Pablo Larraín’s biopic Maria explores the final days of Maria Callas in 1970s Paris, with Angelina Jolie delivering a mesmerizing performance that has captivated critics. And it turns out that Jolie’s portrayal has revealed striking connections between her own struggles and those of Callas.
In a recent, candid interview, Jolie opened up about her personal battles, casting a new, somber light on the shared emotional turmoil that connects her life with the opera singers.
Why Angelina Jolie Keeps Her Circle Small?
In a revealing interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Angelina Jolie took a deep dive into her personal life, sharing insights about her circle of close friends. She admitted that while her friends are few in number, they hold a special, cherished place in her heart. She said,
I don’t really have those kinds of relationships. Maybe it’s losing your parent young. Maybe it’s working. Maybe it’s being somebody who’s been betrayed a lot. I don’t have a lot of those warm, close relationships as much that I lean on. But I have a few, and a few is enough. Loung [Ung, the Cambodian American human rights activist who is the subject of First They Killed My Father] is one of my closest friends.
My mother was very close to me. I lost her. I’ve had a few friends over the years not be there for my family in their hour of need. I have a couple of people that I trust. What did Maria Callas die with? Two trusted people.
Although Angelina Jolie keeps her circle small, it doesn’t mean she’s not open to good company. To win her over and become a friend, one will need to appreciate bad TV and cozy up in fuzzy socks.
As she further elaborated,
If somebody wants to watch bad TV and order Thai food, I’m the first one to put the fuzzy socks on and sit next to them. I like to be with people I love. I’m not somebody begging to be alone.
I’m not that person that feels like, ‘Oh, I wish I could just be alone so I could have my guilty pleasures.’ Because usually my guilty pleasure is being with somebody. I love doing something that makes them happy. That really does make me happy.
Who could have imagined that winning Angelina Jolie’s heart would be so straightforward? After years of serving her time in the spotlight, she now finds peace by surrounding herself only with the people she truly loves.
Angelina Jolie Loves Her Time in the Spotlight for One Reason
Despite the public’s perception, Angelina Jolie actually relishes her time in the spotlight and treasures her interactions with fans. She truly loves connecting with them, especially when they share personal stories and experiences. Having lost her mother to breast cancer, Jolie finds comfort and connection in discovering commonalities with those she meets. As she said in the same THR chat,
I realized when I came into this business, doing things like Gia or Girl, Interrupted, and I expressed so much of my madness and my pain. When people connected to it, I felt less alone. So if somebody were to talk to me about having gone through breast cancer or losing their parent, then I feel more deeply connected with another human being.
To go into a room full of people you don’t know, and have a lot in common very quickly because somehow you’ve been in their home on the television or you made their children laugh or they know something personal, that’s really nice.
While working on her upcoming Netflix project, Angelina Jolie uncovered numerous parallels between her own experiences and those of Maria Callas, including being “betrayed” and not being a “halfway person”. These insights deepened her connection to the character.
The film particularly highlights Callas’s isolation in her Parisian home during the tumultuous 1970s. With rave reviews fueling growing anticipation, the film is already creating significant buzz.
Maria will be streaming on Netflix from September 8th, 2024.
