Angelina Jolie

Latest News: Angelina Jolie Portrays Opera Legend Maria Callas in Upcoming Biopic

Angelina Jolie will portray the iconic Greek-American opera singer Maria Callas in the forthcoming biographical film Maria. The film made its debut at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, where it was met with an eight-minute standing ovation, leaving the Oscar-winning actress in tears of joy.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in August, Jolie, 49, discussed the challenges of learning opera for the role, describing the process as “scary.” She explained, “It took many months of singing classes, months of getting the singing down, then Italian classes, and then mastering the voice—doing all these things to emulate her.” Jolie recalled that her first class was overwhelming, leaving her feeling sad and fearful. “It was a strange physical body reaction,” she said. However, Jolie found the experience transformative once her instructor guided her on how to breathe and sing in the correct style. “That’s when I became really emotional,” she reflected. “Opera requires your whole heart, body, and mind.”

Maria is set to arrive in select theaters on November 27, 2024, and will be available for streaming on Netflix starting December 11.

About Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie, an Oscar-winning actress, has been a prominent figure in Hollywood since the late 1990s. She first gained major recognition with her role in the 1998 HBO biopic Gia, followed by a critically acclaimed performance in Girl, Interrupted the following year, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Jolie’s career continued to soar with major roles in films such as Wanted, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Salt, and Changeling. She achieved international fame with her portrayal of Maleficent in Disney’s Maleficent, which led to a successful sequel. In addition to her acting career, Jolie is a talented director, having helmed films like In the Land of Blood and Honey, Unbroken, and By the Sea, the latter of which she co-starred in with her then-husband Brad Pitt. Jolie’s portrayal of Maria Callas in Maria marks the next chapter in her illustrious career.

Young Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie Voight was born on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, to renowned Hollywood actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. Her parents separated when she was a toddler, and their divorce was finalized in 1980. Following the split, Jolie and her brother, James, were primarily raised by their mother, who chose to step away from her acting career to focus on raising them. Her father, Jon Voight, remained largely absent from her life, visiting only on special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.

Jolie spent much of her early childhood in Palisades, New York, before relocating to Los Angeles at the age of 11. Influenced by her parents’ careers, she began acting at a young age, securing a small role in her father’s 1982 film Lookin’ to Get Out. As a teenager, Jolie pursued acting further, studying at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and briefly exploring modeling. She attended Beverly Hills High School but later transferred to Moreno High School after enduring severe bullying. This period marked a challenging time in her life, as she described herself as a rebellious “punk outsider” and faced significant mental health struggles.

At 14, Jolie entered into her first serious relationship, which led to her boyfriend living with her and her family for two years. In an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2003, Jolie reflected on this period, stating, “I was either going to be reckless on the streets with my boyfriend, or he was going to be with me in my bedroom with my mom in the next room because I was going to have a boyfriend.” At 16, she ended the relationship and graduated from high school early to pursue her acting career. Following this, Jolie moved out of her mother’s house and rented an apartment of her own.

In her early acting years, Jolie adopted her middle name professionally, partly due to a strained relationship with her father. In 2002, she made this change official by legally altering her surname. She later explained, “I don’t want to make public the reasons for my bad relationship with my father. After all these years, I have determined that it is not healthy for me to be around my father.”

Movies

Angelina Jolie’s career began with appearances in music videos for artists such as Lenny Kravitz and Meat Loaf, as well as a role in the B movie Cyborg 2: Glass Shadow. In 1995, she landed her first major studio role in Hackers, portraying a teenage hacker. Her performance in the thriller Without Evidence followed shortly after. The next year, Jolie appeared in four films, including the independent queer drama Foxfire. In 1997, she portrayed Cornelia Wallace in the two-part television series George Wallace, a portrayal of the segregationist Alabama governor. This role earned her her first Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries and an Emmy nomination.

Golden Globe for Gia

Jolie’s breakthrough came in 1998 with the HBO film Gia, where she portrayed the troubled fashion model Gia Marie Carangi. Initially hesitant due to concerns about the script’s handling of sensitive themes, Jolie ultimately committed to the role, immersing herself in the character both on and off set. The performance garnered widespread acclaim, earning her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries and an Emmy nomination. After filming, Jolie briefly left acting to study directing and screenwriting at NYU, reflecting on the vulnerability she felt after such an emotionally demanding role. However, the success of Gia reignited her career and cemented her as a major talent in Hollywood.

Oscar Win for Girl, Interrupted

Jolie’s ascent continued with the 1999 film Girl, Interrupted, where she portrayed Lisa Rowe, a sociopath in a psychiatric hospital. Her portrayal of the rebellious character earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and another Golden Globe in the same category. Reflecting on her role, Jolie remarked that she saw much of herself in Lisa, having been often described as dark or “crazy” by others, yet seeing Lisa as someone misunderstood rather than insane.

Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft

In the early 2000s, Jolie gained worldwide recognition for her portrayal of Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), despite the film receiving mixed reviews. Her performance was widely praised, and she reprised the role in the 2003 sequel Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, though it did not perform as well at the box office. Between the Tomb Raider films, she starred in the 2001 romantic thriller Original Sin and played a reporter in the 2002 film Life or Something Like It. Jolie’s roles in Beyond Borders (2003) and Taking Lives (2004) further showcased her versatility, though the former was poorly received.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

In 2005, Jolie starred alongside Brad Pitt in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, playing a married couple who are secretly assassins. The film’s success was fueled by the chemistry between the two stars, though they downplayed the speculation surrounding their off-screen relationship. The following year, Jolie appeared in The Good Shepherd and as Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart, the latter portraying the widow of murdered journalist Danny Pearl.

