Angelina Jolie, beyond her acting prowess on the screen, has also dabbled in getting behind the camera as a director. One of her first features as a director was released in 2014, titled ‘Unbroken.‘ She was working on the film, which was based on the life of World War II hero and former Olympic distance runner Louis Zamperini. While she was looking for inspiration, it ended up sitting right next door to her. Zamperini and Jolie had been neighbours for years; however, the actress only learned about him once she started looking for a subject for her film.
Angelina Jolie on making ‘Unbroken’ and meeting Louis Zamperini
Around the time she released the film, Jolie sat down for an interview with TODAY. While talking to author Tom Brokaw for the film, Jolie revealed that there was a lot of irony in the situation, since she had been looking for inspiration far and wide, even though they had only been right next door. While reading Laura Hillenbrand’s book ‘Unbroken,’ she realised that her inspiration had been living right next door to her, drinking tea on the patio for years.She shared, “I imagine that for the last 10-something years, (Zamperini) has been sitting there having a coffee in the morning and wondering who’s going to make this movie, and I’ve been sitting in my room lying there thinking, ‘What am I supposed to be doing with my life? I want to do something important … I need some help. I need some guidance. Where is it? ‘And it was right outside my window.”During the interview, she also shared that she and Zamperini became good friends and that the project was extremely close to her heart. She added, “(I feel) such a huge responsibility to get it right, because I love (Zamperini) so much, and because he’s helped me so much in my life.” During the interview, she also revealed that this was a project that she had to put in a lot of effort for and that she “pitched her butt off.” She also added, “This has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
Angelina Jolie wanted to work on something she truly cared for
The ‘Maleficent’ star wanted to do something that she truly cared about because things like this would often take a lot of time and effort. She shared at the time, “It had to be something I would love and care about. Because it takes much more time away from your family and much more effort than acting.”
About ‘Unbroken’ and Louis Zamperini, who the film is based on
Louis Zamperini was once known for breaking records left and right, including records at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. However, when the war broke out, he left his profession and passion behind and left behind his legacy as a star.Zamperini passed away the same year, and while he did not see the fully finished film before he passed, Angelina had made sure that he watched the first rough cut of the film. Zamperini was born in Olean, New York, in 1917, and grew up in Torrance, California. From an early age, he was interested in sports and was often called the Torrance Tornado for his speed. After breaking records at the Olympics, he joined the army after World War II started. However, during his tenure as a soldier in 1943, he ended up crashing into the Pacific Ocean.After this, he began 47 days of uncertainty as he survived on a small life raft at sea, fighting off sharks and starvation. He was then captured by Japanese forces and became a prisoner of war for two years in their prison camps until the war officially ended in 1945.
