Natalie Portman is setting the record straight on the concept of method acting for films. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Academy Award-winning actor shared that she likes to keep her personal life and professional life separate, and that method acting is not something ‘women can afford.’
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Natalie said, “I’ve gotten very into roles, but I think it’s honestly a luxury that women can’t afford. I don’t think that children or partners would be very understanding of, you know, me making everyone call me ‘Jackie Kennedy’ all the time.” The actor was referring to her 2017 biographical film Jackie, where she portrayed the character of former US first lady Jackie Kennedy. She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film.
The actor had talked at length about her preparation for Black Swan, the film directed by Darren Aronofsky, for which she won the Academy Award. In Black Swan, Natalie played Nina Sayers, a ballerina whose hallucinations and obsession begin to unfold as she prepares for a major production of Swan Lake. The actor had earlier revealed that she took a year-long rigorous training regimen for the film and that the experience did not leave her even when she returned home.
Natalie is garnering critical acclaim for her most recent role in Todd Haynes’ May December, in which she plays an actor named Elizabeth, who follows and studies a real life person named Gracie, played by Julianne Moore. The preparation is key for her to bring more perspective in a movie based on her life. The film, which first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, is now streaming on Netflix. Natalie recently attended the Golden Globes award ceremony where she was nominated in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) section but lost to Emma Stone in Poor Things.