Angelina Jolie says she does not want to disappoint opera and Maria Callas lovers.

During the press conference for Pablo Larraín’s “Maria” at the Venice Film Festival, Jolie answered a question regarding the Oscars stating, “For me, the bar in this where I would know if I did good enough are the Maria Callas fans and those who love opera, and my fear would be to disappoint them, so, of course, all other things and in my own business if there’s a response to the work, I’m very grateful, but in my heart to disappoint the people who love her and who she means a lot to, and her legacy, I came to care for her. I didn’t want to do a disservice to this woman.”

She added that she hoped the film would bring more audiences to opera because “it’s such a powerful art form.”

When asked about her musical taste and whether she was an opera fan, the actress said, “I was more punk. I loved all music but I probably listened to The Clash more than most, and as I’ve gotten older, classical music, opera. I think there’s something I still love about the same music I did when I was younger. I’ll still listen to The Clash, when you’ve felt a certain level of despair, of pain, of love. At a certain point there are only certain sounds that can match that feeling, and to me the immensity of the feeling encapsulated within the sounds of opera, there’s nothing like it. And that feeling that would move all of us if we were to hear it, would be the only sound if we were to explain that pain.”

Jolie also opened up about the fact that she had never sung in her life and trained for seven months to prepare for the role.

“Everybody here knows, I was terribly nervous. I spent almost seven months training because when you work with Pablo you can’t do anything by half,” she revealed. “He demands, in the most wonderful way, that you really do the work and you really learn and train.”

“Maria” opens at the Venice Film festival on August 29 and follows the life story of the world’s greatest opera singer, Maria Callas, during her final days in 1970s Paris. Netflix will distribute the film in the U.S. later this year. 

Angelina Jolie on her choice of personal music: She still listens to The Clash but now she is also very attuned to opera #Venezia81 #Maria #MariaCallas pic.twitter.com/CQey1kKmdV

— ʙᴇʟʟᴀᴅᴏɴɴᴀ (@canyou_sonicme) August 29, 2024