Inside Angelina Jolie’s return to Hollywood after her time of recovery
Maria is Angelina Jolie’s first starring role in three years. In honor of her Critics Choice Award nomination, read about her return to Hollywood and her thoughts on leaving L.A. one day.
Angelina Jolie wasn’t exactly dying to become an actress.
In fact, the Oscar winner had considered other career paths before entering Hollywood—like funeral director.
“Doesn’t it make sense though?” Jolie teased during her December 2024 appearance on The Tonight Show, her first late-night appearance in about a decade. “My grandfather died, and I remembered thinking this is not how they should be.
This should be a celebration of life. And since I’m not afraid of death and I was comfortable with it, I thought this would be a great career path for me. I could make this better. I could do a thing here. It’s my fallback career now.”
Given her lengthy list of credits and numerous nominations for acting honors, it’s safe to say she won’t be needing the backup plan. Still, the Maria star—who, despite a recent Oscars snub, is up for a Critics Choice Award for her portrayal of opera singer Maria Callas—has admitted she’s had second thoughts about the road she’s taken.
“I wouldn’t be an actress today,” Jolie told WSJ. Magazine in a December 2023 interview. At least not Hollywood, that is. “When I was starting out, it wasn’t as much of an expectation to be as public, to share so much.”
