Does Angelina Jolie sing in “Maria”? How she turned into Maria Callas

Angelina Jolie may not have any vocal training, but that didn’t stop her from mastering the art of opera for her role in Mary.

In the biopic of Pablo Larraín — which is now streaming on Netflix – Jolie takes on the role of opera legend Maria Callas and portrays the final chapter of her life in Paris until her death in 1977. Although Jolie had no singing experience, she dedicated almost seven months to the intensive training program under the Led by trainer Eric Vetro, whose clients include renowned singers such as Ariana Grande and Lea Michele.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone make that much of a difference from the first day to the last,” Vetro told PEOPLE in December 2024 about Jolie’s training progress.

Although she was “a little nervous and shy about singing” at first, the singing teacher knew Jolie’s determination would drive her, noting that “her desire to do a great job surpassed anything that could stop her.”

Vetro recalled the moment he heard Jolie sing “O mio babbino caro,” a soprano aria from the 1918 opera Gianni SchicchiThey called it the “most exciting day” of their time together.

“I thought, ‘This is it. She can do it. She’s the perfect person to play this role,'” he said. “And I’m someone who loved Maria Callas – I really loved that. She was one of my favorite opera singers, so it really touched me that she made it that way.”

Does Angelina Jolie really sing along? Mary? Here you can find out everything about how she became an opera legend Mary and what the star said about her training process.

Does Angelina Jolie sing along? Mary?

Jolie sings along Maryalthough she is not entirely alone. In September 2024, Larraín announced IndieWire that the film’s vocal elements were carefully crafted during post-production, blending Jolie’s vocals with Callas’ voice.

“Sometimes you hear 1 percent of Angelina’s voice, sometimes it’s 5 percent, sometimes it’s 40 percent,” Larraín explained. “A few times, not very often, but it happens, you hear sixty or seventy percent of Angelina’s voice.”

He emphasized that while the film’s focus is on Callas’ legendary voice – which is what people wanted to hear – Jolie’s live performances on set were crucial to the film’s authenticity.

“To make it believable, Angelina had to sing loudly in front of her crew and hundreds of extras to make it happen,” Larraín said. “Even if you have a great performance and everything is beautiful, if you don’t believe she’s actually singing, there’s no movie, and I think she nailed it.”

Did Angelina Jolie have any singing experience before filming? Mary?

Vetro told PEOPLE that Jolie started from scratch and had no singing experience before filming Mary.

Jolie said this at a press conference in August 2024 ahead of the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival, sharing that she didn’t even have experience singing as a hobby.

When asked if she had a favorite karaoke song, she replied, “Before this (film), I didn’t sing, so I didn’t do karaoke, but now I might have a few!”

In the same month, Jolie also shared an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that someone from a previous relationship “who wasn’t kind to her about singing” made her think she wasn’t capable of it.

“I was at theater school so it was strange that it had any effect on me at all. I just kind of conformed to that person’s opinion,” she said. “I had to overcome a lot of things to start singing.”

How did Angelina Jolie prepare to sing along? Mary?

Larraín said IndieWire Jolie completed an intensive seven-month training program to prepare Marywith emphasis on various techniques including breathing, posture and accent.

“She sang in Italian and French, but mostly Italian,” he said.

Then she had to master pitch – what he described as “the ability to reach every note and follow the melody,” adding that it was “a big challenge for her.”

Larraín also acknowledged that it is difficult for someone without a musical background to learn opera.

“This is not pop music. It’s not like you can get in a car and put on a David Bowie song and sing it,” he said. “It’s just that you can’t really sing opera unless you really, really train.”

At the Venice press conference, Jolie reflected on the process and praised Larraín for allowing her to grow into the role.

“In his decency, he started me in a small room and ended me in La Scala,” she said, referring to the historic Milan opera house. “So he gave me time to grow. I was afraid of doing (Callas) justice.”

What did Angelina Jolie say about her role in? Mary?

Although Jolie eventually became ready for the big screen Marythe journey was not easy. At the Venice Film Festival, she shared that she was “terribly nervous” but had the help of some special people in her life.

“The first time I sang I was so nervous. My sons were there helping to lock the door so no one else could come in and I was shaking,” the Oscar winner said.

The process of finding her voice also proved deeply personal and transformative. In an October 2024 interview with diversityJolie recalled being “really emotional” on her first day of singing lessons.

“I walked into a room with the piano and someone said, ‘Okay, let’s see where you are,'” Jolie recalls. “I took a deep breath, let out a sound and started crying. I think we all don’t realize how much we carry in our bodies, how much we carry around, and how much that affects our sound and our voice.”

She added: “I’ve been holding a lot inside for a long time, and that beginning and that sound, and then when that sound eventually came, it was the best therapy I’ve ever had. “Honestly, I think I would tell.” A lot of people go to singing lessons before they try therapy and spend too much time there.”

Although it was a long, nerve-wracking process, she said Entertainment tonight in October 2024 that it was a “great gift” to be trained in “something new” at this point in her life – and shared her newfound admiration for the art form.

“I love and respect opera and opera singers and this world so much. These composers and arias are so beautiful,” Jolie said.