December 20, 2024: Angelina Jolie’s return to acting in Maria, Pablo Larrain’s biographical film about opera legend Maria Callas, marks a significant and emotional chapter in her career. The film has not only garnered her nominations for major awards like the 2025 Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards but also highlights her personal and professional comeback after a long hiatus. Jolie’s candidness about the dark period she endured during her time away from Hollywood adds a deeply human layer to her return.
In her interview, Jolie spoke about going “very dark” for reasons she preferred not to elaborate on, a period in which she felt disconnected from the “light and life” within her. It’s clear that this time away was shaped by both personal and practical factors—especially the emotional toll of her divorce from Brad Pitt, which involved public legal battles and intense media scrutiny. Her reflections on needing to “be home more” and focusing on her children during that time resonate with anyone who’s faced the challenge of balancing family responsibilities with professional demands.
Jolie’s honesty about not being “herself for a while” and her struggle to connect with her work during that period gives a poignant insight into the difficulties she faced. The decision to step back from acting wasn’t a creative one but rather a necessary choice for her well-being. It’s admirable how she’s acknowledged that her ability to work creatively and passionately depended on her emotional health, and she seems to have taken the time needed to regain that sense of self.
However, Maria is clearly a turning point in her journey. Jolie describes the project as the beginning of her healing, and it’s clear that the experience of playing such a complex, powerful figure as Maria Callas helped reignite her passion for acting and collaboration. She speaks about the joy of working with “nice people” and how collaboration with other artists has been deeply fulfilling. There’s a sense of rediscovery in her words—of learning “so much about yourself and about life” through the creative process. For Jolie, it’s not just about the work itself, but about the emotional safety and compassion she found on set, something she learned is essential to both her professional and personal recovery.
It’s also touching to learn that her children have become involved in her creative endeavors. Her daughter Vivienne assisting on The Outsiders and her sons Maddox and Pax working on Maria reflect a beautiful, multi-generational connection to her work. It speaks to Jolie’s values as a mother and how her children are growing into their own roles within the entertainment industry.
While her acting hiatus was marked by personal challenges, Jolie’s return in Maria shows that she has emerged from that difficult period with renewed energy and a deeper understanding of her own resilience. The fact that she has come back to her craft not just out of necessity, but out of a place of renewed passion and collaboration, makes this comeback all the more meaningful.
