Angelina Jolie brings sex appeal to spying in ‘Salt’
July 20, 11:50 PM · Carla Hay – Celebrity Q&A Examiner

Let’s just state the obvious: There’s nothing ordinary about Angelina Jolie. She’s the kind of person who could never slip into a room unnoticed — unless she’s in a very good disguise that would completely mask her stunning aura. Jolie wears plenty of disguises in her spy movie “Salt,” in which she plays a CIA operative named Evelyn Salt who goes on the run from the law after she is accused of being a Russian spy. But even in those disguises, it’s impossible not to take your eyes off of Jolie and her talent for making every character she plays believable.

As an Oscar-winning actress, she is widely admired for skillfully tackling chameleon-like roles. But there’s no escaping the fact that Jolie is one of the most famous women in the world, and her personal life (including her relationship with Brad Pitt and their kids) gets non-stop coverage in the media. And in real life, her beauty, charisma and passion for her family and social issues certainly live up to the hype.

When I sat down with Jolie at the Washington, D.C., press junket for her spy movie “Salt,” she was relaxed and glowing — especially when she talked about Pitt and their children. When I asked her if any of her kids saw her in one of her “Salt” disguises, she couldn’t stop smiling when she told me a story about it. Jolie also opened up about how her humanitarian work has affected her and her family; what she thinks about the “Wanted” sequel; and why her “Salt” character (which was originally written for a man) actually got grittier and tougher once she took on the role.

Was “Salt” the first movie you’ve filmed in Washington, D.C.?

I don’t think I have filmed here before.

How did you find the experience of filming in Washington, D.C.?

It was quick fun. We started the film here, and this city has such an energy and such a history. And it made is special because of the theme of our film; it really supported us and helped us to take it all in. It was just an extraordinary backdrop. And there was one day when I was running through the streets barefoot and we got a call from the White House saying, “You’ve got to release the traffic.” I thought, “Wow, that’s so different from L.A., where you can say, ‘No.’” But we had to move.

It seems like women in chase scenes are usually running around in high heels. Was it your idea to run barefoot or was that in the script?

I guess it was partially my idea. I couldn’t run in heels. I can’t run in heels.

It’s been widely reported that “Salt” was originally written for a man in the lead role, and the character’s name was Edwin Salt. But when you took on the role, they made changes to the character specifically because the character was now a woman. Can you talk about some of those changes?

The strange thing is it was probably opposite of what you would expect. Instead of making it softer, we made it harder. The [Edwin Salt character] had a wife and a child, and his big arc in the end was his being able to say, “I love you,” and being able to commit to love and family.

And we said, “If [Salt] is a woman, that’s not a surprise. So we’ve got to do exactly the opposite. We’ve got to figure out what it would be that a woman would be challenged with and what would be surprising for a woman.” And even the fights, we had to make sure that [viewers] absolutely thought it was me. It absolutely got harder, they got darker, they got tougher, because we had to try harder to make sure they could tell it was me.

Why do you think spy movies are so successful?

I think we’re just fascinated as a culture with espionage and history. And I think when they work, a good thriller can surprise you and have all those elements that we love in movies. They can have some good drama, good action and a lot of surprises.

Would you ever use any of your fighting skills in real life? [Says jokingly] Maybe with the paparazzi?

One day, I’m sure. [She laughs.] Yeah, it’s funny. You’ve got it in the back of your mind, but I end up just playing around with the kids and stuff. But if the day comes [she makes a fist and smacks her hands together], I’ll be ready!

I have to ask a question I know you’re getting asked a lot now that you’re promoting “Salt.” What was your initial reaction when you heard about the Russian spies that were arrested in America in June 2010?

I was very shocked. It [happened] the day before we started press [for "Salt"]. At first, I didn’t believe it. I thought it was bizarre. My reaction was twofold. The part of me that’s interested in politics felt, “I hope this doesn’t affect our relationship with Russia and our relationships moving forward with Afghanistan and Iran. And I don’t know what this means.”

