Natalie Portman revealed in a recent episode of her podcast “Smartless” (via… the people) that Jodie Foster once reached out to her after she heard Portman give a speech about being sexualized as a young actor. Foster rose to fame at the age of 12 when she was cast in Martin Scorsese’s film Taxi Driver in the role of a child sex worker. Meanwhile, Portman was 11 years old when she starred in the film “Léon: The Professional,” which marked her acting breakthrough.
“I gave a speech at a women’s march about being sexualized as a young actress, and she reached out to me afterward, and we talked and it was great,” Portman said. “She continues to be a role model.”
Portman said she learned at an early age to project a tough exterior on film sets to avoid sexual exploitation by potential predators.
“That kind of show of seriousness was protecting me in a way,” she said. “Because I feel like it was a warning signal like, ‘Oh, don’t do anything to her.’ Not that anyone, you know, deserves that or asks for that. But I felt like that was my subconscious way of doing it.”
Portman added that her mother “was with me all the time and made sure no one got close to me” while she was working as a child actress. Then, “when I went to college, my dad was like, ‘Well, that was nice. “Time to move. Let’s find another job – A.” TRUE job.’ She studied psychology at Harvard but didn’t give up acting entirely.
Oscar winner for “Black Swan.” It opened last year About her breakthrough role in the film The Professional amid sexual assault allegations against director Luc Besson.
“It’s a film that is still beloved, and people talk to me about it more than anything I’ve ever made,” Portman told THR. “And it has given me my career, but certainly when you watch it now, it definitely has some awkward aspects, to say the least. So, yeah, it’s complicated for me.”
Listen to Portman’s full appearance on the “Smartless” podcast here.