Nearly a decade Jon Voight has bitterly and publicly estranged from his daughter Angelina Jolie.

The 72-year-old Voight fell out with Jolie in 2002 when he accused her of having ‘serious mental problems’, while Jolie, 37, had criticized him for having an affair behind her mother’s back.

Father and daughter had their first tentative meeting in Venice last year after Jolie’s husband, Brad Pitt, acted as go-between.

Now Voight says the feud is over and he feels very close to his grandchildren, three biological and three adopted.

Speaking from Los Angeles, he said his change of heart came in an instant.

It gave me back my daughter and my family. Being reunited with my Angie is very precious to me.

I adore my grandchildren, they are my great love. It makes me so emotional and grateful.

‘When my daughter sees me with them she says she sees another energy in me which takes over.

I’m always laughing and completely happy when I’m with them. It makes Angie so happy too, as you can imagine.