Highlights
- Natalie Portman prioritized education over Hollywood commitments, even doing homework backstage during an interview.
- Her psychology degree helped her in her role in “V for Vendetta,” using her knowledge to understand character disorders.
- Portman believes it was luck that she wasn’t harmed as a child actor and now discourages children from entering the industry.
At age 12, Natalie Portman rose to fame after starring in 1994’s Léon: The Professional with which she has a “complicated” relationship due to its inappropriate sexual undertones. She then gained international recognition when she played Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). But that didn’t stop her from earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Harvard in 2003.
Her educational background even helped her in her award-winning role in V for Vendetta. The actress has always prioritized homework over her Hollywood commitments. So when David Letterman suggested otherwise, a 14-year-old Portman said he was “corrupting the youth of America.”
Recently, the Black Swan alum said she doesn’t want her kids to get into acting, shortly after claiming it was “luck that I was not harmed” as a child actor and following the news of her “trial separation” from her husband. Here’s a closer look at Portman’s student-actress life.
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Natalie Portman Said David Letterman Was “Corrupting The Youth Of America” When He Asked About Her Student Life
In 1996, Natalie Portman went on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote her film, Beautiful Girls. There, the host asked her about juggling acting and school. She then reminded the host that she’s “14 years old” and that she’d “figured out that I’ve been alive as long as your show’s been going on.” Her fellow guest, Alec Baldwin burst out laughing. “Does that trouble you?” the actress added.
“Wow. Well, it’s nice something good has come of this,” Letterman answered. The high school freshman went on to share that she “goes to public school” and not to “one of those showbiz actor schools.” She even attended school earlier that day. She was also proud to say, “I’m a straight A student.”
“I made honor roll,” she said before saying that she never got into “trouble” at school. However, she admitted that she and her friends were caught watching an R-rated flick called Threesome by one of their moms. Before diving into the story, Letterman asked why her friends couldn’t come with her on the show.
“They got homework,” Portman said, raising her eyebrows. “God, corrupting the youth of America.”
She even revealed that she was doing her homework backstage while Letterman was interviewing Baldwin. Interestingly, Portman said “one of his brothers” was in Threesome. “I must say, if one of us doesn’t get you the other one will,” the actor reacted before clarifying, “I mean corrupting you. I mean Kerouac [in reference to Portman’s reading homework] and threesome. You’re 14, where do you have to go in the next 14 years?”
Stephen Baldwin starred in Threesome (1994) alongside Lara Flynn Boyle and Josh Charles.
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How Natalie Portman’s Psychology Degree Helped Her In ‘V For Vendetta’
In a 2006 interview with Independent UK, Portman said she used psychology background in V for Vendetta. “I use my psychology background all the time,” she explained at that time. “I could use it to mess with people but that would be a mean thing to do! Actually, I don’t think I know enough to really mess with people.”
She continued: “But there’s always studies that I’ve read or something I’ve read in college that I’ll remember when I’m reading a script about a certain disorder, like ‘this person might be a little bipolar or associative’, those kinds of things.” She even shared how she sought the guidance of her professor for a previous film.
“I just finished Goya’s Ghosts in Spain, and my character had this disorder and I was able to call up one of my professors,” she recalled, “and she just gave me a whole run-down on symptomology and videos and examples of what the person might behave like. It’s a great resource to have, these great professors.”
Here are Portman’s top three films based on performance:
|
Rank |
Film – Role |
Accolades |
|
#1 |
Black Swan (2010) – Nina Sayers, Odette |
Best Actress – Oscar, Golden Globe |
|
#2 |
Closer (2004) – Alice |
Best Supporting Actress win – Golden Globe |
|
#3 |
Jackie (2016) – Jackie Kennedy |
Best Actress nomination – Oscar, Golden Globe |
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Why Natalie Portman Said It Was “Luck That I Was Not Harmed” As A Child Actor
In November 2023, Portman reflected on her child actor days during an episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. There, she said it was “an accident of luck” that she was “not harmed” back then. “I would not encourage young people to go into this,” she proclaimed. “I don’t mean ever; I mean as children.”
“I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents,” Portman continued.
Speaking about her controversial breakout film, Léon, she said that “you don’t like it when you’re a kid, and you’re grateful for it when you’re an adult.” She added: “I’ve heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it. Having said that, I know all the conversations that we’ve been having these past few years. It’s made people more aware and careful.”
She then stated that “ultimately, I don’t believe that kids should work. I think kids should play and go to school.” Portman has two children with her estranged husband, Benjamin Millepied: a son named Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 6.
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied “are currently on the outs” after the latter’s alleged affair with a 25-year-old woman.
Source: NewsFinale
