Before pursuing acting, Angelina Jolie aspired to become a funeral director
Angelina Jolie, renowned for her cinematic and theatrical accomplishments, initially had her sights set beyond the limelight. The acclaimed recipient of Golden Globe, Oscar, and Tony awards divulged on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" that her original aspiration was to enter the field of funeral direction. When Fallon inquired, “Why? How?” Jolie quipped, “Doesn’t it make sense though?” before offering a more earnest explanation.
She recounted the passing of her grandfather, reflecting, “This isn’t how it should be. It ought to be a celebration of life.” With an absence of fear towards mortality, she mused, “This could be a fulfilling vocation for me.” Jolie jested about her alternative career, “I could, like, make this better. It’s my fallback career.”
The 49-year-old also addressed speculations regarding other career paths she might have considered. When questioned about her interest in becoming a pilot, she affirmed, “Yes, I’m a pilot.” Reports indicate she acquired her pilot’s license in 2004, and she mentioned that her son Maddox is now a pilot as well. However, she strongly refuted claims of contemplating stand-up comedy, declaring, “That is definitely a no.” Jolie elaborated, “I could handle a funeral. I could manage being 10,000 feet in the air, but no,” and jestingly pointed at Fallon, adding, “What you do terrifies.”
In preparation for her portrayal of the iconic opera singer Maria Callas in the biopic “Maria,” Jolie devoted months to vocal training. On the “Tonight” show, she confessed, “I’d never sung before,” and was convinced it was beyond her capabilities, stating, “I can’t sing.” To ease her trepidation, she devised a whimsical plan at the onset of filming. “I thought, I know what I’ll do. It’ll be a fun, like, start-of-the-movie gift. I’ll just buy everybody earplugs,” she recounted, ultimately conceding, “But I didn’t, I had to sing.
