Starring as the legendary Maria Callas in the forthcoming Pablo Larraín biopic has made Angelina Jolie "come alive again."
Prior to taking on the daunting yet already rewarding role, which is earning her early Oscar buzz, the humanitarian had taken a step back from acting.
Now, she's getting candid about what that period of her life was really like, why it was "dark," and just how meaningful getting to play Maria was because of it.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, the Maleficent actress first confessed: "I wasn't myself for a while, so I wasn't able to give as much to my work for a few years," before sharing: "To feel like I could work again and communicate and to be with nice people — so much of what I do is collaboration with other artists. When it goes well, you're creating together. When you're with nice people and creative people, you learn so much about yourself and about life. You're in a safe place to play and stretch."
"I had that with Pablo," she added of her Maria director, also known for directing the Jackie and Spencer biopics, and further shared: "I don't think it's an accident that I found another situation [in Stitches] that is very similar with very well-intended, thoughtful people," referring to her next project.
"We're all going through this human condition and this life. So it's very, very healing to be able to be a part of these films and to talk to you about this and to live that way," she went on, acknowledging that she "missed it. I realized I did really miss it. I missed being an artist."
© NBC"I went very dark for reasons I'd rather not explain," she also admitted, and elaborating, said: "But I didn't have a lot of light and life within me. Your light's dim."
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She further shared: "I also just needed to be home more, so I couldn't commit large periods of time to pieces. The choice of what to work on and when was not a creative choice, often, the last few years, but sometimes the practical choice. Really, I think Maria was the beginning of starting to come alive again. I needed a lot of kind people around me to hold my hand."
© James DevaneyAngelina is a mom to six kids, Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 16. She and her ex Brad Pitt, who many of the kids are reportedly estranged from, split in 2017 after 12 years together, however they are still in the middle of a bifurcated divorce, meaning that their marriage has been dissolved and they are legally single, but other aspects of their divorce are still up for dispute, in their case mainly the Provence estate and winery they previously shared.
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© Joy MaloneAs for what's next for the doting mom when it comes to new projects, she shared: "I just wrote to a friend of mine today, Eunice, who's in Liverpool, and she said, 'Why aren't you doing — you should do something funny.' I wrote back and I said, 'I'd like to find something funny,' but I'm not sure."
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© Rodin Eckenroth"I'm never sure how funny I am. I would love to do something fun and light. I think I'd have to be the straight man. I feel like that's what I am. I get that. In Maleficent, it was like, Okay, I'll be the straight person," she explained.
Lastly, she emphasized: "There are so many wonderful directors I'd love to have a chance to work with. I'd like to just be allowed to play in this arena. I'd love for people to reach out and be willing to invite me to play with them and create with them. So we'll see. Yeah, comedy, maybe."
