Natalie Portman Recalls the Harsh Backlash to Her Star Wars Role

In a recent cover story for Harper’s Bazaar, Portman reflected on the resilience she forged during those early years. Despite sharing the screen with industry titans like Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson, she kept the pain of the negative press to herself, refusing to show vulnerability. Instead of retreating, she channeled the criticism into a drive to keep working, eventually securing roles in projects like Garden State and V for Vendetta that proved her range to skeptical audiences.

This early baptism by fire served as an unexpected education in navigating public perception. By the time she earned her Academy Award for Black Swan in 2011, Portman had long since moved past the shadow of Naboo. Now 45, she balances a prolific acting career—including the upcoming film The Gallerist—with a newfound sense of personal calm, recently welcoming her third child and embracing a perspective on her life and work that she admits was impossible to grasp in her youth.