Jimmy Fallon stunned by Angelina Jolie’s truly bizarre 'backup career': "Not afraid of death..."
Just a few weeks ago, Angelina Jolie spoke candidly about her surprising career goals. 'The Tonight Show', hosted by Jimmy Fallon, featured the Oscar-winning actress for the first time in a decade on a late-night talk show last month. Jolie told Fallon during the interview that she had previously thought about working as a funeral director. When Fallon asked her to address speculations about her professional goals before her ascent to stardom as a renowned actor, the subject came up. Jolie gave a startling yet seemingly logical justification for her unusual choice.
Fallon said, "You're an incredible actor, but I saw some things online. I was wondering if I could ask you if these rumors are true of other careers that you might have had. I'd be interested to see if any of these are real. First of all, is it true that prior to acting you were studying to become a funeral director?" To this, the actress replied, "Yes. Doesn't it make sense though?" As reported by The Independent, she further explained, "My grandfather died, and I remember 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. I could, like, make this better. I could do a thing here.'"
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Jolie has opened up about her past ambitions. As reported by Geo TV, the actress first revealed her desire to become a funeral director during a 2011 interview. She said, "It sounds like this very strange, eccentric, dark thing to do. But, in fact, I lost my grandfather and I was very upset with his funeral." The actress added, "So we discussed that maybe there are ways where this whole idea of how somebody passes and how a family deals with this passing and what death is should be addressed in a different way. If this acting thing didn’t work out, that was gonna be my backup."
Angelina Jolie has a private pilot's license and has flown her own plane.
— Plunged in Debt | Celebrity Finance (@PlungedinDebt) July 6, 2023
Although Jolie has since become a respected A-lister and a dedicated mother to her six children, there was a time when she was known as Hollywood’s rebellious wild child, famous for her weird habits. One of her most infamous quirks came during her three-year marriage to Billy Bob Thornton, which ended in 2003. The couple caused quite a stir when they both wore clear lockets filled with each other’s blood. Thornton revealed that Jolie thought it would be both romantic and intriguing to slice their fingers with a razor blade, smear a bit of blood into the lockets, and wear them as necklaces, as reported by Newsweek. This bizarre gesture is a testament to just how wild Jolie’s past could be.
Meanwhile, during her interview with Fallon, Jolie also addressed other career rumors that had circulated over the years. When asked if she had ever thought about becoming a pilot, Jolie confirmed that she earned her pilot's license in 2004 and revealed that her son, Maddox, is also now a licensed pilot. However, she firmly denied the speculation that she’d considered stand-up comedy. She explained that the thought of what Fallon does on stage terrified her. As reported by CNN, Jolie also dedicated several months to vocal training to take on the role of the iconic opera singer Maria Callas.