Angelina Jolie revealed that she contemplated removing her nude bathtub scene in the 2015 film By the Sea. The 48-year-old actress, who also directed the movie and starred alongside her ex-husband Brad Pitt, considered eliminating the full frontal shot due to her previous double mastectomy.
Jolie underwent the procedure in 2013 after discovering she had a high risk of developing breast cancer. Despite feeling uneasy about the scene, she ultimately decided to keep it, believing that removing it would be dishonest to the film.
"I expressed my desire to alter or remove several scenes," she shared with the New York Times.
"However, I acknowledged that I would be the one appearing naked in that bathtub. Nevertheless, I resolved to set aside any reservations.
"For instance, I couldn't modify or eliminate this particular scene simply because I had undergone a mastectomy, or because Brad Pitt and I are married and people will scrutinize every aspect. That would be dishonest."
The director of the saucy flick, who also happened to be the pin-up for Tomb Raider, openly admitted that it was a challenging experience. This was mainly due to the fact that she had to direct intimate scenes with her then-husband, Pitt. Additionally, Jolie's character, Vanessa, was portrayed as vulnerable, which meant that she had to fully immerse herself in the character during these scenes.
The director expressed that the duality of her role, being both a director and an actor in such vulnerable moments, often proved to be difficult. She even mentioned that there were numerous instances where she had to call "cut!" during filming. If a doctor were to witness these moments, they would likely prescribe medication to cope with the stress.
"I found myself in a state of uncontrollable tears, only to abruptly yell 'cut!' Or in the midst of a passionate love scene, I would suddenly call out 'cut!' to Brad. It was truly surreal and almost comical to witness."
After Angelina filed for divorce from Brad in September 2016, their divorce was officially concluded in 2019. However, a contentious custody battle ensued in 2020, ultimately resulting in Brad being granted joint custody of their five youngest children.
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