And then the other part of me that does films thought, “What an extraordinary timing.” Because all through the making of this film, we would question, “Is this possible? Are we bringing back Cold War propaganda that is not necessary, and that is something that we should leave alone?” We had no intention of doing anything like that … It was just bizarre when we read [the news about the Russian spies]. And we’ve been following it. It’s extraordinary how it’s unfolded.

Is it really true that you got the role in “Salt” partly because you were offered the role of playing a Bond girl, but you said that you’d rather be James Bond?

The same studio [Sony Pictures Entertainment] called me in a few years ago and asked me if I would consider being in a Bond film. And I kind of playfully said, “No, thank you, but I’d like to be Bond.” And then we laughed about it. And then a few years later, they called and said, “OK, we found your Bond.” But I think ["Salt"] is very different from Bond, in a nice way. It’s something new.

When you were portraying Evelyn Salt, were you conscious of any comparisons that Evelyn Salt would get to James Bond?

I don’t think she’s very Bond. We studied Bond, we studied [Jason] Bourne, we studied “Three Days of the Condor,” we studied “The Quiller Memorandum.” We tried to make sure it was more based on those great old spy things, but we checked with the most recent ones, to make sure we weren’t copying. It was important that we didn’t do the same things. So if anything, it wasn’t checking to be similar. It was checking to make sure we went in a different direction.

Evelyn Salt keeps people guessing over whether or not she’s a good spy or a bad spy, and whether her allegiance is to the United States or Russia. What are your thoughts on that?

I found her a very interesting character. As an actress, she was just wonderful to play, because of the depth of her background and her childhood. And she continues to transform through the piece and struggle with her own internal understanding of who she is.

There’s a pivotal scene at the end of “Salt” with you and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who plays Salt’s CIA co-worker William Peabody. Can you talk about what it was like working with him?

I think he’s one of the most charismatic people and actors we have today. I was so honored to work with him. I was a part of it when everybody was looking at his tapes in casting him. I was so excited when he agreed to do the role. It was nice, too, because we had this very unusual relationship in “["Salt"] where we [our "Salt" characters] were enemies through most of it. [That helicopter scene] was the last thing we shot, that scene with me and Chiwetel, and we finally got to come head-to-head, and we finally as actors got to do a scene together … I can’t say very much, but I like how it ends with us, because of who we both are and the possibilities.

You do a lot of traveling. Is there any place in the world that you’d like to introduce your kids to at some point?

I haven’t been to China. I’d really like go to China. And I haven’t spent enough time in South America. But my [adopted] kids’ own countries, like, we’re building a clinic in Ethiopia at the moment, and we’re looking into Vietnam. I’d like to continue to return to their countries first.

You’ve done amazing work with the United Nations. How has that changed you as an actress and as a person?

Has it made me a better actor? I think it’s made me certainly a better person, so I think that in turn would make me a better actor.

Do you think that being a humanitarian and social activist has changed your outlook in the types of movies that you want to do, such as wanting to do movies with a message beyond pure entertainment?

I have kids, so I watch pure entertainment all the time. [She laughs.] I love more serious films as well, and I’ve been allowed to do them. But I also love entertaining and just the simple pleasure of that and that people enjoy it. I don’t start to take things too seriously. Hopefully, I’ll have a good sense of fun through it all as well.

What did you learn from meeting with former CIA officer Melissa Boyle Mahle, who was a consultant for “Salt”?

In meeting her, I had this idea when I read the script, “What’s it like? What are these women really like? Are they these powerful [people]?” And you meet her and you realize, “Oh, she’s so lovely.” She’s not the image of what you’d expect. She is very, very capable. She is very, very strong. She has gone to very, very dangerous places — and yet, she doesn’t appear that way. And so this idea of what a spy appeared to be, it was important that she kind of blew that image out of the water for me. She’s lovely and sweet and beautiful.

It was more when she spoke about the loneliness and not being able to communicate with her family and what that does to you when you come home from work — you can’t share anything about your life for years and years. And what a relief it was when she was finally retired to be able to actually have conversations with her family. I developed such a respect for people who have that job, because of that sacrifice. They really live in isolation. But she also talked about the costumes and the disguises and all that. It was fascinating.

“Salt” director Phillip Noyce and Angelina Jolie on the set of “Salt”

When it comes to choosing your movies, each one is different from the one you do before, so do you consciously make an effort not to typecast yourself or do you just pick the best project that happens to come along at that time?

