- Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Jolie’s portrayal of Callas captures the singer’s struggle with loneliness and the pressure to maintain her legendary status
By: Shajil Kumar
ANGELINA JOLIE acknowledged the immense pressure of portraying the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in the new biopic “Maria,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Jolie expressed concerns about living up to the expectations of Callas’s devoted fans, noting, “The bar in this… are the Maria Callas fans and those who love opera.”
Directed by Pablo Larrain, “Maria” delves into the final years of Callas’s life, a period marked by both professional triumphs and deep personal turmoil.
The film is the third in Larrain’s series on iconic women, following his works on Princess Diana in “Spencer” and Jacqueline Kennedy in “Jackie.”
Jolie’s portrayal of Callas captures the singer’s struggle with loneliness and the pressure to maintain her legendary status.
The film opens with a montage of Callas’s most celebrated moments, juxtaposed with scenes of her frail condition in later years. Jolie, who spent months studying to mimic Callas’s voice, admitted, “I was terribly nervous… I was frightened to live up to her.”
The film also explores Callas’s relationships, including her tumultuous romance with Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, and the relentless media attention she endured.
Larrain emphasized that only a star of Jolie’s caliber could do justice to Callas’s story, stating, “This movie would not have existed without Angelina.”
Despite her own high-profile life and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, Jolie’s focus in Venice was on honoring Callas’s legacy.
“I really came to care for her, so I felt I didn’t want to do a disservice to this woman,” Jolie said, reflecting on the emotional connection she developed with the character.
