Angelina Jolie Wears Real-Life Jewelry Belonging to Opera Legend Maria Callas in BiopicMaria— And on the Red Carpet

Mar. 15, 2025

Angelina Jolie attends the red carpet for “Maria” during the 81st Venice International Film Festival.Photo:Alessandro Levati/Getty

Alessandro Levati/Getty

Angelina Joliehas a fashionable way of channelingMaria Callason the red carpet — the iconic opera singer she portrays inPablo Larraín’s new biopic,Maria.On Thursday, Aug. 29, the actress, 49, stepped out on the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival wearing a Tamara Ralph chiffon gown and faux fur stole, according toVogue— and a designer brooch that actually belonged to Callas, who died in 1977.Per the magazine, many of the storied opera singer’s brooches now live in the Cartier Collection, andMariacostume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini worked with Cartier to obtain some of Callas' finest jewelry. According to Jolie, she wore the real designer pieces as a nod to Callas not just on the red carpet, but also on screen in the biopic.Angelina Jolie on the red carpet.Andreas Rentz/GettyHer red carpet brooch was a 1972 Rose Ouvrante in the shape of a flower, that features diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. The jewelry — which Jolie wears in the movie — also has a special mechanism that makes the flower petals open and close.“I was also charmed at how it transformed from a closed flower that then blooms,” Jolie toldVogue. “I like to think it made her smile. The little secret in the piece.“Earlier on Thursday, Jolie paired one of her ownAtelier Jolieblack dresses with a 1971 Panthère brooch, featuring the classic gold Cartier panthers with emeralds for eyes alongside a white chalcedony gemstone, the magazine reported. This brooch was also featured inMaria,Jolie added.“You can imagine how special it was to wear a piece of jewelry that was hers,” she said.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Jolie has previously been candid about how she felt connected to Callas — whose life is known as somewhat tragic — and fully submerged herself in the world of opera to understand her character. Earlier on Thursday, she spoke at a press conference alongside other cast and crew about how she related to Callas' story.A close-up of the floral brooch.JB Lacroix/FilmMagic"Well, there’s a lot I won’t say in this room, that you probably know or assume,” Jolie told the crowd with a laugh.“I think the way I related to her may be a surprise — [it was] probably the part of her that’s extremely soft and doesn’t have room in the world to be as soft as she truly was, and as emotionally open as she truly was,” the Oscar winner said.First photos from Pablo Larrain’s ‘Maria.'.Pablo LarraínShe added of Callas, “I share her vulnerability more than anything.“Based on true accounts about Callas,Mariawill tell the “tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris,” according to a press release.Details about Callas’ life have previously been explored in Lyndsy Spence’s biography about the starCast a Diva: The Hidden Life of Maria Callas, which was excerpted in an April 2021 article fromThe Guardian.

Angelina Joliehas a fashionable way of channelingMaria Callason the red carpet — the iconic opera singer she portrays inPablo Larraín’s new biopic,Maria.

On Thursday, Aug. 29, the actress, 49, stepped out on the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival wearing a Tamara Ralph chiffon gown and faux fur stole, according toVogue— and a designer brooch that actually belonged to Callas, who died in 1977.

Per the magazine, many of the storied opera singer’s brooches now live in the Cartier Collection, andMariacostume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini worked with Cartier to obtain some of Callas' finest jewelry. According to Jolie, she wore the real designer pieces as a nod to Callas not just on the red carpet, but also on screen in the biopic.

Angelina Jolie on the red carpet.Andreas Rentz/Getty

Andreas Rentz/Getty

Her red carpet brooch was a 1972 Rose Ouvrante in the shape of a flower, that features diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. The jewelry — which Jolie wears in the movie — also has a special mechanism that makes the flower petals open and close.

“I was also charmed at how it transformed from a closed flower that then blooms,” Jolie toldVogue. “I like to think it made her smile. The little secret in the piece.”

Earlier on Thursday, Jolie paired one of her ownAtelier Jolieblack dresses with a 1971 Panthère brooch, featuring the classic gold Cartier panthers with emeralds for eyes alongside a white chalcedony gemstone, the magazine reported. This brooch was also featured inMaria,Jolie added.

“You can imagine how special it was to wear a piece of jewelry that was hers,” she said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Jolie has previously been candid about how she felt connected to Callas — whose life is known as somewhat tragic — and fully submerged herself in the world of opera to understand her character. Earlier on Thursday, she spoke at a press conference alongside other cast and crew about how she related to Callas' story.

A close-up of the floral brooch.JB Lacroix/FilmMagic

JB Lacroix/FilmMagic

“Well, there’s a lot I won’t say in this room, that you probably know or assume,” Jolie told the crowd with a laugh.

“I think the way I related to her may be a surprise — [it was] probably the part of her that’s extremely soft and doesn’t have room in the world to be as soft as she truly was, and as emotionally open as she truly was,” the Oscar winner said.

First photos from Pablo Larrain’s ‘Maria.'.Pablo Larraín

Pablo Larraín

She added of Callas, “I share her vulnerability more than anything.”

Based on true accounts about Callas,Mariawill tell the “tumultuous, beautiful and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and reimagined during her final days in 1970s Paris,” according to a press release.

Details about Callas’ life have previously been explored in Lyndsy Spence’s biography about the starCast a Diva: The Hidden Life of Maria Callas, which was excerpted in an April 2021 article fromThe Guardian.

source: people.com