While I can't see myself ever advocating a remake of Cleopatra, if there's a modern actress better suited for the part than Angelina Jolie I will eat my shoe. A true beauty in every sense of the word, it makes sense that the project has become a passion for the actress since being attached last year. Now Jolie has started openly talking about what direction she'd like to see the project go in, and what's strange is that her ideas would seemingly make her an unwise choice for the part.
Sitting down with The Telegraph, Jolie began to discuss researched elements about the real Cleopatra that she wants to be part of the film, calling the Egyptian queen "very misunderstood." For starters, the actress wants to cut out the elements dealing with her as a glamorous beauty and instead wants to focus on the stronger parts of her personality, mentioning that she was, "a very strong mother, she spoke five languages and she was a leader." Unable to get Elizabeth Taylor's blessing for the film before she died, Jolie even admits that her performance won't be "as lovely as Elizabeth’s" and won't explore the character as a sex symbol. Completely upending everything we think we know about the Cleopatra, Jolie then put out this interesting tidbit:
"Even this idea of her having many lovers – it was possible that it was only two. She is very interesting, but she wasn’t a great beauty."
So here's my question: if Cleopatra wasn't actually a great beauty, why exactly should the part belong to Jolie? Shouldn't it go to somebody that hasn't repeatedly been named as one of the sexiest women in the world by multiple magazines and news outlets? I don't think I'd be alone in laughing if Jolie's script suggestions ended up with her losing the job. That would be pure, unadulterated irony.
