Angelina Jolie says that she loves having Brad Pitt around as a father to her children and wouldn't trade him for the world.

The Tomb Raider star opened up in an intimate interview with a UK magazine about how Brad is a great father to their six children.

She tells Cosmopolitan, "Brad is a great dad. It means a lot to me that I have him in my life and be there for our kids. I was prepared to raise them without a father, although I would have preferred to have a man at my side.

"That's one thing I never expected when I got involved with Brad - you can't know if a man will be a good dad without seeing him in that role.

"Brad is so good with my first adopted son Maddox and they have bonded in such a beautiful way that it almost makes me cry - and I never cry!"

The actress continued to gush about how her children have brought out a more nurturing side of her and reminded her to be silly at times.

“We play and I laugh with them. So they have taught me to be a woman, but also reminded me to be a little kid, and that's amazing," she adds.

See Brad and Angelina's story so far in pictures here...