Angelina with Ann Curry on NBC News Credit: NBC

In a rare television interview, Angelina Jolie sits down exclusively with NBC News' Ann Curry and talks about her upcoming movie, "A Mighty Heart," in which she plays Mariane Pearl, the wife of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002. Jolie also opens up about her extensive humanitarian work, her family life with Brad Pitt and their four children, and recent death of her mother, Marcheline Bertrand.

The interviews will air on NBC News' "Today" (7 a.m. ET) and "Dateline NBC" (10 p.m. ET) Wednesday, May 23.

Excerpts from the interviews are below.

Angelina Jolie on Her Role as Mariane Pearl:

Ann Curry: It's interesting. I was reading that you were actually six months pregnant when you first talked to Mariane.

Angelina: was six months pregnant and - and...

Ann Curry: But that helped you empathize?

Angelina: But it was. It was - it was also a very interesting thing because it was, you know, for as much as I was kind of waddling around and feeling the heat and being - I - I couldn't help but look over at this woman and think, "God, she is - she is where I'm at now and I'm having - and not just the physical thing of being pregnant and, oh, that's difficult. And - but I have - I have this man with me who's helping me through this and loves me.