I have been a fan of Natalie Portmans since her first major role in Luc Bessons Lon. Since then she has become one of Americas brightest and critically acclaimed young stars with films such as Beautiful Girls, Anywhere But Here and her most famous role as Padm Amidala in the Star Wars prequels.
Her latest is Sam in the directorial debut of Scrubs star Zach Braffs film, Garden State. When Andrew Largeman [Braff] returns to his hometown for his mothers funeral, he reconnects with old friends, and since hes gone off his depression medication, himself. A chance meeting with Sam [Portman], who also suffering from various maladies, opens his world to the possibility of rekindling emotional attachments, confronting his psychologist father, and perhaps beginning a new life.
Check out the Garden State website
Daniel Robert Epstein: Did the fact that you are Jewish help you relate to Zachs movie and his experiences more?
Natalie Portman: Yeah, I guess so. It was funny to say something like You're Jewish. He says that he wrote the part for me but thats evidence that he didnt [laughs].
DRE: What did you like about the part?
NP: I just thought it was such a fun character. It wasnt like anything Ive ever gotten to do before. Getting to let it all hang out is pretty fun.
My sole criteria for movies is getting to do something I havent done before. In Hollywood when they see you do one thing they send you like 40 scripts where they want you to do the same thing. Thats why you always see people in similar roles.
DRE: You could easily fall into that cookie cutter starring roles. Do you purposely look for roles that go against that?
NP: Its weird because I dont see myself fitting into that either. I cant ever believe that anyone would believe me as the fashion executive who falls in love really cutely. I think Im so much weirder than that. I dont fit into those types.
DRE: Did you ever see yourself directing?
NP: That is something that definitely interests me especially since Ive been in this business for over ten years now. Thats really weird to think about. Its been 12 years in film. It definitely makes you feel confident that you know something and its looking for something new and interesting.
It definitely gives you more confidence once you see someone do it successfully. A lot of directors seem like theyre such odd people, that youre thinking, I dont know if I could do that. I dont know if Im that obsessive. Zach is just a regular guy. Hes very, very talented, but when you hang out with him he doesnt seem like one of those crazy directors.
DRE: Youve worked with many directors that people would consider visionaries. What was it like working with Zach who on his first film is getting a lot of critical accolades?
NP: Its really exciting to see it all happen. It was easy to see that he is confident, smart, funny and new. That is all the pieces that go into being a great director but you never really know until you get there, even with the established directors. It has so much to do with how your styles mesh and the chemistry. It was such a wonderful experience, he did such a fine job and it really matched with how he described it to me before we first started.
DRE: Did you he give you a mix CD?
NP: He did. I couldnt believe that he got all the music he wanted.
DRE: Your character had a lot of pets in this film. Did you get attached to any of them?
NP: No, unfortunately I didnt get to spend much time with them. I had the weird and grossest prop in the history of movie making, the dead hamster prop. We didnt get to work with the dogs as much as it may have seemed.
DRE: Most of people think of you as a dramatic actor. How big of a change was it to get to do something a little more romantic and comedic?
NP: It was fun. Zach created an atmosphere where were all just hanging out and laughing all the time. It was a great and fun experience as well as being meaningful afterwards.
DRE: Does being funny come easy to you?
NP: Yeah, I think I have this reputation for being really serious because when I do interviews, which is how people get to know you I guess, the more interesting things to talk about are serious. I do take myself seriously so I am trying to be a serious person and also be relaxed.
DRE: For Anywhere but Here, you wouldnt originally do the role because it required nudity so they changed it. How do you feel now about doing nudity and those types of roles as you get older?
NP: Now I wouldnt say no because I dont want to limit myself. There might be a day when you change. Its much better to see how things change and how you feel about them. I wouldnt say I would never do it. I think its rare when nudity is necessary. I also try to value my private life over my acting life because if you do anything that in any way jeopardizes your privacy or safety then its not worth it.
DRE: What is an example of a film where you thought nudity was necessary?
NP: I cant think of one off the top of my head. It is hard to think of Last Tango in Paris without nudity but I dont necessarily love that film or want to be in it. Thats a film you couldnt do without the nudity.
DRE: What do you think of the fact that you are considered a sex symbol?
