Angelina Jolie, the celebrated actress known for her roles in iconic films like Maleficent and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, surprised audiences on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon by sharing a little-known fact about her career aspirations before Hollywood stardom. Despite her success in acting, Jolie revealed that her first professional ambition wasn’t in front of the camera but in the funeral industry.
In an interview with Fallon, the Oscar-winning actress disclosed that she once studied to become a funeral director. When Fallon curiously asked, “Why? How?”, Jolie responded with humor, “Doesn’t it make sense though?” She went on to explain her reasoning more thoughtfully, recalling the death of her grandfather. “My grandfather died and I remembered thinking, this is not how they should be. This should be a celebration of life – and since I’m not afraid of death and I was comfortable with it, I thought, this would be a great career path for me,” she explained. “I could, like, make this better. I could do a thing here,” she added, lightheartedly referring to it as her “fallback career.”
Jolie’s conversation with Fallon also delved into her other less-known career pursuits. The actress confirmed that she is indeed a licensed pilot, having earned her pilot’s license in 2004, and proudly revealed that her son Maddox has followed in her footsteps and is also a pilot. However, she was quick to shut down rumors about ever wanting to pursue stand-up comedy, saying, “That is definitely a no,” adding with a chuckle, “I could deal with a funeral. I could deal with 10,000 feet in the air, but no… What you do terrifies.”
Jolie also opened up about her latest project, where she portrays the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in the upcoming biopic Maria. Although she had no prior experience in singing, Jolie spent months training her voice for the role. “I’d never sung before,” she admitted, confessing that she was “pretty sure” singing was one of her limitations. In a bid to calm her nerves, Jolie jokingly considered buying earplugs for the cast and crew as a “fun, like, start-of-the-movie gift,” but in the end, she had to embrace the challenge and sing.
With her diverse talents and unexpected career interests, Jolie continues to impress both on and off the screen. Her openness about her unique journey offers fans a glimpse into her multi-faceted personality, revealing that there’s more to this star than meets the eye.
