Angelina Jolie ‘Building on the Pain of Brad Pitt’s Divorce’ for New Role

Jolie’s previous project, Maryearned widespread acclaim and nominations earlier this year. She later admitted that she had lied to the director, Pablo Larraín, about her singing skills to secure the role of the opera icon.

Jolie said: “I had never sung before. Someone once told me that I couldn’t sing or could be a bit dismissive when I sang once, and that really shut me down. I never told anyone, but it was a part of my life that I just blocked out.

“And when Pablo asked me this and asked me if I could sing, I lied… obviously no one can sing like Maria. No one. But I will do my best.”

Jolie also remembers discovering the limits of that bluff, which was revealed during her first singing lesson for the film.

She said, “I made the mistake of thinking at the beginning, when he asked me to sing a little bit, ‘I love singing in movies.’ ‘I could sing a little, I think. I quickly realized that you can’t fake an opera song.

“Not that I wanted to fake anything, but I didn’t really think I would be asked to actually sing.”

She added that the experience overwhelmed her: “He said, ‘Take a deep breath and then start making noises’ – I started crying.”