NP: I dont really think Im a sex symbol. If I was then its just part of life and I hope that since our culture is so increasingly exterior, exterior, exterior, which is not necessarily bad, but as long as it is balanced with the interior. Thats what people do, we look around and get first impressions. But its also about the combination of soul mind and body. In our movie magazine culture its all pictures and no words. Like in life, you dont want people around because of the shiny part but because of whats underneath when you rub the shiny part off.
DRE: Any funny moments while making this film?
NP: The humping dog story.
There was the day when were shooting that pool scene and they chose this one house because of the view of the Manhattan skyline. The day we got there it was completely foggy but we had paid enormous sums of money for the shot so we shot. The entire crew was using one bathroom in someones house. When that happens the bathroom can get really nasty. She came to us and said Shooting is over. Theres doody in the bathtub. Zach had to deal with that while we were shooting.
DRE: Someone doodied in the bathtub?
NP: No, it was just that the pipes were all messed. But we were like Doody? Who says doody? We were completely unconcerned about the bathroom.
DRE: How much like Sam are you?
NP: I have her face, her voice and her body. Theres always a little bit of you in every character. Zach wrote her. Shes not me.
DRE: To a lot of kids out there you are Queen Amidala. Hows the end of your Star Wars experience been for you?
NP: Its been really cool to be in kids movies. Its been really awesome to be able to go and walk past a kid in the street and see that theyre like, Hey! and theyre smiling and excited. Before that it was all older men with The Professional and Beautiful Girls. Then it was teenage girls who like Anywhere But Here and Where the Heart Is. So to all of a sudden to see little kids who are really excited is pretty cool.
DRE: How was Episode III to shoot?
NP: It was very fun to film. We shot it in Australia last summer and its coming out next summer.
DRE: Can you talk about transitioning from huge films to small films with a first-time director?
NP: It was really fun to do an independent film because you just conserve your resources so you're more creative. Theres so much energy that gets lost on a big movie when youre waiting two hours for a lighting setup. Miraculously, on a low-budget movie they can set up a shot in two seconds. Theres such a pace and energy. Everyone who is working on it is really young and really passionate because no one gets paid. Theyre all there because they want to be and they can be, because theyre in their 20s and dont need to feed a family. Its just a group of young people going, OK, weve got four weeks to finish this mission. Were going to get there and were going to do it. Theres that energy.
DRE: How much did you relate to the suburban experience?
NP: I definitely feel it. Theres something that embodies what everyones feeling, because its close to where everything is happening, but not there. Theres a real feeling in these regions of comfort, where people are living in all this comfort. Theyre not kagillionaires, but they pretty much have every opportunity open to them. As a young person, as spoiled and snotty as it sounds, its really scary to have every choice open to you. Its hard when you feel that way because making one choice will eliminate all your other choices. You have to find a way to make a mark on the world and be unique and find yourself. Its this real funny state of having everything and because of having everything sort of knowing nothing.
DRE: You were discovered in a pizza parlor. Do you remember anything of that big moment?
NP: A little bit. I was just a jerky little kid. Id always walk around, seeing who was looking at me. I was such an obnoxious kid. So I was waiting for that moment. I wanted it so badly.
DRE: What one thing would you like an audience to walk away with from Garden State?
NP: I dont know if theres just one thing. I think the great thing about a good movie is that people are engaged with it in different ways. Its like a conversation with the audience. Everyone will take something different from it. The main thing, I hope, is that people will be entertained by it. I think its entertaining. At the end I hope its not empty entertainment, not empty fun. Theres stuff that you can take away thats deeper than just an enjoyable two hours.
DRE: Weve talked about choices and angst. Can you relate?
NP: Absolutely. Im the luckiest girl in the whole world. I have such a lucky life and its so wonderful. Theres something scary in that because theres a sort of lack of direction or something. I always feel that when you have some sort of struggle it makes you stronger in your desires. When you come up against an obstacle it makes you stronger in knowing where youre going. Its hard to have identity and direction and purpose when its all easy. Its not a unique thing for me. Everyone I grew up with comes from a pretty affluent background, gets to go to college and can be whatever they want to be. As unbelievable as that is its the snottiest thing in the world to complain about it in any way. It has its own hardness to it because it can be overwhelming. It can be like, Oh, if I can do anything and I choose one thing, then Im going to lose all these other options.