I’ve been lucky to be able to go back and forth between action and drama. And it’s more [the choice is based on] where I’m at emotionally. After doing something like “Changeling,” where you’re so emotionally drained and you’ve gone through some side of yourself, it’s important to do something that gets you outside of yourself and gets you physical and strong. I’d just had babies [twins Knox and Vivienne], and I’d been home for a year-and-a-half when I’d decided to do “Salt.” And it felt complex enough and all those wonderful things, but I knew it would be really good for me to jump around and get active after that time.

You did your own stunts in “Salt.” What was the toughest physical scene that you did for the movie?

I did all the hand-to-hand combat. They made me rehearse it. That was one of the things we studied. We thought some of these fights, you can’t really tell in some of these movies, where it looks jagged and you can’t tell every single thing that’s going on. We wanted people to be able to tell every single thing. So we had to rehearse and be meticulous and be able to do it like a play. The glass actually broke, the person hit the wall. It was completely choreographed from beginning to end — all the fights, which I think makes them better. You can show bigger pieces; you can see the actors.

Injuries? I had a lot of bangs and bruises. I banged myself right in the middle of my forehead, and I have a tiny, tiny little scar right there. I cracked my skin open on my head … It was the only corner in the entire room that somehow I found. I came in jumping sideways shooting a gun, kind of rolling, and I just rolled right into this desk.

At this point in your career, who validates the work for you, besides yourself?

I never read what critics say. I don’t think it’s healthy. I like the process of making a film, and I think if I’ve made a good film and worked really hard, I feel satisfied. And I like the team of other actors and the crew and the director and the grips. I just love the family. And so if we feel we’ve done our best, I feel happy. The best, obviously, is when an audience responds and enjoys the film and when people tell you they had a good time or they learned something is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

Speaking of the family that is created on a film set, what surprised you the most about working with Johnny Depp on “The Tourist”?

Our families spent time together. He’s got a great family, and he’s just a great actor. There was nothing that was a surprise. He was as wonderful to work with as I expected.

A sequel to “Wanted” is in the works. What are your thoughts on that?

I thought it was funny they asked me to be in it, since [my "Wanted" character] is dead. And I was the one who wrote it in that I died, because I wanted to die.

Speaking of sequels, the ending of “Salt” leaves open the possibility of a sequel. Would you be up for a “Salt” sequel?

Yes. She has depth, and she can be so many people that the idea of what we can do with and play, there’s a lot to play with as an actor, so it’s not just doing an action movie.

There’s a big trend these days of thriller movies having a total running time of longer than two hours, but “Salt” is less than 100 minutes long. What do you think about that?

I don’t have a long attention span … I think it depends on the film. Some films can really support a very, very long times. And some films, it’s kind of good when it’s just a big race, and it just kind of goes from start to finish — and I think this one ["Salt"] has that. It’s kind of relentless from start to finish. It’s what we tried to do, and I don’t think you can handle that for too long.

Did “Salt” change your views on loyalty to family and to your country?

It does make you think. We ask this question in the film. There’s a loyalty to yourself, to your family or to your country — and this choice that has to be made. “Which one are you going to be more loyal to?” She has to make that choice in the film. And the people who work for the CIA have to make that choice that they have to give more of their life to their country — and in turn, they’re protecting their family, but this is the big choice they make, and it’s a hard one. I couldn’t do it.

How did doing all those major stunts in “Salt” affect you physically? How did you deal with any exhaustion?

It seems like so much, but it was spread out. I was exhausted, but the kids came over for lunch. And I was home by the time the sun went down. [My kids] are a much harder job.

Besides your high income and all the admiration from your fans and other people, what’s the best thing about being a famous actress?

Brad and I have the ability to take turns working, and very few parents have that luxury to always have a parent at home. We can take months off together and travel with the children. It allows us the luxury of adjusting our schedules so we can be really, really hands-on with our children. We’re very lucky.

How much do you include your kids in your work, and how much do you want to shield them from it?

They know I’m an actor, because they come to set all the time.

