Angelina Jolie is known for her notorious privacy. However, in a recent interview with BBC News, the renowned actress openly discussed her time on set with her eldest sons, revealing they saw “the pain” she usually hides.
Jolie stars in the upcoming biopic “Maria,” portraying the famed opera singer Maria Callas. In the film, Maddox and Pax, two of Jolie’s six children with former husband Brad Pitt, served as production assistants.
Jolie mentioned, “The character [Callas] has a lot of pain and they’ve of course seen me go through a lot of things, but they hadn’t experienced me expressing a lot of the pain that usually a parent hides from a child.”
She added that their presence allowed them to see some of these moments, followed by comforting hugs or them bringing her cups of tea.
Jolie noted that this was “a new way” to openly share her emotions with her children, achiezving a deeper level of honesty.
The screenplay, written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, delves into the latter years of Callas’s life during the 1970s in Paris.
Despite Jolie’s sporadic acting roles in recent years, this film marks a significant return and could possibly earn her an Oscar nomination for best actress.
Callas, a celebrated US-born Greek soprano, remains one of the most renowned figures in opera.
In “Maria,” a mixture of Jolie’s own voice and original recordings by Callas are incorporated into the singing scenes.
The actress undertook opera singing training for the role, describing it as “extremely physically demanding.”
The training lasted about seven months, starting with basic singing lessons, which were challenging, but intensified with the commencement of opera classes focusing on breath control and physical exertion.
Jolie, known for her roles in films like “Changeling,” “Maleficent,” “Salt,” and “Mr & Mrs Smith,” admitted she had never sung before and was “actually quite shy about singing.”
“It was probably one of the areas in my life that I was hesitant,” she said. However, she also mentioned that it was an enjoyable experience.
“One of the greatest privileges of being an actor is you often are supported by a crew to try something and explore something you’ve never done and this certainly was most challenging,” she said.
Her sons Maddox, 23, and Pax, 21, have collaborated on several projects with her, including her film “Without Blood.”
Both joined her at the New York City premiere of “Maria” in September, along with their sister Zahara.
Jolie initiated divorce proceedings from Pitt in September 2016, which led to a custody battle culminating in joint custody for Pitt in 2021.
Together, the Hollywood stars are parents to daughters Shiloh and Vivienne, and another son, Knox.
On set, both Maddox and Pax were highly engaged, described by director Pablo Larraín as “good professionals.”
Jolie shared that Pax recorded many of her early singing sessions, witnessing the struggles of her initial attempts.
She believes it’s beneficial for children to see their mother tackle challenges, not effortlessly succeed but persist and improve. She finds this to be a significant and beautiful lesson.
“Maria” is the final piece in Larraín’s trilogy focusing on iconic, complex women, following his films about Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Diana.
While the film has received mixed critiques, the central performance has been widely acclaimed.
Sophia Ciminello from AwardsWatch described Jolie as “absolutely spellbinding as Maria Callas, endowed with both grace and resolve.”
However, Stephanie Zacharek from Time had reservations, noting Jolie portrayed her character as “haughtily cool and deeply insecure,” yet missing some of Callas’s distinctive charisma.
Known as La Divina, “The Divine One,” Callas started her singing career at 14. One of her most memorable performances was as Tosca at Covent Garden in 1964.
However, a dramatic weight loss led to a decline in her vocal capabilities, prematurely ending her career.
She spent her final years living largely in isolation, passing away from a heart attack at the age of 53.
Larraín expressed his hope that the film would honor Callas’s ambition to popularize opera.
“If this movie brings attention to opera from one to a hundred to a million, it will be a success,” he said.
“I don’t know if there is an art form as strong as opera,” Jolie added. “The way it connects to the soul and the body, so of course it’s for everybody.”
