Why Angelina Jolie Decided To Go Barefoot On ‘The Tonight Show’

Angelina Jolie made a surprising fashion statement during her appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” to promote her new film, “Maria.”

In her first talk-show interview in a decade, the actress arrived at Studio 6B in Rockefeller Center wearing a flowing black gown—but notably skipped the footwear, walking barefoot across the stage.

Seated in the guest chair beside Fallon’s desk, Angelina Jolie showcased her bare feet, which were adorned with dark-painted toenails, adding a bold touch to her unconventional look.

In the interview, Jolie, a mother of six, revealed she was stepping outside of her comfort zone. “By the way, I get very nervous on talk shows,” she shared. “I get very uncomfortable, and I haven’t done one for, like, a decade. This is so not my thing.

But then host Jimmy Fallon noticed Jolie was barefoot. “Did you forget your shoes?” during the episode that aired on Thursday, December 5.

The actress laughed and explained, “No, I broke my toe yesterday, and I tried to find a comfortable shoe, but I just decided to not.”

Jolie’s appearance on the show is part of her promotion for the new Pablo Larraín-directed biopic “Maria,” where she stars as the legendary opera singer Maria Callas.

The film has earned standing ovations at both the Venice International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival, including an emotional eight-minute ovation in Italy that brought Jolie to tears. It is also generating significant Oscar buzz for her performance.

Earlier this week, while receiving recognition for her role in Maria at the Gotham Awards, Jolie spoke emotionally about the lasting impact of her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, on her personal life and career. Bertrand, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 56 after battling ovarian cancer, was a major influence in shaping Jolie’s journey in both the arts and her life path.

“In Maria’s memory, thinking of my mom … for all those who teach and inspire art in others, all the young artists growing up and everyone in this room who celebrates creativity and expression, I am really, really honored to be here with all of you and to be a part of this community,” Jolie said, per PEOPLE Magazine.

Jolie, who shares six children—Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and twins Knox and Vivienne—with ex-husband Brad Pitt, recently discussed her children’s varying attitudes toward the entertainment industry. While some have shown interest in creative pursuits, they generally prefer to maintain their privacy. Jolie mentioned that her children are quite shy and private, with a few even choosing not to pursue public careers in the industry.

However, some, like Vivienne, have participated in behind-the-scenes roles, such as assisting with productions, while others, like Maddox, have explored passions outside of acting.

“I think some of them [want to work] off-camera, behind the scenes, but they really, really want to be — especially Shiloh — they want to be private,” Jolie told Fallon. “Just private, not photographed, not on the thing. I think, her most of all, would like privacy.”

“It just must get so tricky, because everyone’s famous,” the late-night talk show host noted.

“But it wasn’t their choice,” the actress explained. “So some people are more comfortable with public, some people are more comfortable with talk shows.”

Jolie, known for her illustrious acting career, once considered becoming a funeral director. She shared this revelation during a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” marking her first late-night talk show appearance in a decade.

In an exclusive preview with PEOPLE, Jolie confirmed to Fallon that she had briefly explored the idea of pursuing a career in funeral directing before acting. She explained that after being dissatisfied with her grandfather’s funeral, she felt there was room to improve how funerals were handled.

Jolie even took a home-study embalming course at the age of 14. When Fallon asked if this was true, Jolie humorously responded, “Yes. Doesn’t it make sense though?”

“My grandfather died, and I remember thinking this is not how they should be,” she explained. “This should be a celebration of life. And since I’m not afraid of death and I was comfortable with it, I thought, ‘This would be a great career path for me. … I could, like, make this better. I could do a thing here.’ “

“Yes,” Fallon said. “We need more people like that.” Jolie then joked, “It’s my fall-back career now.”