‘I WON’T BE SILENT’
Natalie Portman on truth and justice
There’s a resolute tone in Natalie Portman’s voice; an urgency to be heard. You get the sense she’s on a mission. The actress is busy discussing a turning point in her career that, despite her rising to screen fame at the age of 13, came about only in recent years. It was during the era of the #MeToo movement, and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was facing dozens of charges of sexual misconduct and harassment. Portman listened to the women who came forward and realised she too could step up to help.
“When we were all hit with the movement, and all the brave people who came forward during that time, we understood what a phenomenon it was in our industry and many others,” the 39-year-old recalls.
“When people started gathering and sharing their experiences, that was the moment I thought I needed to be a part of this in terms of speaking up with my colleagues.”
At the Women’s March in 2018, Portman delivered a stirring speech which would highlight her own
experiences of sexual harassment in her youth, and in particular, the reputation of being “prudish” she earned when she said no to some roles.
Was she scared? Of course. To project your thoughts and experiences to the world, on any topic and on a global platform, would put anyone in a vulnerable position. But to Portman, it’s better than the alternative.
“It’s definitely easier to do your work [and] stay private,” she says. “It can feel safer. I have those impulses often – to [ just] do what I was doing before. But then there are moments that it feels complicit to be silent.”
Portman’s commendable purpose is threaded into her work too. As a chameleon of the arts, the actress has managed to “find adventures,” in the complex women she portrays.
Films such as Black Swan (2010), Vox Lux (2018) and Lucy in the Sky (2019) are proof of the Oscar winner’s desire to bring strong female roles to the fore. Her choices today now significantly broader than her previous years and she intends to make the most of them.
“People are endlessly interesting to me. We come in so many variations, and we’re wild – you can’t make it up how unusual people are,” she says, adding that her degree in psychology [from Harvard University] has been a considerable asset in her career.
“Psychology is about observing people and why they do what they do,” Portman says. “Acting is the same practice, albeit slightly less scientific.”
While she’s content with her body of work thus far, there’s a type of role she’d rather leave untouched.
“I don’t like playing mothers,” she says with a laugh. “It feels weird to pretend to be a mother to someone else’s kid when your actual ones are at home and you’re not with them. I used to play the mother role a lot before I had children, but now, if I’m going to be a mum, it’s with my own kids.”
Choosing roles is no longer necessarily about satisfying her creative side, but what works best for her family. Portman is married to dancer Benjamin Millepied, who she met on the set of Black Swan. The couple have two children – 9-year-old son, Aleph, and daughter Amalia, 3.
“[The project] needs to be fulfilling enough to take you away from your family,” Portman says. “The days are long. Other times, it’s a lot of time away, so it has to be creatively fulfilling. Sometimes, it you’re fulfilled creatively, it makes you better when you do come home to your family.”
Perhaps then, it was what led the actress
to become involved in Dolphin Reef. The documentary by Disney+ is skewed to a younger audience and follows the journey of a young bottle-nosed dolphin named Echo. Portman, a long-time animal activist, narrates the film – and had a lot of fun in the process.
“I love dolphins. I learnt to scuba-dive with them, so it’s wonderful to be involved in this project,” she says. “Kids can imagine the animals’ feelings through Echo’s story. And because they’ve created a personal connection, it helps encourage them to care more about things such as conservation and wildlife protection.
“A narration for a documentary often needs to be educational, but because it’s geared towards kids, it’s more playful. I was able to make a few jokes or quips – it was similar to reading my kids a book.”
Her children are also likely to cheer on their mum when she becomes a fully fledged superhero in upcoming production Thor: Love and Thunder. In the first two Thor films, her character, Jane, has been sidelined as hero Chris Hemsworth’s romantic interest. But not this time.
“It’s exciting to see Jane get in on the action,” Natalie says. “And to work with [New Zealand director] Taika Waititi. He’s so talented and brings so much fun and mischief to everything.”
Thor: Love and Thunder will be filmed on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
“I can’t wait,” Portman enthuses. “I’m truly looking forward to coming back [to Australia].”
Having already been part of a hugely successful franchise in Star Wars, Portman should be well-equipped to handle the phenomenon of superhero stardom.
“The Marvel universe is so much bigger,” she counters.
“There’s a similar love for the stories and characters [across franchises]. I’m so lucky to be involved in both and experience the passion people have for both.”
While many years have passed since she played Queen Amidala, aka Padmé, in Star Wars, Portman declares she’s changed rather a lot from the 16-year-old who was launched into stardom.
“I hope that I’ve changed – a bit,” she says with a laugh. “But I always want to grow and learn. I’m always looking for adventure.”
“It’s safer to do your work and stay private”
Dolphin Reef is available now on Disney+