Oscar Nod for Changeling

In 2008, Jolie’s performance in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She portrayed a mother investigating the strange circumstances surrounding her son’s disappearance and reappearance in 1920s Los Angeles. Although initially hesitant to take on such an emotionally heavy role, Jolie found the story inspiring and committed deeply to the character, believing it was an important piece of justice. That same year, she voiced Master Tigress in Kung Fu Panda and starred in the action film Wanted.

Maleficent and Sequel

In 2014, Jolie played the iconic role of Maleficent in Disney’s live-action Maleficent, a reimagining of the villain from Sleeping Beauty. The film was a major box-office success, grossing over $740 million globally. Jolie also returned in 2019 for the sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which earned nearly $500 million worldwide.

Maria and Other Recent Roles

In 2020, Jolie starred in Come Away, portraying the mother of Alice and Peter in a reimagined prequel to Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. The following year, she played a wildland firefighter in Those Who Wish Me Dead and appeared as Thena in Marvel’s Eternals (2021). Her latest project, the biographical film Maria, is set to be released in November 2024, where she portrays the legendary opera singer Maria Callas.

Directing Work

Amidst her illustrious acting career, Angelina Jolie has also made a significant mark as a director. Her directorial debut came in 2011 with In the Land of Blood and Honey, a film exploring the complexities of a relationship torn apart by the Bosnian War. She followed this with Unbroken in 2014, a biographical drama about Olympian Louis Zamperini’s harrowing survival in a Japanese POW camp, which grossed over $163 million worldwide. In 2016, Jolie directed and starred in By the Sea, a slow-paced, 1970s Mediterranean drama about a married couple grappling with the tensions in their relationship. The following year, she directed First They Killed My Father, a poignant film based on the memoir of a Cambodian activist turned child soldier. More recently, in 2024, Jolie wrote and directed Without Blood, a war drama based on Alessandro Baricco’s novel. The film stars Salma Hayek and delves into the psychological aftermath of a brutal, unnamed conflict.

Marriages

Known for her high-profile relationships, Jolie has been married three times. Her first marriage was to Jonny Lee Miller in 1996, following their collaboration on Hackers. They wed in a civil ceremony, attended only by their respective mothers, but separated after a year and finalized their divorce in 1999. In 2000, Jolie married actor Billy Bob Thornton, whom she met during the filming of Pushing Tin. Their marriage, marked by controversy—including wearing vials of each other’s blood—ended in 2003 after just two years.

Jolie’s third marriage was to actor Brad Pitt, whom she met on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004. At the time, Pitt was married to Jennifer Aniston, and their affair led to a publicized divorce. The couple, dubbed “Brangelina,” became one of Hollywood’s most admired pairs. They adopted children together and had biological children, eventually marrying in a private ceremony in 2014 after seven years of dating. However, their marriage unraveled in 2016 when Jolie filed for divorce, requesting sole physical custody of their six children. The ensuing custody battle garnered public attention, especially with allegations regarding Pitt’s behavior. Despite an investigation into the claims, the couple worked toward resolving their divorce, with ongoing legal proceedings spanning several years.

Split from Brad Pitt

In 2016, Jolie’s divorce from Pitt sparked significant media attention, particularly following her request for sole custody of their six children. The couple’s tumultuous separation included accusations of Pitt’s alleged abusive behavior, particularly during a flight, which led to investigations by the FBI and the Department of Children and Family Services. Though no evidence of abuse was found, the divorce continued to unfold in the public eye. In 2017, Jolie discussed their separation, noting that their lifestyle had not been the cause of their marriage’s difficulties. By 2018, Jolie was involved in a contentious legal battle for custody, with the court expressing concern over the children’s relationship with their father. Despite legal filings from Jolie alleging Pitt’s failure to provide child support, their divorce has yet to be finalized, though they were declared legally single in 2019. In 2022, Jolie filed further allegations of physical abuse by Pitt during their 2016 plane incident.

Children

Jolie is a mother to six children, three of whom were adopted from Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, and three of whom are biological children. Her eldest son, Maddox, was adopted from Cambodia in 2002, followed by her adoption of Zahara from Ethiopia in 2005. Her first biological child with Pitt, Shiloh, was born in 2006. In 2007, Jolie adopted Pax from Vietnam, and in 2008, she gave birth to twins, Knox and Vivienne, in France. Following her split from Pitt, Jolie sought sole custody of their children, though custody arrangements have evolved over time. As of 2021, Jolie shares joint custody of her children with Pitt, though a 2022 ruling affected the legal arrangements.

Humanitarian Efforts

Jolie has long been a committed humanitarian, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency since 2001. Her advocacy for refugees has taken her to countries such as Cambodia, Tanzania, Pakistan, Sudan, and Jordan. In recognition of her efforts, Jolie was honored with the Global Humanitarian Action Award in 2005 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2014. While she resigned from her role as UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in 2022, Jolie continues her humanitarian work, particularly advocating for refugees. In 2024, she met with displaced people in Sudan, calling for increased humanitarian aid.

Health Issues and Cancer Prevention

Jolie has faced significant health challenges, particularly related to cancer. After the death of her mother from ovarian cancer in 2007, Jolie underwent genetic testing and learned that she carries the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases her risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. In 2013, Jolie publicly revealed that she underwent a double mastectomy to reduce her risk. Two years later, she underwent the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes. In 2017, she disclosed in an interview that she had also experienced Bell’s palsy, a temporary facial paralysis, but had recovered through acupuncture.

Net Worth

As of 2024, Jolie’s estimated net worth stands at $120 million. In addition to her successful acting career, which has made her one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses, she has invested in sustainable fashion through her collective, Atelier Jolie. Her business endeavors, combined with her acting and directing work, contribute to her substantial wealth.