Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, who underwent a preventive double mastectomy last year, says she was moved by the outpouring of support from her fans.

The 38-year-old actress opted for the surgery after testing positive for a faulty gene that can lead to cancer, a disease that killed her mother Marcheline Bertrand, reported People Magazine.

Jolie, who raises Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Vivienne and Knox with fiance Brad Pitt, opted to go public with her decision in a bid to raise more awareness about the disease.

"I'm great! I was very, very moved by all the support and kindness from so many people," she said. The actress says her family, especially her children help her see the funny side of life.

"Outside my home I can be somewhat serious," Jolie said. "We laugh and we play, and I'm light again, and I'm a kid again, and I'm loving and soft again because they've brought that back in my life," she added.