LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Angelina Jolie found herself in a unique and somewhat uncomfortable situation while filming the movie 'By the Sea', as she had to shoot an intimate scene with her real-life husband, Brad Pitt. Jolie not only starred in the film but also directed it, adding an extra layer of complexity to the already delicate situation.
Jolie and Pitt first met on the set of the 2005 film 'Mr And Mrs Smith' and later admitted that it was during this project that they fell in love, despite Pitt being married to Jennifer Aniston at the time. A decade later, the couple reunited for 'By the Sea', ironically portraying a troubled married couple struggling to salvage their relationship.
Unveiling the awkwardness
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jolie candidly shared the awkwardness she and Pitt experienced while filming an intimate scene for 'By the Sea'. She described the surreal scenario of lying naked in a bathtub, with an iPad displaying the shot outside, while simultaneously directing her husband to enter and engage in a love scene. “It’s the strangest thing in the world to be lying naked in a bathtub with an iPad that’s showing you the shot outside, while your husband is at the door and you’re directing him to come in and make love to you. In front of a bunch of other men with cameras," she said.
As an artist, Jolie acknowledged that she should have felt free in this vulnerable setting. However, Pitt was determined to protect his wife's privacy and would not allow others to see her body. He gladly took on the role of "towel duty," ensuring that Jolie remained covered. “I couldn’t get out of the bathtub to get to the monitor because the director is naked," she recalled. "We’re artists and want to be free, but Brad—it’s his wife. He was on towel duty. He’d hold the towel over me. Love scenes are strange anyway, but when you’re doing a love scene with a person that you really have sex with? The only way to get through it was for us to all talk about the absurdity of it and make sure no one was feeling awkward. We made as many jokes as possible.”
'By the Sea': Fiction or reality?
Given the release of 'By the Sea' coinciding with Jolie and Pitt's divorce, speculation arose about whether the film reflected elements of their real-life relationship. In an interview with Vogue, Jolie refuted such claims, stating that the movie was not autobiographical. “Brad and I have our issues…but if the characters were even remotely close to our problems, we couldn’t have made the film," she explained.
Behind-the-scenes footage from Vogue showcased the couple having a great time on set, with their children joining them during the shoot. Jolie described the filming experience as a sort of honeymoon for her and Pitt, as they traveled with their kids to the picturesque Maltese Island.
A challenging endeavor
"For both of us, it was the most challenging thing we've ever taken on together," Pitt commented on 'By the Sea', highlighting the demanding nature of the project. However, despite their efforts, 'By the Sea' received an underwhelming response both at the box office and from critics, earning just over $3 million on a $10 million budget and garnering a mere 34% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