DRE: So how do you handle it?
NP: Well, its hard. Thats one of the things thats weird for me, personally. Most of my friends who left school went into the extreme discipline of a job that gives you 9 to 5 hours. I do work, but its for three months at a time. Then Im like, Aaah, I dont know what Im doing. So Ive started taking classes, where Im actually feeling productive and Im learning something. So Im learning Spanish right now and Im taking ballet and working on producing things. I have all this time and I have all these options, so its pretty scary.
DRE: Youve recently graduated from Harvard. Any sense that you should be doing something else besides acting?
NP: Acting is really fulfilling on a personal level. I dont know how much it contributes to the world, although I think a world without movies and theater would be a sad one. I think theres a definite need for entertainment and stories about people. As a person you practice empathy. Thats your job. You say, I wonder what that persons life is like? Thats a really cool way to look at the world, to try to understand what other people are feeling and think about how their lives must be. That sounds presumptuous, but at the same time its a pretty amazing thing to get to do over and over and over again, to train your brain to think, so you can look at people and say, How is their life? What is their life like? Its very different from all the self-centeredness that being a movie star is. Theyre polar opposites, all outside of yourself and not thinking about other people, which is exciting.
DRE: Angelina Jolie has taken on personal projects outside of acting. If you took time during a hiatus from working what would you do?
NP: Ive been working with an organization called FINCA for the past year, since Ive been out of school and Ive had a lot more time. They do mirco-finance for women, which is one incredible way to help the problem of world poverty. There are four billion people in the world that are living on less than three dollars a day, and the majority of them are women and children. Thats more than three-quarters of the worlds population. Its unbelievable, I think. So Ive been traveling with them. It gives women small loans so that they can start their own businesses and theyre so responsible. They pay back at a 97 percent rate, which is unheard of with wealthy American people who borrow money. They start businesses and all of a sudden they can feed their kids and educate their kids. And its sustainable because they pay back the loans and grow the businesses. Its a really wonderful, wonderful thing.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Her latest is Sam in the directorial debut of Scrubs star Zach Braffs film, Garden State. When Andrew Largeman [Braff] returns to his hometown for his mothers funeral, he reconnects with old friends, and since hes gone off his depression medication, himself. A chance meeting with Sam [Portman], who also suffering from various maladies, opens his world to the possibility of rekindling emotional attachments, confronting his psychologist father, and perhaps beginning a new life.
Check out the Garden State website
Daniel Robert Epstein: Did the fact that you are Jewish help you relate to Zachs movie and his experiences more?
Natalie Portman: Yeah, I guess so. It was funny to say something like You're Jewish. He says that he wrote the part for me but thats evidence that he didnt [laughs].
DRE: What did you like about the part?
NP: I just thought it was such a fun character. It wasnt like anything Ive ever gotten to do before. Getting to let it all hang out is pretty fun.
My sole criteria for movies is getting to do something I havent done before. In Hollywood when they see you do one thing they send you like 40 scripts where they want you to do the same thing. Thats why you always see people in similar roles.
DRE: You could easily fall into that cookie cutter starring roles. Do you purposely look for roles that go against that?
NP: Its weird because I dont see myself fitting into that either. I cant ever believe that anyone would believe me as the fashion executive who falls in love really cutely. I think Im so much weirder than that. I dont fit into those types.
DRE: Did you ever see yourself directing?
NP: That is something that definitely interests me especially since Ive been in this business for over ten years now. Thats really weird to think about. Its been 12 years in film. It definitely makes you feel confident that you know something and its looking for something new and interesting.
It definitely gives you more confidence once you see someone do it successfully. A lot of directors seem like theyre such odd people, that youre thinking, I dont know if I could do that. I dont know if Im that obsessive. Zach is just a regular guy. Hes very, very talented, but when you hang out with him he doesnt seem like one of those crazy directors.
DRE: Youve worked with many directors that people would consider visionaries. What was it like working with Zach who on his first film is getting a lot of critical accolades?
