The Oscar winning actress says that playing the Disney villain is about a lot more than just winged costumes and horns.
Earlier this week, the world premiere of Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil took place at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, where actress Angelina Jolie was present along with her children and cast member Elle Fanning, who plays the role of Princess Aurora in the film.
Angelina Jolie, who reprises her titular role from 2014’s Maleficent, is again up to her wicked ways in Maleficent Mistress of Evil. However, for the actress playing the classic Disney villainess is about a lot more than just her dramatic costumes. “It reminds me and I hope others that there’s a part of us that is just unbridled,” Jolie said in an interview with Variety.
“We just have to be who we are. We can’t be less than what we are. We can’t be less honest. We can’t be less fierce. We have to find ourselves and be free with it and be okay with it,” she added.
The actress also reflected on how she relates to the character’s latest dilemma — parenting young adult Aurora (played by Elle Fanning). “For Maleficent, considering she is the mistress of evil, I think she’s doing a pretty good job,” she shared with a laugh.
“You know, the father’s a bird. We know we have some severe issues going on. [But] she’s trying her best. And I think where she fails is that she doesn’t believe in herself. She doesn’t believe that she’s a good mom. She doesn’t see herself as a mom.” Jolie continued: “I questioned – when I was first a mother – whether I was good enough. And I think that a lot of good moms questioned whether or not they’re good enough. And I think there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil picks up several years after the events of the first film, with Aurora now engaged to marry Phillip, with Maleficent reluctant to let her go. “The real, truest love pulls out your best qualities in yourself, and that’s what children do,” Jolie shared at the premiere. “Being a mother brought out something in me that completely transformed me, similar to Maleficent. I felt a responsibility to be a better person. Maleficent is trying her best. I think where she fails is that she doesn’t believe in herself. She questions herself if she’s good enough to be a mother. I had questions when I first became a mother and whether I was fit or not. That struck a chord with me.”
While Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning are reprising their roles in the sequel to the live-action hit, Michelle Pfeiffer will be seen essaying the role of Queen Ingrith.
Joining the talented trio at the film’s world premiere were co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, Harris Dickinson, Sam Riley, Jenn Murray, director Joachim Ronning and screenwriters Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’s release – scheduled to hit theatres on October 18, 2019 – also aligns with the 60th anniversary of Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty.
With information from Variety and Vanity Fair
