelina Jolie has credited her partner Brad Pitt with inspiring her to have children of her own, insisting she “didn’t want to get pregnant” until she met him. The Hollywood actress was already mum to her son Maddox, now eight, when she met Pitt, after adopting the youngster from Cambodia. After she struck up a relationship with Pitt in 2006, they went on to adopt daughter Zahara, now five, from Ethiopia before Jolie became pregnant with the couple’s first biological child, Shiloh, who was born in 2006. They subsequently adopted another son, Pax, in 2007, before welcoming biological twins, Vivienne and Knox, in 2008. And Jolie admits she was happy just to take in orphaned children, until Pitt convinced her to become a mum herself. She tells Australia’s Marie Claire magazine, “When I met him… I didn’t want to get pregnant. I always wanted to adopt, but I never had the desire of experiencing biological motherhood. “He taught me to be more patient and to enjoy everything that exists in the world.”