5 Shocking Ways Angelina Jolie's 'Maria' Role Pushed Her To The Brink: Crying, Collapse, And Callas's Emotional Legacy

Angelina Jolie, one of Hollywood's most celebrated and enigmatic figures, has recently opened up about the profound physical and emotional toll of portraying the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in the new biographical drama, Maria. As of December 2025, with the film garnering significant acclaim and award buzz following its festival run, Jolie’s candid revelations offer a fresh, intimate look into the intense preparation and on-set struggles required to embody "La Divina," widely considered the greatest opera singer of all time. This role, directed by Chilean auteur Pablo Larraín, was far more than a typical acting challenge; it was an all-consuming experience that pushed the Oscar-winner to her absolute limit.

The biographical film, which focuses on the final, turbulent years of Maria Callas's life in the 1970s, required Jolie to delve into a character defined by both monumental artistic success and deep personal anguish. Her honesty about the struggles—from physical exhaustion to profound emotional breakthroughs—underscores why this performance is being hailed as one of the most transformative of her career, revealing a vulnerable side of the global icon rarely seen before.

Angelina Jolie & Maria Callas: A Biographical Profile and Emotional Nexus

To understand the magnitude of the struggle, it is essential to first grasp the weight of the two figures at the center of this cinematic endeavor: the actress and the icon.

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Angelina Jolie: Actress, Director, and Humanitarian

• Full Name: Angelina Jolie Voight
• Born: June 4, 1975, Los Angeles, California
• Career Highlights: Academy Award winner (Girl, Interrupted), three Golden Globe Awards, known for roles in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Maleficent.
• Director/Producer: Directed films like In the Land of Blood and Honey and First They Killed My Father. She is also a producer on Maria.
• Humanitarian Work: Former Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• Personal Life Context: Her emotional state during the filming of Maria has been tied by some reports to her own personal struggles, including the highly publicised divorce from Brad Pitt.

Maria Callas: The Voice of the Century

• Full Name: Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos
• Born: December 2, 1923, New York City, New York
• Died: September 16, 1977, Paris, France
• Nickname: La Divina (The Divine One)
• Significance: A Greek-American soprano, she was the most influential opera singer of the 20th century, known for her dramatic flair, wide-ranging voice, and intense technical and emotional artistry.
• The Film’s Focus: The film Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín, is an international co-production focusing on the final, lonely years of the opera legend's life in 1970s Paris.
• The Challenge: Jolie initially hesitated to take the role, recognizing the physical differences between herself and the Greek-American soprano, but ultimately felt compelled to embody Callas's spirit.

The 5 Emotional and Physical Walls Jolie Had to Break

The journey to becoming Maria Callas was fraught with unexpected difficulties that went far beyond typical method acting. Jolie’s recent interviews reveal five specific, intense struggles that defined her experience on the set of Maria.

1. Nearly Collapsing During Intense Physical Training

The sheer physical demand of the role was one of the first and most surprising challenges. Jolie candidly shared that she "nearly passed out" during the intense training regimen required for the film. This preparation was not just about physical transformation, but about embodying the intense, demanding stage presence of a world-class opera star—a figure who commanded the stage with formidable energy and control.

The physical exhaustion was compounded by the meticulous effort to recreate Callas's iconic look and stage wear. Embodying the Greek-American soprano’s persona required a deep commitment to the physical artistry of opera, which is both athletic and emotionally taxing.

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2. The Daunt of Learning Opera and Crying in the First Lesson

One of the most daunting tasks for Jolie, who has no prior opera experience, was grappling with the vocal requirements of the role. She revealed the profound emotional impact of this challenge, admitting that she "cried" during her very first opera lesson.

The pressure of portraying a figure revered as the greatest voice in the world was immense. The process of learning to sing opera was not merely technical; it was an emotional hurdle that forced her to confront her own vulnerability and the sheer impossibility of truly replicating Callas's unique vocal genius.

3. Crying Uncontrollably in Front of Her Children

The emotional depth of Maria Callas’s life—her tumultuous relationship with Aristotle Onassis and her final years of isolation—dredged up profound emotions in Jolie herself. The actress confessed that she cried in front of her sons while making the film in a way they had never witnessed before.

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Jolie stated, "They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don't cry in front of my children like that." This raw, uncontrolled display of emotion was a direct result of channeling Callas's intense anguish, highlighting how deeply the character had seeped into Jolie's personal life and emotional landscape.

The Emotional Breakthrough: Learning to Breathe and Letting Go

The struggles ultimately led to significant artistic and personal breakthroughs, forming the core of Jolie's transformative performance. The director, Pablo Larraín, known for his intense biopics like Jackie and Spencer, specializes in portraying iconic women at their most vulnerable, and his collaboration with Jolie proved to be an emotionally charged journey.

4. The Need to "Learn How to Breathe Again"

The emotional weight of Callas’s tragedy was so heavy that Jolie felt she had to “learn how to breathe again.” This statement encapsulates the draining nature of the role—it was a performance that required a complete emotional and physical reset. The intense sadness and emotional turmoil Callas experienced forced Jolie to tap into a level of personal pain that was both exhausting and cathartic.

This struggle to find her emotional footing is a testament to the power of the script and Larraín's direction, which focused on the human being behind the myth, the lonely woman in her Paris apartment rather than the triumphant star on the global stage.

5. Surreal Encounters and the Weight of Callas's Legacy

Beyond the physical and emotional demands, Jolie experienced moments of profound, almost surreal connection to the legendary soprano. She described a quiet, powerful moment while sitting in Maria Callas's actual dressing room, an experience that underscored the historical weight of the role.

The entire production was steeped in the legacy of "La Divina." The film was shot in various locations across Europe, including Paris, Greece, and Italy, adding to the atmosphere of historical authenticity and the pressure to honor the memory of the Greek-American soprano. The use of actual historical locations and artifacts intensified the feeling that Jolie was not just playing a role, but communing with a spirit.

Topical Authority: The Maria Callas Biopic and Its Place in Cinema

The film Maria is set to be a significant entry in the genre of biographical dramas, particularly those focusing on complex female figures. Director Pablo Larraín has a proven track record of extracting raw, Oscar-worthy performances by focusing on the intense emotional landscape of his subjects, from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Princess Diana. The film features a strong ensemble cast alongside Jolie, including Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, adding further depth to the narrative.

Jolie's willingness to be so open about her struggles—the tears, the near-collapse, the emotional drain—is a powerful marketing tool, but more importantly, it is a statement of artistic integrity. It signals that this performance is not a superficial portrayal but a deep, personal commitment to understanding the agony and ecstasy of one of the 20th century's most iconic and tragic figures. For her, the struggle was not a setback, but the necessary price of embodying the emotional truth of Maria Callas, ensuring that her legacy is portrayed with the respect and rawness it deserves.

The intense challenges faced by Angelina Jolie—learning opera, managing physical strain, and navigating profound emotional territory—have culminated in a performance that critics are already calling a career-defining moment. Her transparency about the struggles of filming Maria only deepens the anticipation for this powerful, raw, and deeply human portrayal of the ultimate artistic icon.