Angelina Jolie Reveals An Ex Was ‘Not Kind’ To Her About Her Singing

Angelina Jolie has just revealed how she rediscovered her singing voice to play the role of the opera diva Maria Callas in the new biopic Maria—the film which premiered at the Venice Film Festival this week and is already attracting hefty prizes, including significant acclaim for Jolie.

Now, in an interview for The Hollywood Reporter, Jolie has explained how tapping into her vocal abilities was so painful for her because of wounds suffered from criticism from a former partner. She admitted that the hurtful remarks had left a lasting impact on her confidence in singing.

“It was an out-of-body experience because I don’t sing,” Jolie explained. “I had somebody in my life who was not kind to me about singing. It was a relationship I was in. And so I just assumed I couldn’t really sing.”

The Effects of Negative Feedback on Jolie

Despite having an acting education at theatre school, Jolie shares that the negative feedback she gets has changed the way she feels about her voice. “I just kind of adapted to this person’s opinion,” she continued. “So it took me getting past a lot of things to start singing.”

With the help of a voice coach, she learned she could sing as a soprano (she had thought she had a midrange voice). “I thought I had a low voice my whole life,” she said. “Your voice changes when you go through different things in your life. So that was a shock. That was very strange.”

Playing Callas And Preparations For ‘Maria’

The role in Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín, who is known for films like Jackie and Spencer, required Jolie to portray Callas during the final years of her life; a period marked by personal and professional struggles.

Jolie’s performance has been widely praised, and she was visibly moved during an eight-minute standing ovation at the film’s Venice premiere.

Jolie also talked about how long it took to prepare for the role – almost seven months of vocal training – and how nervous she was about her singing in the film.

She recalled how her sons helped create a private space for her during her initial attempts to sing. “I was shaky… I was frightened to live up to her,” Jolie shared.

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Positive Feedback For ‘Maria’ And Future Plans

Although early Oscar buzz around Jolie has been positive when it comes to Maria, she said her real concern was remaining true to the legacy of Callas – and of opera fans. “My fear would be to disappoint them,” she said.

In the same interview, she intimated that she might, after her children are grown, move out of LA. “I am here because I have to be here from a divorce, but as soon as they’re 18, I’ll be able to leave,” she said, highlighting her desire for privacy and peace for her family.

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