NP: Its really exciting to see it all happen. It was easy to see that he is confident, smart, funny and new. That is all the pieces that go into being a great director but you never really know until you get there, even with the established directors. It has so much to do with how your styles mesh and the chemistry. It was such a wonderful experience, he did such a fine job and it really matched with how he described it to me before we first started.
DRE: Did you he give you a mix CD?
NP: He did. I couldnt believe that he got all the music he wanted.
DRE: Your character had a lot of pets in this film. Did you get attached to any of them?
NP: No, unfortunately I didnt get to spend much time with them. I had the weird and grossest prop in the history of movie making, the dead hamster prop. We didnt get to work with the dogs as much as it may have seemed.
DRE: Most of people think of you as a dramatic actor. How big of a change was it to get to do something a little more romantic and comedic?
NP: It was fun. Zach created an atmosphere where were all just hanging out and laughing all the time. It was a great and fun experience as well as being meaningful afterwards.
DRE: Does being funny come easy to you?
NP: Yeah, I think I have this reputation for being really serious because when I do interviews, which is how people get to know you I guess, the more interesting things to talk about are serious. I do take myself seriously so I am trying to be a serious person and also be relaxed.
DRE: For Anywhere but Here, you wouldnt originally do the role because it required nudity so they changed it. How do you feel now about doing nudity and those types of roles as you get older?
NP: Now I wouldnt say no because I dont want to limit myself. There might be a day when you change. Its much better to see how things change and how you feel about them. I wouldnt say I would never do it. I think its rare when nudity is necessary. I also try to value my private life over my acting life because if you do anything that in any way jeopardizes your privacy or safety then its not worth it.
DRE: What is an example of a film where you thought nudity was necessary?
NP: I cant think of one off the top of my head. It is hard to think of Last Tango in Paris without nudity but I dont necessarily love that film or want to be in it. Thats a film you couldnt do without the nudity.
DRE: What do you think of the fact that you are considered a sex symbol?
NP: I dont really think Im a sex symbol. If I was then its just part of life and I hope that since our culture is so increasingly exterior, exterior, exterior, which is not necessarily bad, but as long as it is balanced with the interior. Thats what people do, we look around and get first impressions. But its also about the combination of soul mind and body. In our movie magazine culture its all pictures and no words. Like in life, you dont want people around because of the shiny part but because of whats underneath when you rub the shiny part off.
DRE: Any funny moments while making this film?
NP: The humping dog story.
There was the day when were shooting that pool scene and they chose this one house because of the view of the Manhattan skyline. The day we got there it was completely foggy but we had paid enormous sums of money for the shot so we shot. The entire crew was using one bathroom in someones house. When that happens the bathroom can get really nasty. She came to us and said Shooting is over. Theres doody in the bathtub. Zach had to deal with that while we were shooting.
DRE: Someone doodied in the bathtub?
NP: No, it was just that the pipes were all messed. But we were like Doody? Who says doody? We were completely unconcerned about the bathroom.
DRE: How much like Sam are you?
NP: I have her face, her voice and her body. Theres always a little bit of you in every character. Zach wrote her. Shes not me.
DRE: To a lot of kids out there you are Queen Amidala. Hows the end of your Star Wars experience been for you?
NP: Its been really cool to be in kids movies. Its been really awesome to be able to go and walk past a kid in the street and see that theyre like, Hey! and theyre smiling and excited. Before that it was all older men with The Professional and Beautiful Girls. Then it was teenage girls who like Anywhere But Here and Where the Heart Is. So to all of a sudden to see little kids who are really excited is pretty cool.
DRE: How was Episode III to shoot?
NP: It was very fun to film. We shot it in Australia last summer and its coming out next summer.
DRE: Can you talk about transitioning from huge films to small films with a first-time director?
NP: It was really fun to do an independent film because you just conserve your resources so you're more creative. Theres so much energy that gets lost on a big movie when youre waiting two hours for a lighting setup. Miraculously, on a low-budget movie they can set up a shot in two seconds. Theres such a pace and energy. Everyone who is working on it is really young and really passionate because no one gets paid. Theyre all there because they want to be and they can be, because theyre in their 20s and dont need to feed a family. Its just a group of young people going, OK, weve got four weeks to finish this mission. Were going to get there and were going to do it. Theres that energy.
