Even after reaching the top of the entertainment industry, Hollywood elites aren’t immune to social anxiety. It once engulfed Tilda Swinton, who has been turning heads with her extensive Hollywood career for a while now. She recalled feeling completely out of place at a high-profile party featuring Angelina Jolie.
Unlike her usual run-ins with fellow A-listers, Swinton found herself fully starstruck by Jolie’s effortless glamor. In her January 2025 interview, Swinton admitted she felt so awkward she couldn’t even bring herself to say hello, let alone strike up a conversation.
Tilda Swinton’s Awkward Angelina Jolie Encounter
The incident came to light last year during the annual round table discussion arranged by The Hollywood Reporter. The event featured both Swinton and Jolie, who were there to discuss their latest projects.
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Swinton weighed in on her performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘The Room Next Door’ and her musical film ‘The End,’ while Jolie graced the event to discuss her portraytal in ‘Maria.’ Looking back at the party, Swinton revealed that she was able to bond with Almodóvar because both of them felt like outsiders.
“It was a South Park moment…We had Liza Minnelli over here and we had Sacha Baron Cohen over there and Angie [Angelina] was there. And both Pedro [Pascal] and I were scorched with the glamor of it. We just couldn’t believe that we were there.”
It may be surprising to hear that this is how Swinton perceived the bash since she has definitely attended dozens of luxurious star events. As she recounted being too shy to speak, Jolie jumped in on the conversation to share her side of the story from the same night.
Jolie Confessed She Was Secretly Lonely
Following Swinton’s innocent confession, Jolie revealed that she felt the same way. “I never go out really alone, and was not sure anybody wanted to talk to me, and probably would have, I would have been so happy had they said hello,” she said.
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The moment made Swinton feel some kinship with Jolie. After all, they both felt shy and intimidated to talk to each other and chose to stay silent. The ‘Doctor Strange’ stated it was mostly human nature. She believes that no matter how famous or glamorous people are, they are always shy.
“And this is the truth of human animals, We’re all shy,” Swinton said. This mutual vulnerability reveals an interesting paradox of modern fame: the bigger the spectacle, the more isolated a person can feel. Luckily, Swinton and Jolie were able to laugh it off during a later meeting, finally setting the record straight.
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