Angelina Jolie is embracing her “new relationship” with the word “diva” in Pablo Larrain’s Maria.
Pablo’s Maria, which is based on the life of an American-Greek soprano, Maria Challas, is going to feature the Tony-winning actress Jolie, who dished out the role of opera singer in her upcoming film.
During an interview at the Venice Film Festival press conference, the Maleficent actress revealed, “I was terribly nervous; I spent almost seven months training.”
The actress further said that she never had a “new relationship” with the term “diva.” The word “comes with a lot of negative connotations... I think Callas was one of the hardest working people who didn’t hurt anybody.”
When asked how the actress relates herself to the role, she explained, “Well, there’s a lot I won’t say in this room that you probably know or assume. I think the way I related to her was probably the part of her that is extremely soft and doesn’t have room in the world to be as soft as she was, as emotionally open as she truly was... I share her vulnerability more than anything.”
Pablo’s forthcoming film is a creative and psychological portrayal of the legendary opera singer, set in the background of the 1970s, as she reaches the end of her career. Maria revolves around the story of a woman who is passionate to pursue her art from the 1920s to the 1970s.
On casting Jolie for the role, the Eternal Memory director revealed that he had been a “big Maria Callas fan” and was surprised that there are “almost no movies about opera and opera singers. Callas had the greatest voice in history and had a very beautiful and difficult life.”
