Finding the Balance: Natalie Portman's Thoughts on Public and Private Life

Article by Keziah Weir

Photos courtesy of Landon Nordeman

Styling by George Cortina

At the tender age of 13, Natalie Portman experienced her first red carpet. By 23, she had her first Academy Award nomination, with a win only six years later. Her varied and compelling roles include a hit man's protégé, a ballerina coming apart at the seams, a sham medium, a pop sensation, and Jacqueline Kennedy. Now, she takes on the role of Elizabeth Berry in May December, joining the ranks of legendary actors who have portrayed other actors - like Gena Rowlands in Opening Night and Bette Davis in All About Eve. This has been a role in the making, in many respects, since her debut three decades earlier in Léon: The Professional. In a Zoom interview with Vanity Fair from her Paris home, she reflects on the evolution of Hollywood and reconciling her multitude of public and private personas.

Vanity Fair: You seem attracted to roles that blur the boundary between public spectacle and private existence. Why?

Natalie Portman: The themes of private and public performance are something I often revisit. It refers to different types of performances for different people in your life, performances that shape identity, and the link between performance and identity. For anyone, but particularly as an actress, these concepts are relevant, and my early experience with public and private life has heightened my understanding and curiosity of these themes.

Elizabeth in May December celebrates and mocks the process of creating a character and a film. How was that experience?

Exploring the behavior and ethics associated with using real-life experiences as inspiration was both fun and interesting. The challenges faced by journalists and documentarians are quite similar. When using real stories, the question remains whether it's possible not to intervene in your subject's life. For instance, does simply portraying them affect their life? The character of Elizabeth takes this to another level, and discussing these intriguing and unanswered questions was enlightening.

The film was directed by Gordon Von Steiner.

What was unique or challenging about this role?

The challenge was striking the right balance. The film satirizes the pursuit of truth by actresses, and there were elements that initially felt satirical. There were many instances where laughter seemed appropriate, and I was tempted to follow that instinct. However, [Director] Todd [Haynes] encouraged me to make her relatable, genuine, and trustworthy, which was an excellent, but conflicting instruction.

In Jackie, I was terrified about playing a real person; in May December, I had to portray someone acting right alongside me. Julianne [Moore] and I worked closely, developing performances that felt inseparable.

Power dynamics play a crucial role in the film, sometimes subtly. How did you develop that?

Samy [Burch's] writing infused power dynamics into the script effortlessly. Todd enhanced it by mirroring the characters, which underscored a fascinating tension between the women - they are simultaneously repelled and attracted by one another, each seeing themselves in the other.

Method acting continues to fascinate, perhaps because of its ability to merge public and private personas. You've recently commented on how the cost of Method acting is greater for women. Is that something you aspire to?

The practice of method acting requires understanding and compliance from many individuals in your personal world, accompanying you on your fictitious journeys. I have found that this may not always be achievable. Nevertheless, I have also found it to be a blessing in disguise. It brings comfort to know that there are individuals in my life who yearn for my authenticity, especially children. On certain occasions, I have attempted to practice accents while reading bedtime stories to them, and the response has been radical. Their preference for my usual voice has been evident. While I am sure method acting is attainable given specific circumstances and company, it can potentially be a complex task for many, inclusive of men. I perceive that this is particularly challenging for women who may not receive similar allowances compared to men.

Another aspect to consider is the impact of deep immersion into character yet committing actions that question your ethical judgment. The most exciting characters often tend to symbolize negative traits. Take, for instance, Medea or Tony Soprano, or any of the serial killers ever depicted on screen. Can we, as method actors, justify playing a serial killer on screen? These roles seem impractical unless one portrays numerous saint-like characters or is comfortable with committing crimes as part of the character.

The question persists about one's willingness to sacrifice morals for the sake of art. The film also addresses queries about the unethicality or amorality of art. This is a question I ponder regularly. How do we strike a balance between unbiased exploration of various human emotions and maintaining that it inadvertently influences people? How can we ignore the impact of showcasing a glamorous depiction of drugs, scenes of violence, or the influence of onscreen smoking on people's behavior? How do we reckon with the belief that art should freely explore all human aspects? This paradoxical situation doesn't provide straightforward answers but indeed raises critical questions.

I recollect my role as Anne Frank on Broadway, which I enacted when I was just 16 years old. The portrayal was riddled with symbolism and implications, thus making the act heavier than it seemed. It was only later when I encountered analytical commentary did I recognize the profound significance behind the character. It was no longer limited to my understanding of what the actual girl might have been like.

The meeting between Gracie and Elizabeth strikes a chord of reality that is synonymous with many actors' experiences. The comment by Gracie about Elizabeth's height reflects an immediate sizing-up and establishes equivalency concerning personal physicality. This comment subtly hints at Grace's approval of Elizabeth's fitness to portray her and indicates a competitive streak. I find this interaction very relatable, as I have encountered it multiple times.

