Angelina Jolie made a significant gesture as she accepted the Gotham Awards’ Performer Tribute in New York City on Monday, December 2. This honor was for her remarkable portrayal of opera singer Maria Callas in the critically acclaimed Netflix biopic Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín. Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie's late mother, passed away in 2007 at the age of 56 after a battle with ovarian cancer.

Impact of Mother on Life and Career

During the event at New York City’s Cipriani Wall Street, the 49-year-old Oscar winner took the stage in a sleeveless black dress. She reflected on the special timing of the annual awards ceremony, stating, "It’s wonderful to be here in New York where Maria Callas was born and lived most of her life on what would have been her 101st birthday. I’m very honored to be here with fellow artists, celebrating independent filmmaking." After thanking Larraín for his "vision and sensibility," she shared a story about how he "grew up going to the opera with his mother."Jolie then spoke about her own mother, Marcheline Bertrand. She said, "I grew up with a mother who kept books inside the oven because there were more books in our house than shelves in the apartment we had. And it was how she solved the problem, while still making sure we were fed. But it was her priority. She took me to theater. She told me about meeting Tennessee Williams and she introduced me to the Lee Strasberg Institute, where I would later study." She also mentioned her 16-year-old daughter Vivienne, who helped her produce the Tony-winning musical The Outsiders, and how she experiences the joy of seeing her daughter love theater.

Lessons from Maria Callas

The actress continued, emphasizing the importance of early influences in shaping artists and people. She said, "As we know, as Maria knew, art isn’t easy. It requires skill and training and discipline and preparation, and it can be lonely at times. And part of what drew me to Maria was how hard she worked to master her craft. She called it ‘straitjacketing’ herself … she gave the world and left the world so much. She would tell her students to keep going, not with fireworks, not with an easy applause, but with the expression of words and your true feeling, whatever it is."

Recognition and Career Highlights

Maria is an intimate portrait of Callas, the pioneering American-born Greek opera star, in 1970s Paris. In addition to the Gotham honor, Jolie’s performance has received distinctions at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Astra Film Awards. The Gotham Film & Media Institute executive director Jeffrey Sharp praised her "career-defining" work in October, stating, "Like the legendary figure she portrays, Angelina Jolie transcends mere performance to craft something extraordinary. Her interpretation captures both Maria Callas’ complexity as an artist and the cultural resonance that defines an icon."An Oscar winner for 1999’s Girl, Interrupted, Jolie was last nominated by the Academy for 2008’s Changeling. Before Maria, her last big-screen credit was in Marvel’s Eternals (2021). The Gotham Awards celebrate "independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition."Following its Venice International Film Festival premiere, Maria is now in theaters and will debut on Netflix on December 11.