Maria True Story: What Happened In Maria Callas' Life

Maria Callas, the title character, is portrayed by Angelina Jolie as a well-known opera singer in the mid-1900s. Written by Steven Knight and directed by Pablo Larraín, the 2024 biographical psychological drama film chronicles Callas' final years, which were primarily spent in private in Paris, France. During her 53 years of life, Callas went through a lot of upheaval. But rather of documenting every aspect of the opera singer's life and career, Maria director Larraín preferred to concentrate on the story's conclusion.

As Thena in the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals, Jolie's first big-screen appearance in three years is Maria. As expected, Jolie's performance in the biographical drama was hailed and highlighted by critics; in fact, Screen Rant's review of Maria called the actress the film's "anchor." Even though the movie didn't specifically cover the opera singer's whole journey, Jolie seemed to convey the suffering and agony Callas experienced close to the end of her life.

Born in New York, Maria Callas relocated to Greece in 1937.

Biography states that Maria Callas was born on December 2, 1923, in New York City, New York, to Evangelia "Litsa" Dimitriadis and Georgios Kalogeropoulos, both of whom were Greek immigrants. Callas was subsequently baptized Maria Cecilia Sophia Anna Kalogeropoulos, although her birth certificate listed her as Sophie Cecilia Kalos. Callas' father wanted to reduce the family's last name so that it would be easier for others to pronounce because they were Greek immigrants living in the United States. Before deciding on Callas, he originally modified it to Kalos, which is how the well-known opera singer obtained her name.

Callas' love for singing started when she was very young and started experimenting with music (singing, playing the piano, etc.). Callas' parents, regrettably, divorced while she was an adolescent. In 1937, Callas, then 13 years old, returned to Greece with her mother and older sister, Jackie, following the divorce. There, Callas started honing her voice and learning opera from opera singer Elvira de Hidalgo at the Athens Conservatory. Callas formally began her career as a professional opera singer a few years later.

In 1941, Callas started her career as a professional opera singer.

When Maria Callas was still a teenager or young adult in the 1940s, her career took off. When she performed in the relatively minor role of Beatrice in Franz von Suppé's Boccaccio at the Royal Opera of Athens in 1941, she made her professional debut. Callas secured her first significant role in a show less than a year later. The opera career of Callas was abruptly interrupted by World War II. She returned to the United States in the middle of the 1940s as a result.

In New York, Callas struggled to find employment despite a great deal of effort. She then returned to Europe after packing up all she owned. But this time, she went to Verona, Italy, to try her luck. When Callas sang La Gioconda in 1947 in the Verona Arena, it was her Italian debut that marked the beginning of her stardom. Following that, Callas kept appearing in operas both in Italy and abroad, quickly establishing herself as a well-known and significant opera singer.

An explanation of Callas' union with Giovanni Battista Meneghini and his liaison with Aristotle Onassis

In 1947, Maria Callas met affluent manufacturer Giovanni Battista Meneghini after relocating to Italy. Meneghini became Callas's manager after they were married two years after they first met. Over the following ten years, though, their marriage would be troubled; according to Forbes, Callas even subsequently accused Meneghini of embezzling money from her. Callas started an affair with Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis two years prior to their final split in 1959. After leaving Meneghini, Callas kept seeing Onassis, but their relationship wasn't destined to stay.

Why Maria Callas's Voice Sank in the 1950s

Maria Callas's nearly 80-pound weight loss between 1953 and 1954 is one of the most significant and well-known events in her life. According to reports, Callas' voice began to deteriorate in the middle of the 1950s, whether or not it was connected to her weight loss. The opera singer's early career and singing style were blamed by some, while the drastic weight loss was blamed by others. In any event, despite the controversy surrounding her voice, Callas sang in public for many years.

In 1968, Onassis allegedly left Maria Callas for Jackie Kennedy.

Nearly ten years after Maria Callas's divorce, Aristotle Onassis famously married former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy in 1968. Kennedy is the focus of Pablo Larraín's first biopic about a powerful woman. Naturally, Callas was upset by his separation from her. Onassis was married to the previous First Lady, but according to some reports, he and Callas kept up their affair. However, neither Callas nor Onassis verified this rumor while they were alive.

In 1974, Callas had her last public performance.

Although her voice deteriorated in the mid-to-late 1950s, Maria Callas continued to sing, as was previously mentioned. In the 1960s, she officially retired from performing. But when Callas chose to tour with Giuseppe Di Stefano in the early 1970s, she made a reappearance. On November 11, 1974, Callas had his last public performance while on tour in Sapporo, Japan. Callas then made an effort to disappear into obscurity.

In 1974, Callas relocated to Paris and passed away in 1977.

In the year of her final performance, Maria Callas relocated to Paris, France, where most of Maria is set. As her health continued to deteriorate, the well-known opera soprano spent the middle of the 1970s in hiding from the public. At the age of 53, Callas reportedly suffered a sudden heart attack in her Parisian residence on September 16, 1977. While some contest her cause of death, the majority have agreed that she suffered a heart attack. Callas is still regarded as one of the most significant opera singers of all time, even decades after her passing, and her relevance will undoubtedly be maintained by Angelina Jolie's film Maria.