Angelina Jolie: Girl Uninterrupted After Mastectomy News

In mid-December last year, news broke that Angelina Jolie signed on to direct her first major studio film, "Unbroken."

Proceeding stories on her career moves indicated she was preparing to take the director's chair. And when she and partner Brad Pitt didn't show up to the Oscars in late February, some speculated they were finally tying the knot.

Instead, the 37-year-old actress and director was in the process of undergoing multiple surgeries for a preventive double mastectomy -- a process Jolie indicates began around late January and ended on April 27.

"During that time I have been able to keep this private and to carry on with my work," Jolie wrote in a New York Times op-ed column on Tuesday.

By early April, Jolie was well enough to make a public appearance at the annual Women in the World Summit in New York. And there is no indication her work suffered while she was recovering.

[Photos: Stars Applaud Angelina Jolie on Twitter]

Pitt's schedule has been hectic over the past year, but he managed to not be needed on a faraway film set when his life partner likely needed him the most. He was by Jolie's side "for every minute of the surgeries," she wrote.

Jolie's big budget live action Disney film "Maleficent" wrapped filming before her turn as director was announced – and well before she started her mastectomy procedures. Since she not only stars in the film but also serves as executive producer, Jolie's continued work over those three months of surgeries presumably included post production and planning for the film's summer 2014 release.

Jolie has had final sign off on much of "Maleficent," those close to the production told Yahoo! Movies when we visited the film's U.K. set in late August last year. (We also chatted with Jolie on set while she was in full costume. She was in very high spirits and quite excited about the film.)

Pitt, meanwhile, was filming Ridley Scott's "The Counselor" last summer in London the same time Jolie was filming "Maleficent" nearby. He hasn't been needed on a film set since that film wrapped last fall. While he has a few more films in the hopper and has been promoting "World War Z," he had enough of a respite from being in front of the camera to offer in-person support to Jolie.

"World War Z" opens worldwide starting June 21 in the states and ending with August release dates in Japan, Venezuela, and Spain – and there's still plenty of time for Pitt to hit the road to promote it. And he already appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in mid April to push the zombie flick.

When it comes to Jolie's work on "Unbroken" – based on the incredible life of Olympic athlete and World War II vet Louis Zamperini – one could argue preparations have likely been delayed by her recent medical leave. But progress on that project was most definitely made during her three months of medical procedures – in which time the Coen brothers were hired to rewrite the film.

Future projects for both Jolie and Pitt are set – but nothing indicates there were delays to those projects due to Jolie's mastectomy. The couple allegedly visited Sydney, Australia, in late April to browse property – where it is rumored they will film Disney project "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" … together.

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