Angelina Jolie is one of the most famous and talented actresses in Hollywood. Over the years, she has become a global icon known not just for her acting, but also for her influence, activism, and dedication to her craft. One of her most well-known roles is that of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movies, based on the popular video game series.
Jolie starred as Lara Croft in two films: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), directed by Simon West, and its sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003). Even though the first movie received mixed to negative reviews, it became one of the highest-grossing video game adaptations of its time.
However, playing the character wasn’t always easy for Angelina. In an interview with Screen Slam, she shared that she was initially uncomfortable with the idea of wearing Lara Croft’s iconic shorts, which are a signature part of the video game character’s outfit.
Jolie explained that when she first agreed to do the movie, one of her first conversations with director Simon West was about not wanting to wear the shorts. “I think it was the first thing I said to Simon, probably,” she said. “Was that I would do the movie, but would not get in the shorts.”
She added that it took a lot of discussion before she finally agreed. The decision came down to staying true to the original video game character. “We knew we had to have the shorts at one point, which was very, very difficult,” she said. “It did take a while, and then we thought, for the people that know her, you have to get in the shorts.”
Even though it was an uncomfortable experience for her, Angelina said it helped her get into character. “It was very, very uncomfortable. You feel like her,” she said.
When it came time to shoot the sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Jolie had a different approach. She revealed in an interview with IGN that she didn’t really want to return for the second film, but decided to do it so she could improve on what they had done in the first one.
This time, she had more input on how the character should look and act. Angelina said that in the first movie, they had to follow the video game style closely, which meant a lot of tight, stretchy clothes. But she wanted Lara Croft to be more than just a sexy action figure. She wanted her to be more elegant, strong, and real.
“She had that video-vixen type thing and a lot of the clothes were stretchy and that kind of thing,” Jolie said. “But we didn’t get into the quality of the lady aspect of her. And her body wasn’t the way I wanted it to be. So, for the second one, I wanted it to be more my body. And I wanted her to be classier and more interesting as a woman.”
Before filming the sequel, Jolie and the filmmakers had several meetings to talk about what didn’t work in the first film and what needed to change. She said the agreement was clear: if they were going to make a second movie, they had to do it right this time.
On the professional front, Angelina Jolie was last seen in the 2024 biopic Maria and is currently working on her upcoming movie Couture.
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