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(CNN) -- At the premiere of "World War Z" in London, star Brad Pitt and his fiancée, Angelina Jolie, were feeling "great" -- if not also a little emotional.

Sunday's event marked Jolie's first public appearance since she revealed in May that she'd had a preventive double mastectomy this year, and the press wanted to know how she's been since her New York Times op-ed about her choice went viral.

"I feel great," Jolie told the BBC. "I feel wonderful, and I'm very, very grateful for all the support. It's meant a lot to me."

Brad Pitt opens up on Jolie's choice

Known for her humanitarian works and action movies, Angelina Jolie is an actress who has been in the spotlight since she was a child. Here's a look at her life.

Jolie, center, hugs her father, Jon Voight, in Los Angeles in 1980. Her brother, James, is at left.

Jolie, then 15, poses for a photo in January 1991.

Jolie and Jon Voight are seen in an undated photo.

Jolie attends an event in New York City, circa 1998.

Jolie appears at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills in January 2000. She won the award for best supporting actress for her role in "Girl, Interrupted."

Jolie and her husband at the time, Billy Bob Thornton, appear at the premiere of her film "Gone in 60 Seconds" in Los Angeles in June 2000. They divorced in 2003.

Jolie and her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, are photographed at the premiere of Jolie's film "Original Sin" in Hollywood in July 2001. Bertrand died in January 2007 of ovarian cancer.

Jolie distributes balls to the children at the Tham Hin refugee camp on the Thai-Myanmar border in May 2002. She is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations high commissioner for refugees.

Jolie carries her son Maddox at the world premiere of "Shark Tale" in September 2004 in Venice, Italy.

Jolie appears on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in March 2004 in Burbank, California.

Jolie attends the German premiere of "Alexander" in December 2004 in Cologne, Germany.

Jolie speaks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Islamabad, Pakistan, in May 2005 as part of her role as goodwill ambassador for UNCHR.

Brad Pitt, from left, producer Arnon Milchan and Jolie appear at the premiere of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" in June 2005 in Westwood, California.

Jolie and Pitt are photographed at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival in May 2008 in Cannes, France.

Jolie greets fans at the Russian premiere of her film 'Salt" in July 2010 on Moscow.

Jolie walks with four of her children -- Maddox, from left, Zahara, Pax and Shiloh -- at Japan's Narita International Airport in July 2010.

Jolie appears at the 68th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverley Hills in January 2011.

Pitt and Jolie appear at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles in January 2012.

Jolie meets Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in September 2012 in her role as UNCHR special envoy.

Jolie announces in a May 14 New York Times op-ed that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after learning that she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Here, on June 2, she makes her first red carpet appearance since the surgery at the London premiere of Pitt's new movie, "World War Z."

Photos: Life of Angelina Jolie

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Photos: Life of Angelina Jolie

How Angelina Jolie has redefined 'sexy'

The 37-year-old actress previously said she decided to have the double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery after learning she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer in 2007.

Part of the response to Jolie's story has been an ongoing discussion about women's health, something that "means the world" to the actress.

"After losing my mom to these issues, I'm very grateful for it," she told the BBC. "I've been very moved by support of the people."

So, too, has Pitt. The 49-year-old, who's raising a family of six with Jolie, said that her decision still makes him "a little emotional."

"Because of the act itself, what she did for our family, and then telling her story to others," he told the BBC, "what it means to others has really surprised me. She's a very special woman."

Pitt and Jolie, who strolled the red carpet in a black Yves Saint Laurent gown, also brought their sons Maddox, 11, and Pax, 9, to check out their dad's new zombie action film. "World War Z" is set to open June 21.