The Oscar hopeful and mother of six opened up about the experience of sharing her pain while portraying opera legend Maria Callas, with her sons working alongside her as production assistants.
Angelina Jolie Shares Unseen Struggles on Set with Her Sons
Angelina Jolie Shares Unseen Struggles on Set with Her Sons
In a revealing BBC News interview, Angelina Jolie discussed how her children witnessed her emotional challenges while filming her new biopic, "Maria."
Angelina Jolie's latest film role has brought her eldest sons, Maddox and Pax, into her world as they assisted on set, revealing a side of her the actress typically shields from her children. In a heartfelt interview with BBC News, Jolie explained how her character, Maria Callas, is infused with pain, a feeling that her children observed in her.
“I’ve gone 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 said, reflecting on the emotional atmosphere during filming.
Jolie spoke about the importance of honesty with her children, noting that moments of struggle were often alleviated by loving gestures from Maddox and Pax, like bringing her tea and sharing hugs. This intimate experience helped her find new ways to communicate her feelings to them.
The film "Maria," written by Steven Knight, focuses on the later years of Callas's life. While Jolie has taken on fewer acting roles recently, this biopic marks a significant return to the silver screen, potentially earning her an Oscar nomination. The role required Jolie to blend her own voice with Callas’s original recordings, a demanding preparatory process she undertook over seven months.
Describing her experience of singing opera for the first time as "physically demanding," Jolie noted the challenge it posed to her. “When the opera classes began... it’s just a very different physicality,” she explained. Despite her initial shyness about singing, she embraced the process and found enjoyment in the challenge.
Both of her sons have previously collaborated with her in film productions and attended the premiere of "Maria" in New York City. During filming, director Pablo Larraín noted that Maddox and Pax proved to be hardworking assistants, with Pax even recording Jolie's initial singing practices.
Jolie shared the perspective she hopes to impart to her children through this experience, emphasizing the value of persevering through obstacles: “It’s always good for your children to watch your mum not do something easily, but swear and fight and fail and have to try again.”
"Maria," which reflects the complexities of Maria Callas’s life and career, has garnered a mix of reviews from critics, praising Jolie’s performance while others offered a more critical view. Maria, a celebrated opera singer, faced challenges in her later years, leading to a life of seclusion before passing away at age 53.
The biopic is set to release in UK cinemas on January 10, shedding light on the legacy of an iconic artist through the lens of a contemporary actress.
“I’ve gone 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 said, reflecting on the emotional atmosphere during filming.
Jolie spoke about the importance of honesty with her children, noting that moments of struggle were often alleviated by loving gestures from Maddox and Pax, like bringing her tea and sharing hugs. This intimate experience helped her find new ways to communicate her feelings to them.
The film "Maria," written by Steven Knight, focuses on the later years of Callas's life. While Jolie has taken on fewer acting roles recently, this biopic marks a significant return to the silver screen, potentially earning her an Oscar nomination. The role required Jolie to blend her own voice with Callas’s original recordings, a demanding preparatory process she undertook over seven months.
Describing her experience of singing opera for the first time as "physically demanding," Jolie noted the challenge it posed to her. “When the opera classes began... it’s just a very different physicality,” she explained. Despite her initial shyness about singing, she embraced the process and found enjoyment in the challenge.
Both of her sons have previously collaborated with her in film productions and attended the premiere of "Maria" in New York City. During filming, director Pablo Larraín noted that Maddox and Pax proved to be hardworking assistants, with Pax even recording Jolie's initial singing practices.
Jolie shared the perspective she hopes to impart to her children through this experience, emphasizing the value of persevering through obstacles: “It’s always good for your children to watch your mum not do something easily, but swear and fight and fail and have to try again.”
"Maria," which reflects the complexities of Maria Callas’s life and career, has garnered a mix of reviews from critics, praising Jolie’s performance while others offered a more critical view. Maria, a celebrated opera singer, faced challenges in her later years, leading to a life of seclusion before passing away at age 53.
The biopic is set to release in UK cinemas on January 10, shedding light on the legacy of an iconic artist through the lens of a contemporary actress.