DRE: How much did you relate to the suburban experience?
NP: I definitely feel it. Theres something that embodies what everyones feeling, because its close to where everything is happening, but not there. Theres a real feeling in these regions of comfort, where people are living in all this comfort. Theyre not kagillionaires, but they pretty much have every opportunity open to them. As a young person, as spoiled and snotty as it sounds, its really scary to have every choice open to you. Its hard when you feel that way because making one choice will eliminate all your other choices. You have to find a way to make a mark on the world and be unique and find yourself. Its this real funny state of having everything and because of having everything sort of knowing nothing.
DRE: You were discovered in a pizza parlor. Do you remember anything of that big moment?
NP: A little bit. I was just a jerky little kid. Id always walk around, seeing who was looking at me. I was such an obnoxious kid. So I was waiting for that moment. I wanted it so badly.
DRE: What one thing would you like an audience to walk away with from Garden State?
NP: I dont know if theres just one thing. I think the great thing about a good movie is that people are engaged with it in different ways. Its like a conversation with the audience. Everyone will take something different from it. The main thing, I hope, is that people will be entertained by it. I think its entertaining. At the end I hope its not empty entertainment, not empty fun. Theres stuff that you can take away thats deeper than just an enjoyable two hours.
DRE: Weve talked about choices and angst. Can you relate?
NP: Absolutely. Im the luckiest girl in the whole world. I have such a lucky life and its so wonderful. Theres something scary in that because theres a sort of lack of direction or something. I always feel that when you have some sort of struggle it makes you stronger in your desires. When you come up against an obstacle it makes you stronger in knowing where youre going. Its hard to have identity and direction and purpose when its all easy. Its not a unique thing for me. Everyone I grew up with comes from a pretty affluent background, gets to go to college and can be whatever they want to be. As unbelievable as that is its the snottiest thing in the world to complain about it in any way. It has its own hardness to it because it can be overwhelming. It can be like, Oh, if I can do anything and I choose one thing, then Im going to lose all these other options.
DRE: So how do you handle it?
NP: Well, its hard. Thats one of the things thats weird for me, personally. Most of my friends who left school went into the extreme discipline of a job that gives you 9 to 5 hours. I do work, but its for three months at a time. Then Im like, Aaah, I dont know what Im doing. So Ive started taking classes, where Im actually feeling productive and Im learning something. So Im learning Spanish right now and Im taking ballet and working on producing things. I have all this time and I have all these options, so its pretty scary.
DRE: Youve recently graduated from Harvard. Any sense that you should be doing something else besides acting?
NP: Acting is really fulfilling on a personal level. I dont know how much it contributes to the world, although I think a world without movies and theater would be a sad one. I think theres a definite need for entertainment and stories about people. As a person you practice empathy. Thats your job. You say, I wonder what that persons life is like? Thats a really cool way to look at the world, to try to understand what other people are feeling and think about how their lives must be. That sounds presumptuous, but at the same time its a pretty amazing thing to get to do over and over and over again, to train your brain to think, so you can look at people and say, How is their life? What is their life like? Its very different from all the self-centeredness that being a movie star is. Theyre polar opposites, all outside of yourself and not thinking about other people, which is exciting.
DRE: Angelina Jolie has taken on personal projects outside of acting. If you took time during a hiatus from working what would you do?
NP: Ive been working with an organization called FINCA for the past year, since Ive been out of school and Ive had a lot more time. They do mirco-finance for women, which is one incredible way to help the problem of world poverty. There are four billion people in the world that are living on less than three dollars a day, and the majority of them are women and children. Thats more than three-quarters of the worlds population. Its unbelievable, I think. So Ive been traveling with them. It gives women small loans so that they can start their own businesses and theyre so responsible. They pay back at a 97 percent rate, which is unheard of with wealthy American people who borrow money. They start businesses and all of a sudden they can feed their kids and educate their kids. And its sustainable because they pay back the loans and grow the businesses. Its a really wonderful, wonderful thing.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 25 of 32 COMMENTS
cme:
Great actor, charming character. Good Interview (Once again), cheers.
rivyr:
It's great to see an interview with such a beautiful, talented, and inspirational woman. I love Natalie! 