Louis Zamperini | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Angelina Jolie wears a white coat and waves to the cameras while arriving at the Directors Guild Theatre for a screening of Unbroken on Wednesday evening (December 3) in New York City.

The 39-year-old actress/director spoke with press to recall the emotional moment she showed the movie to its subject Louis Zamperini on his death bed earlier this year.

“Louie was a part of the journey from the beginning. We’d call him sometimes and say ‘Does the raft look right,’ or, ‘Did you or did you not have a screwdriver?’ So he was always aware of it. But I hadn’t shown him the film. I was saving it,” Angelina said (via Vanity Fair). “But I found out that he’d gone into the hospital, so I had it downloaded on my laptop and I drove to the hospital and held it over him, like this, so he could see it.”

Click inside to find out what happened when she pressed play on the movie… More Here! »

Louis Zamperini, the World War II hero who is the inspiration for Angelina Jolie‘s upcoming movie Unbroken, has passed away at the age of 97.

“Having overcome insurmountable odds at every turn in his life, Olympic runner and World War II hero Louis Zamperini has never broken down from a challenge,” his family said in a statement (via THR). “He recently faced the greatest challenge of his life with a life-threatening case of pneumonia. After a 40-day long battle for his life, he peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, leaving behind a legacy that has touched so many lives. His indomitable courage and fighting spirit were never more apparent than in these last days.”

Angelina also released a statement, saying “It is a loss impossible to describe. We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him. We will miss him terribly.”

We send out our thoughts and condolences to Louis‘ family during this difficult time.

Angelina Jolie gives a sweet hug to her Unbroken inspiration Louis Zamperini as they sit down for a pre-taped interview on the Today show, which aired today (February 25).

“I imagine that for the last 10-something years, he has been sitting there having a coffee in the morning and wondering who’s going to make this movie,” the 38-year-old actress and director said about World War II hero Louis. “And I’ve been sitting in my room laying there thinking, ‘What am I supposed to be doing with my life? I wanna do something important. I need some help. I need some guidance. Where is it?’ And it was right outside my window.”

“(The world) can seem hopeless and it can seem very overwhelming,” Angelina added. “But the resilience and the strength of the human spirit is an extraordinary thing.”

Watch the interview below…