“It angered me”: Real Reason Why Angelina Jolie Spat on Colin Farrell’s Face That Was Not in the Script
- Angelina Jolie improvised spitting on Colin Farrell during an emotionally charged scene in 'Alexander'.
- Jolie stated she hated Farrell's character at that moment, which led her to do that, and her performance was appreciated by her co-actor.
- Jolie, being only about a year older, was hesitant to play Farrell's mother until she met director Oliver Stone.
Filmmaking demands a certain level of commitment from actors. Although actors are required to follow a particular script in any movie, they are often seen pushing boundaries and sometimes unknowingly as well. Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell starrer Alexander can be a great example of one such incident.
Alexander is a historical drama that was released in 2004. Although the movie is remembered as a story about the great Macedonian king, it became memorable for the lead actors for one off-script moment where Jolie is seen spitting on Farrell.
Angelina Jolie’s off-script spit on Colin Farrell in Alexander
Alexander was an ambitious project of director and screenwriter Oliver Stone. Starring Colin Farrell as Alexander the Great and Angelina Jolie as his mother, Olympias, Stone wanted to portray the story of the King as one of the greatest army leaders in history.
Much like any other historical drama, Alexander also required heavy commitment from its cast, and Jolie and Farrell committed fully to their roles. However, one scene might look like a slight overcommitment when Jolie spits at Farrell.
The particular scene was an emotionally charged moment between Olympias and Alexander, where the son bursts into his mother’s room and interrogates her about his father’s death. Alexander threatens to put Olympias on trial and describes her as a “monster” and “heartbreaker.”
Jolie’s character retaliates by slapping Farrell’s character, which was according to the script. However, what was not in the script was Olympias spitting on Alexander out of anger and despise. Talking about what led to that off-script moment, Jolie told (via Far Out),
That was improvised. That just happened. And me spitting on him just happened. It was when they were fighting, and it actually came out of him disrespecting her. In fact, it was a crass thing, and it angered me.
Fortunately, Farrell was not offended by her impromptu actions. In an earlier interview with IGN, he praised Jolie saying,
She’s such a f**king brilliant actor; such a powerhouse. She created such a definitive character and put such an incredible and individual seal on it. To look in her eyes and see the way she looked and the way she held herself, with such regality, it was easy. I didn’t find it a stretch.
If anyone can imagine any actress getting immersed in a role to that level, it is Angelina Jolie. She often admitted to choosing roles that connect with her and that she finds authentic, and her roles in A Mighty Heart and Maleficent are some of the examples which proves that.
Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell’s unconventional casting in Alexander
Jolie is about a year older than Farrell, and casting her in the role of his mother raised many eyebrows, including Jolie’s, who initially thought it was “ridiculous.” In an interview with Campus Circle, she said,
At first, I thought [playing Colin Farrell’s mother at 29] was as ridiculous as everybody else did. I think, [only after] meeting with Colin and Oliver, and really talking about it – I [then] identified with her.
However, director Stone felt Jolie was too perfect for the role and her performance would overshadow the chronological constraints. Jolie admitted meeting Stone changed her perception.
Oliver cast people who he felt [best] represented the characters. I think he felt that I understood Olympias. He didn’t get stuck on the [chronologies]. I mean, you meet her when [Alexander’s] 6. When Colin and I are seen together, he’s playing 19 and I’m playing 35. There maybe wasn’t a perfect age for her because she had to be [consistently aged] across the board.
Jolie revealed that she focused on things that made her feel old, like “death and loss,” which again showed her way and commitment to embodying a character that didn’t necessarily align with her real-life mindset.
Alexander is available to stream on Max.
