After Having Never “Sung In Public,” Angelina Jolie Revealed She Spent “Almost Seven Months” Training To Sing Opera For “Maria”

Angelina Jolie : actor, philanthropist, and now, a trained opera singer.

As you may have heard, Angie is back in the limelight for her new movie, Maria , in which she stars as the opera icon Maria Callas.

Ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, Angelina opened up about the therapeutic process of transforming into Maria and learning to sing like her — something she was “terribly nervous” about.

Speaking at a press conference, the 49-year-old said she “ had not sung in public ” before taking on the role and, therefore, needed a lot of training to feel that she was doing Maria and her fans justice.

Notably, Angelina — who shares six children with her ex, Brad Pitt — said she was grateful for her sons, who helped protect her privacy in the early stages of her opera journey.

Luckily for Angelina, her performance is already getting rave reviews. After its Thursday evening premiere, Maria received an 8-minute standing ovation — during which Angelina was visibly emotional , wiping away tears.

When asked during the press conference about the possibility of winning her second acting Oscar for the portrayal, Angelina said she cares most about the reaction of Maria’s fans “and those who love opera.”

Angelina won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2000 for her role in Girl, Interrupted . Nine years later, she received a Best Actress nomination for Clint Eastwood ’s 2008 film Changeling .

Netflix has acquired the streaming rights for Maria but has yet to announce an official release date. In the meantime, here's where you can watch a brand-new clip from the film.

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