Angelina Jolie revealed to filmmaker Pablo Larraín that she is short sighted. When she was young, she wore glasses and she had laser surgery after that because she didn't want to wear glasses.
She admits that she has trouble seeing people across the stage or reading things. In this way, this is similar to opera singer Maria Callas, where Maria couldn't see things like the conductor or director of the orchestra.
Jolie shared her difficulties, "So I have this slight understanding of how [Maria Callas] felt; I think it puts you in a place where you’re a little bit more isolated. You’re not sure of the expression of the person across the room, you’re not sure of the world around you in the same way that someone who can see perfectly can. And I think that made her more isolated, more private, more misunderstood, I think also, obviously, more vulnerable. It also made me feel sad for her, thinking about when she was little and going to the conservatory and her mother was putting so much pressure on her; I realized that she had to be amazing no matter what. She had to become an opera singer, she had no other choice… that made me respect her even more."
Pablo Larraín then asked another question, "I know I have short hair and a beard (laughs), but let's do an imaginary exercise. Please imagine that I get up from my seat, I leave, Maria comes in and sits in my place. What would you have said to her if you had some time with her?".
Jolie replied, "I think I would tell her that I really like her as a person and that I care about her. Then I would probably tell her that we could go out all night and just be two girls having a good time, relaxing and not taking everything so seriously. Yeah, I think we would have been really good for each other...".