Public interest in an actor's life fluctuates over time. In my case, it has evolved over the years, and I have adapted to these changes accordingly.

From the beginning, I felt compelled to protect my identity. I adopted another name when embarking on my career, an interesting way I dissociated my identities. At school, I was not Natalie Portman but Natalie Hershlag. It disturbed me when these identities blurred and overlapped. This dichotomy of my identity, which I am now trying to reconcile, was significant. Back then, accepting that both facets were authentic and should not be compartmentalised was challenging. It was a struggle to understand that there wasn’t a "real" me and a "pretend" me; that various perceptions people had of me, both public and private, coupled with the way I viewed myself, were part of my overall identity. It was crucial to accept this multifaceted identity rather than label one part as external and the other as real.

As I started my own family, I realised it was not beneficial to perceive myself as two distinct personas. During my typical day, I have multiple interactions as a public figure. Excluding such experiences from my life was not realistic.

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People have been publicly discussing your marriage and personal life extensively before the release of your upcoming movie. How do you feel about your private life being public?

I detest it and have no wish to fuel further discussion.

I don’t enjoy discussing it either.

I can imagine.

You've spent substantial time both in Paris and Los Angeles. Does one feel like home to you at this point?

I appreciate the unique charms each city brings to my life. My life in LA is far from the Hollywood lifestyle one might imagine. I reside on the east side, and my group of friends consists of both industry and non-industry people. Our gatherings are typically intimate dinners at home, rather than Hollywood parties. Living in LA has allowed me to appreciate all that it has to offer beyond Hollywood -- the natural beauty, art scene, food, music, and above all, the people.

Paris, on the other hand, is a haven. I am blessed to live here, encompassed by an exciting city lifestyle and incredible friends.

You’ve been in the industry for quite some time. How has Hollywood evolved during this time?

The most striking change has been the decline of film as the main form of entertainment. Films have become more niche, and young people today seem more familiar with YouTube personalities as opposed to movie stars.

How does this transition make you feel?

This shift has its upsides -- I now have the freedom to pursue my interests because filmmaking is no longer driven solely by commerce. It’s essential, however, to avoid compromising the inclusivity of art. The shift in popular appeal begs the question, who is our target audience now? However, the digital age has also democratised creativity. More individuals have an opportunity to showcase their talent now that gatekeepers are less powerful. Regardless of their geographic location, with an internet connection, anyone can access world cinema today. Consequently, your niche art film could potentially reach a larger audience due to this increased accessibility. It’s like a two-sided coin.

In the film, a scene features Elizabeth checking her email where she finds an AI-related New York Times article and a subject line stating “Vanity Fair Questions.” Does AI pose a threat to you as a filmmaker?

Well, it’s not so much a "threat" -- but with the advent of AI in filmmaking, artistic expression will undoubtedly evolve. It’s both exciting and terrifying to recognise the potential for AI to overhaul my professional future.

It often crosses my mind.

I suppose we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

You have a book club. What are you reading and loving right now?

I just finished an incredible book called Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.

Do you read on set? If you're not obsessing over portraying your character perfectly, or insisting people address you as Jackie, how do you pass the time?

I read a lot. It depends on the role. If it’s something that I really need to kind of create a world around, I’ll read things that are related—or sometimes you just read and everything feels related. I don’t know if it feels like that when you’re writing something, but you’re so in it that everything you interact with has some sort of meaning for your character.

And I do a lot of word games. I really like all the New York Times crossword and Connections and Wordle and Spelling Bee. Actually, Julianne is also a word-game obsessive. And she gets Queen Bee almost every day. I mean, I thought I was already impressed by what a good actress she was, but that will really top it for me.

Over the course of your career, have you had bucket-list items that you have wanted to check off? And what do you still want to do?

One thing that I’ve wanted to do, and really struggled to get, was an animation movie, and I just did my first one—or I’m still, because it’s a yearslong process.

Can you say what it is?

I’m doing The Twits—Roald Dahl. Very exciting.

Why did you want to do that so much?

I love animation. And having kids, I always want to make things that they can see. I see with my kids that they watch them again and again and again and again in a way that I don’t think any other movies are watched so intensely, and therefore have such an impact on kids’ views of the world and life. You realize how meaningful they are—and how meaningful they can be.

One thing that I have left that I have not done is a musical. I would really love that. When I think about what made me most excited and happy and joyful as a kid, I took a lot of dance classes that were musical theater, and those were my happiest moments. I dreamed of being a dancer in a Broadway show. So to do that again would be, I think, returning to that joy.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. For fashion and beauty details, go to VF.com/credits.