The biographical drama Maria is about the life and legacy of opera star Maria Callas. It focuses on her last days in Paris in the 1970s. Maria is the main character of the movie but her sister Yakinthi “Jackie” Callas makes a brief but powerful cameo that hints at a complicated family relationship shaped by love, jealousy, and estrangement.
Jackie Callas was born in (June 4) 1917, a few years before her sister came to fame. When the Callas children were young, their family moved to Greece, where they had a lot of money problems. Jackie’s relationship with Miltiadis Embirikos, a man from a wealthy family, gave her the stability she needed during this tough time. Litsa, their mother, found out about young Maria’s amazing singing talent around this time and worked hard to develop it. But Jackie was often thought of as the “golden child” because of how pretty and charming she was. This is said to have made things worse between the sisters.
Even with these early problems, Jackie said that their mother’s constant push for excellence shaped their childhood. In later years, Maria said that their mother’s harshness made growing up hard, but Jackie said that Litsa saw their potential and pushed them to do better. Maria’s relationship with Jackie got worse as she became more famous. The sisters didn’t talk to each other for nine years at one point. They got back together in 1963 after being apart for a long time but their relationship stayed distant. Yakinthi married to Andreas Stathopoulos.
Jackie’s character played by Valeria Golino shows up in two important scenes in Maria. She was having fun with SS officers in the past, and Maria’s voice made them cry when she sang. In the present day, Jackie goes to see Maria because she asks her to because she is having a hard time emotionally. She listens as Maria talks about how hard it is for her to deal with hallucinations and why she doesn’t want to see a doctor. Jackie, who is shown to be more realistic, tells Maria to “close the door” on her past life as a famous opera singer. Unfortunately, Maria can’t let go of her old glory, which makes her sad and see things differently.
Jackie helped Maria in her later years in real life. From Greece, she sent sedatives like Mandrax to help her sister feel better physically and emotionally. When Maria died in 1977, Jackie got half of her estate and used it to pay the people who had taken care of Maria in her last years. Jackie had a private life, not like her sister, who was always in the news. She occasionally spoke about Maria but only in intimate settings; preferring to keep her memories personal.
Jackie Callas spent most of her life out of the public eye. Her famous sister Maria was the only person who knew much about her. Maria was always in the spotlight, but Jackie avoided talking about her sister in public and instead chose to do so in more private, one-on-one settings. She was happy living a quiet life with her family in Greece. She died in 2004 at the age of 86, having lived a full and peaceful life without the stress of fame.
For more detailed recaps and TV insights, visit otavo.tv.
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Maria Callas’ Older Sister: What Happened to Yakinthi “Jackie” Callas?
