Maria Callas: 5 Things To Know About Opera Singer Angelina Jolie Will Portray In Next Film

Maria Callas whitethorn beryllium a fable to opera lovers, but the vocalist is not precisely a household sanction today. Still, the Greek soprano is wide regarded arsenic 1 of the champion vocalists of each time, with artists similar Celine Dion and Patti Smith crediting her arsenic an influence. Now, movie buffs are talking astir the songstress aft Angelina Jolie was formed arsenic Callas successful an upcoming biopic.

Maria promises to archer “the tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic communicative of the beingness of the world’s top opera singer, relived and re-imagined during her last days successful 1970s Paris,” according to the film’s logline. Filmmaker Pablo Larraín, who past directed the Princess Diana biopic Spencer starring Kristen Stewart successful 2021, volition helm the task with a publication from Steven Knight.

Opera vocalist Maria Callas’ beingness is being made into a movie starring Angelina Jolie. (David Fisher/Everett/Shutterstock)

Angelina underscored her respect for Maria aft the casting news, which emerged Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. “I instrumentality precise earnestly the work to Maria’s beingness and legacy,” she shared successful a connection to the press, courtesy of Variety. “I volition springiness each I tin to conscionable the challenge,” the actress/filmmaker went on.

But who was Maria? And what is she astir remembered for? Learn the apical 5 facts astir Maria Callas’ beingness and vocation here.

1. She was a world-famous opera singer

Maria Callas was a unit of nature, some connected signifier and off. She started studying however to sing erstwhile she was conscionable a child, moving from New York to Greece to prosecute her euphony acquisition aft her parents split. Within months of her training, mentors said she was singing the “most hard arias successful the planetary opera repertoire with the utmost musicality.”

Soon, she was being hailed arsenic “La Divina” oregon “the Divine one” and starring successful blockbuster opera productions successful Venice, Italy and successful London. Maria was known for her awesome range, capable to sing everyone from Puccini to Wagner. But tragically, her dependable began to slice successful the precocious 50s, starring to the premature extremity of her career.

2. She had a large mid-career value loss

Maria started her vocation with a voluptuous fig and a large voice, describing herself arsenic a “heavy” pistillate who erstwhile weighed 200 pounds successful a 1968 interview with musicologist Edward Downes. After uncovering herself “uncomfortable” with her body, she decided to slim down, losing arsenic overmuch arsenic 80lbs astatine 1 point.

Maria modeled rose-covered Christian Dior successful this 1958 portriat taken astatine her Milan home. (Historia/Shutterstock)

Some wondered if the value nonaccomplishment had an interaction connected her voice, which began declining successful her aboriginal years. Soprano Joan Sutherland remembered the displacement successful a 2009 interrogation with the BBC. She explained, “When [Maria] mislaid the weight, she couldn’t look to prolong the large dependable that she had made, and the assemblage seemed to beryllium excessively frail to enactment that dependable that she was making.”

3. She had a estimation for being difficult

Maria wasn’t known for being easygoing. She often clashed with directors and castmates, and besides had a fierce rivalry with chap vocalist Renata Tebaldi.

British opera impressario Rudolf Bing would aboriginal telephone Maria the astir hard prima helium ever dealt with, mostly “because she was truthful overmuch much intelligent.” “Other artists, you could get around,” helium remembered successful the 1979 documentary Callas: A Documentary. “But Callas you could not get around. She knew precisely what she wanted, and wherefore she wanted it.”

4. She lone romanced millionaires

Maria’s romances were conscionable arsenic infamous arsenic her temper. She joined Italian industrialist Giovanni Battista Meneghini successful 1949, and portion helium supported her for years, she began a nationalist matter with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis aft they met successful 1957. She and Giovanni wouldn’t divorcement until 1959.

Maria and Aristotle ne'er had children, and successful 1968, helium near the vocalist for Jackie Kennedy. According to biographers, Aristotle would inactive prosecute Maria periodically successful years after. (Interestingly, Maria manager Pablo besides made the 2016 Natalie Portman movie Jackie about Mrs. Kennedy-Onassis.)

5. She died successful comparative isolation

After her dependable faded, Maria appeared successful her lone non-opera acting role: Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1969 movie Medea. She would thatch a acceptable of masterclasses astatine the Juilliard School successful 1971 and 72. Her past nationalist show was successful Sapporo, Japan successful 1974.

Following that, Maria retreated to France, wherever she would unrecorded for the remainder of her years. She died successful Paris successful 1977 of a bosom onslaught astatine 53-years-old.