Amid Contentious Divorce From Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie is Inching Closer to Unlocking One Career Achievement That’ll Put Her in an Elite Club of Celebrities
Acclaimed actress and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie has proven her talent and skill through various roles. This time around, she has co-produced the Broadway musical The Outsiders. The play is based on S.E. Hinton’s classic novel. It follows Ponyboy Curtis and his friends, known as the Greasers, as they navigate the complexities of family, friendship, and cultural differences in 1960s Tulsa.
Because of the realistic portrayal of the struggles of teenage life and the idea of feeling like an outsider and the constant struggle to find one’s place in the world, The Outsiders has been getting praise and earning Tony Awards in multiple categories. Jolie has shown her commitment to telling stories, which comes out great in the musical.
Angelina Jolie Is Nearing Her EGOT Status
Angelina Jolie has won her first Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer of The Outsiders, adding another milestone to her illustrious career. She earlier won the Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress for the Girl, Interrupted movie in 2000. So far, only 19 performers have achieved EGOT status. Now, winning the Tony makes her halfway through her EGOT status, as she still has to win an Emmy and a Grammy.
Jolie’s Tony Award win might have become more like a personal privilege, as it was her daughter Vivienne who introduced her to the musical in its staging in La Jolla. The mother joined her daughter to give important input and notes and contributed to the play that landed on Broadway.
In her speech at the ceremony, Jolie gave a moving speech where she talked about feeling like an outsider and encouraged young people to embrace their individuality. She said (via London Evening Standard),
Society changes, but the experience of being an outsider is universal. To any young person, any person, feeling on the outside, you are not wrong to see what is unfair. You are not wrong to wish to find your own path. As the cast raise their voices, I hope it inspires many of you watching to value yours.
The Outsiders became the winners in four categories, including Best Direction, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design. The Tony Awards 2024 night was filled with Hollywood celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Hillary Clinton among others. Along with Jolie, Daniel Radcliffe also won his first Tony for his role in Merrily We Roll Along and Sarah Paulson won for her role in Appropriate.
Angelina Jolie’s Daughter Vivienne Inspired Her for The Outsiders
In an interview with Deadline, Angelina Jolie mentioned that her daughter’s love for theater definitely helped her get involved in the production of The Outsiders. She said,
My daughter Viv loves theater. She appreciates all theater but she certainly knows what she feels close to and what she responds to. She went to see The Outsiders at La Jolla about five times and was telling me about it, and I had read the book, and I’d seen the film years ago.
Jolie gave credit to her daughter as her understanding of the play helped her understand it’s possible impact on younger audience. She said,
As a mother, I was watching it, but I was really watching the effect it was having on my young daughter and what she was telling me about herself. I was learning what about it was important to her and why it connected so deeply to her.
However, Jolie did not only serve as a producer for the project but also contributed to its execution. Director Danya Taymor thanked her for the constructive feedback she provided in order to stay as close to the novel as possible.
As the bitter divorce battle with her husband Brad Pitt continues, winning the Tony Award will have a positive impact on Jolie, not only as a creative person but as a mother as well. Moreover, according to InTouchWeekly, her daughter Vivienne has decided to abandon Brad Pitt’s name and goes by Vivienne Jolie only in the Playbill for The Outsiders.
