Angelina Jolie surprises Disney fans at expo event

Angelina Jolie surprised attendees at Disney's annual fan convention in Anaheim, California on Saturday (10Aug13) by making an unexpected appearance to unveil clips from her new fantasy thriller, Maleficent.

The actress was welcomed to the D23 Expo with a standing ovation as she joined Walt Disney Studios president Sean Bailey to discuss her portrayal of Sleeping Beauty's nemesis, and she admitted the roaring response from devotees was a far cry from the reaction she received from children who visited the set during filming, when she was fully dressed as the evil sorceress, complete with horns.

She explained, "These little kids would visit the set, and I would think, 'Oh, I am a Disney character,' so I would go over to them, and say, 'Hi there.' They would just scream. One little kid even said, 'Mummy, please make the mean witch stop talking to me.'"

However, there was one youngster who wasn't fazed by Jolie's dark make up: "(My daughter) Vivienne was the only four year old who didn't scream when she saw me."

During the discussion, Jolie admitted she had her actor brother James Haven to thank for encouraging her to sign up for the project after reminding his superstar sister of her childhood fascination with the villainess.

She said, "Since I was a little girl, Maleficent was always my favorite. I was terrified of her, but I was so drawn to her. She had this elegance and grace, and yet she was so cruel. Just wonderfully and deliciously cruel."

Vivienne, Jolie's daughter with fiance Brad Pitt, makes her acting debut in Maleficent as a young Sleeping Beauty, but the child was not present for the promotional event - instead, she was enjoying the rides at the nearby Disneyland theme part.