I have not yet seen the movie, but have, probably like you, heard all of the buzz about the stellar performance given by Natalie Portman of the tormented ballerina Nina Sayers in Black Swan.
Even if you have not yet seen Swan, you have most likely also heard about Natalie’s same sex scene in the movie and the intimate moments shared with co-star Mila Kunis.
Natalie graces the cover of Vogue in its latest issue and tells the mag: “Lesbian scenes, sex scenes, they’re all over the place! But because it’s me, people are shocked. I see the value of a good girl persona-it’s so easy to subvert it!”
In the same issue, Portman also discusses being a woman in Hollywood and her diet, among many other things:
On dieting:
“I swear, I eat. I ate a bagel an hour ago. I consume my own weight in hummus every day. I cook a lot, and I even do vegan baking.”
On women as objects:
“There’s a difference between being in a bra and underpants as an object on a men’s magazine cover and playing yourself-a woman with desires and needs who loves and laughs with her friends-in a bra and underpants. You become an object if you simply put it out there. Most movies are made by men, it’s totally natural that they’re going to present their worldview, so we’re trying to find more women who are writers and directors who are expressing their worldview.”
On reading critics of her work:
“I try not to read reviews or anything about me. It’s totally natural to be interested, but it’s completely damaging. Over the almost 20 years I’ve been working, I’ve been up, I’ve been down, I’ve been in, I’ve been out. Just getting to do the work is the privilege. I always feel like I have no idea what I’m doing. The one thing you have control over is having a great experience by doing your work fully.”
