Angelina Jolie's Transformative Role in 'Gia': A Hidden Masterpiece
Christopher Martinez
Published May 15, 2026
By Published May 9, 2026, 2:05 PM EDT Kevin Pantoja is a writer and editor at Screen Rant based in New York City, where he brings deep expertise in blockbuster franchises ranging from Harry Potter and Spider‑Man to Succession and the MCU. A passionate storyteller with a creative writing degree (Valedictorian, Full Sail University), Kevin blends entertainment news, feature essays, and pop‑culture commentary into engaging, audience-first content Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
With a storied career that spans several decades, is one of the most famous and respected actresses around. She made her debut in 1982 but didn't break out until the '90s, with her first standout, memorable movie being 1995's Hackers. Since then, nearly every film to star Jolie has either been a solid hit with critics or a box office success. Yet, the best performance of her career actually came in a movie that not many people know about.
When most people think of Angelina Jolie, their minds go to her biggest movies. She's fantastic in A Mighty Heart, has , been in action blockbusters like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Wanted, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and was great in Girl, Interrupted, despite its mixed reviews. In fact, Jolie earned a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for that film.
A year before Girl, Interrupted hit theaters and landed Jolie an Oscar nomination, she delivered an even better performance in a made-for-TV film. That's not usually the kind of place you'd expect to find someone's best work, especially when that actor is of the caliber of Angelina Jolie, but that's telling of just how great her performance is.
Gia Is A Fantastic Movie
Made-for-TV movies often have a bad rep and while it's true that many of them are made on small budgets and not up to par with major releases, was different. The HBO original film is a biopic that tells the story of the life of the breathtaking Gia Carangi. She was one of the world's first famous supermodels and the movie covers her rise to stardom as well as her tragic fall from grace, all the way up to the day that she died.
Angelina Jolie stars as the titular Gia and gives a masterful, commanding performance. However, everything about this movie works. At no point does it feel low-budget despite not being a major release, which is a credit to the production of HBO. Jolie is also helped by a tremendous supporting cast who deliver their own great performances and play off of her so well.
Elizabeth Mitchell, likely best known for her role on Lost, plays Linda, Gia's lover. Each scene that the two share is electric and their chemistry is infectious. You completely buy into their feelings for one another almost immediately. Faye Dunaway also has a great supporting role as Wilhelmina Cooper, the agent who forms a close bond with Gia. There's also Mercedes Ruehl, who shows up for a strong supporting role as Gia's estranged mother.
The movie also works because it doesn't shy away from how harrowing things got for Gia. Her struggles with drug addiction are at the forefront of the story, especially after some of the people around her are gone. As a made-for-television film, Gia didn't get a ton of reviews from critics, yet it still sits at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and holds an 82% rating from the audience on the Popcornmeter.
Angelina Jolie Is Heartbreaking As Gia
While there are plenty of things to appreciate about Gia, the best aspect of the film is Angelina Jolie's performance. From the opening scene, there's something about her that just grabs you in a way that feels different from her other roles. She commands the screen at an exceptional level and truly gives off the vibe that she's someone you need to pay attention to. That's important considering Gia's rise to being a top model. She had to be the kind of person that others gravitate towards.
When things have to get emotionally heavy, Jolie is even better. Watching her go off the rails as the drugs take over is heartbreaking, especially as she hurts those around her, including Linda. The real kicker comes when we learn that Gia has contracted HIV from her drug use and how it progresses to AIDS. The final scenes of her in the hospital, losing her hair and clinging to life, are sad. That her last words in the film see her quietly calling out to her mother for help is tragic.
It's the kind of raw performance that an actor typically delivers before they truly become big stars. Gia might not be the most well-known film that Jolie has starred in, yet it's one that opened a lot of eyes to her talents. In many ways, without it, she might not become teh star that she is today.
Other Roles Among Angelina Jolie's Best
As stated, the career of Angelina Jolie is among the best of any actor in Hollywood. Everything she touched for a while seemed to be a hit, so saying that is high praise. Of course, that means we also have to consider the other roles in her career that are among her best. The obvious one is the aforementioned Academy Award nomination she earned for Girl, Interrupted. She's fantastic in the movie, never truly letting you in on what her character is thinking.
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Salt is another movie that features great work from Jolie. Some people overlook the performance because they're more enamored by the action and twists of that film, yet Jolie's efforts should be appreciated. Her performance was one of the aspects that received the most consistent praise. A Mighty Heart may have flopped at the box office but Jolie is great in the film as a woman looking to bring terrorists to justice after they kidnap and murder her husband.
Jolie brought a lot of charisma to the role of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider films, even if they weren't a hit with critics. The actor is also electric in movies like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Maleficent, which are both blockbusters that rely heavily on her efforts. There are smaller projects in Jolie's filmography that feature strong acting on her part including Changeling, Maria, and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Even still, that's just the tip of the iceberg for the actor.
While those things may all be true, Angelina Jolie's performance as Gia Carangi is hard to top and it makes Gia one of her greatest accomplishments.
Cast
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Gia -
Elizabeth Mitchell Linda -
Eric Michael Cole T.J. - Kylie Travis Stephanie
Where to watch Close
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRuntime 120 minutes Director Michael Cristofer Writers Jay McInerney Producers David R. Ginsburg, Ilene Kahn Power, James D. Brubaker Expand Collapse
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