There’s a scene in “Salt” where you’re disguised as a man. Did any of your kids see you in that disguise while on set?

Maddox did. I loved doing it. It was crazy! It was the weirdest feeling. Mad came in and I said, “Someone go get Mad and tell him there’s a man from the military … who met with mom once and he should come meet again.” And he came in as any 8-year-old. He was almost bored. He said, “Hi,” and trying to be really polite, but really kind of not interested.

And then I said, “Hi, honey!” [She says in surprised voice] “Mom?!” I said, “It’s OK!” And then he’s like, [she makes a wailing noise]. And then I had to take the [disguised] hands off really quick, because they were like gloves, the hands. And then he sat and watched me peel the whole thing off. We laughed about it, but it was definitely like, “Don’t do that again.” It’s nice for the boys and the girls to see that it’s not just Daddy in movies.

You’re on the cover of the August 2010 issue of Vanity Fair, and you said in the article that at some point you and Brad will “do films for the next few years, and then we’ll do something else.” Can you elaborate?

I think I’ll do less [movies] at some point, but it’s funny that these [comments] become a thing for no reason. I really said that at some point, I’ll do less. I have a few more stories I’d like to tell, but I can imagine that I’d do less and less as my kids grow up. I’d like to do other things before my life is over.

Can you talk a little it more abut the clinic you’re building in Ethiopia?

It’s going to be in Addis [Ababa]. We’ve got the plot and all the architecture set and all that. We haven’t started to break ground yet, but I can show you all the information on it. We have a TB/AIDS clinic in Cambodia. We’re going to kind of do the same model [with the clinic in Ethiopia].

When you started doing charity work, you didn’t have any kids. Now, you’re a mother of six kids. How do you prioritize your charity work now that you have so many responsibilities as a mother?

My children will always be my first priority. I just traveled a few weeks ago to Ecuador and to Haiti. My children are old enough to start coming with me. Mad’s been to refugee camps in Thailand. And we have the project we’re working on in Cambodia. We spend time there. And we don’t make it a thing where it’s like going to learn something. It’s just if they want to hang out with us and make friends, they make friends — and the friends happen to be in situations that they learn about. If anything, it’s about trying to put it all together.

What are you seeing in Haiti that people aren’t seeing on the news?

I went to Haiti four or five years ago, and it is such a complicated, difficult place. Where to start? There are so many sad things happening. The people have such an extraordinary spirit. And then when the [January 2010] earthquake hit, we knew, “God, this could go so badly! This could break out into some kind of civil war.” I think the fact that that didn’t happen is something to be noted. It’s as stable as Haiti gets in some ways, and there are a lot of good people trying to do good things. And I think the best you can do is try and support them, but there’s always so much more that needs to be done.

I’m planning to get much more involved in the children’s issues and time at the SOS [Children’s] Village. I met with a lot of the judges and ministries and people working with all these different protections for children that we haven’t figured out globally, so it kind of feels like Haiti might be a good place to start to say, “OK, let’s take this kind of platform that is such a mess down there and start to figure from the ground up how to deal with the separated child, the orphaned child, the abused child. And maybe we can really get it right here. And if we can get it right here, we can get it right anywhere.” That’s what we’re focusing on.

You’re rumored to be making a surprise appearance during the “Salt” panel on July 23 at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego. It’s also the same day that Brad’s movie “Megamind” will have a Comic-Con panel. So will you either or both of you be at Comic-Con this year?

Brad’s working. That’s all I can tell you. [She smiles.] I won’t say whether or not I’ll be there, but I know he’s working.

You said earlier that there are a few more stories you’d like to tell. Can you go into more detail?

There’s been talk about “Cleopatra.” I haven’t done a historical epic of that nature, and she’s always been fascinating to me. I feel like as much as her story has been done big, it’s never been done accurately. Not that any movie can get history perfectly right. There’s no universal truth to history in film, but you can closer. And I feel there hasn’t been a lot explored about her, but there’s a lot that would have to come together for that to work.

Is there a film genre that you’d like to do that you haven’t done yet?

Everybody always asks me if I’ll ever do a comedy, but I don’t think I’m very funny. I’ll leave that to the other ladies.

Source: Examiner