How loneliness ties Angelina Jolie and her character Maria together
What's the story
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie opened up about a deep personal connection with her latest on-screen character, renowned opera singer Maria Callas, in a recent interview with PEOPLE.
The 49-year-old actor is set to portray Callas in the upcoming biopic Maria, which will premiere in US theaters on November 27, followed by a global debut on Netflix on December 11.
Jolie revealed that she shares a "certain loneliness" with Callas, stemming from their shared dedication to work.
Personal connection
'There's definitely a loneliness and a work ethic...'
Explaining her bond with Callas, Jolie said, "I don't want to speak too much about it because it's too personal, but there's definitely a loneliness and a work ethic."
She continued, "I may be many things, but I'm a very hard worker, right?"
The Oscar-winning actor also compared herself to Callas as committed performers who are "probably very hard on ourselves."
Film details
'Maria' received a standing ovation at NYFF premiere
The biopic Maria, directed by Pablo Larrain, chronicles the life of Callas as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous yet tumultuous public life.
The film also stars actors Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Valeria Golino.
It received a standing ovation at its premiere at the New York Film Festival in September. Earlier, it received an eight-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Premiere speech
Jolie's heartfelt message at 'Maria' premiere
At the NYFF premiere, Jolie was overjoyed and grateful. She said, "I'm so happy to be here tonight. And I'm so happy to share this stage with these extremely talented, wonderful people and my dear friends."
To note, Maria is the final film in Larrain's trilogy of iconic women, following Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021).
The film has been described as his strongest entry in the series, with a compelling character study written by Oscar nominee Steven Knight.