Natalie Portman News

Natalie Portman on New York Times Magazine

Natalie Portman graces the cover of the recent issue of The New York Times Magazine with a recipient of a microloan from an microfinance organization which Natalie served as an “ambassador”.

Here’s an excerpt from the article of Natalie Portman titled “The Celebrity Solution.”

In 2004, Natalie Portman, then a 22-year-old fresh from college, went to Capitol Hill to talk to Congress on behalf of the Foundation for International Community Assistance, or Finca, a microfinance organization for which she served as ‘‘ambassador.’’ She found herself wondering what she was doing there, but her colleagues assured her: ‘‘We got the meetings because of you.’’ For lawmakers, Natalie Portman was not simply a young woman — she was the beautiful Padmé from ‘‘Star Wars.’’ ‘‘And I was like, ‘That seems totally nuts to me,’’’ Portman told me recently. “It’s the way it works, I guess. I’m not particularly proud that in our country I can get a meeting with a representative more easily than the head of a nonprofit can.’’

Now, in the era of People and the E! channel and the global swarm of paparazzi, stars shape themselves, and their brands, through their own public acts. And their audience is not just fans but everyone; a star’s life is a kind of public movie. You have to do something with all that attention. As Portman says, ‘‘If they’re going to follow me around and take pictures, I’d rather talk about Finca than what dress I’m wearing or who I’m dating or whatever nonsense people care about.’’

She has stopped doing commercials. ‘‘I want to be comfortable and proud of everything I do,’’ Portman says. She has designed a line of vegan shoes. She doesn’t want to be controversial, but she does want to be taken seriously. When we spoke, Portman was about to leave for London on a publicity tour for her current film, ‘‘The Other Boleyn Girl.’’ Trying to be obliging, I said, ‘‘Would you like to say anything about your movie?’’ Portman laughed and said, ‘‘No.’’

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Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman on W Magazine Cover

Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman shares the cover page of the newest issue of W magazine.

Both the most gorgeous actress are working together to promote their new movie The Other Boleyn Girl where the pair played the roles as sisters.

In the W magazine cover page article, Scarlett and Natalie talked about their close friendship, views on politics and how they’ve been portrayed in the media.

Here are some highlights from their cover page interview.

On joining the cast of The Other Boleyn Girl
Johansson says the chance to work with Portman is what really sold her on The Other Boleyn Girl. “Natalie was already attached when I read the script,” she says. “And I was desperate to work with her. She was the most attractive aspect of the project to me from the beginning.”

On Being Stereotyped
The actresses understand the stereotyping as much as they take umbrage at it. “I get branded a lot as a good girl,” says Portman. “I’m, like, the prude, and you’re more sexy, more like…” “A harlot!” Johansson blurts, and the two dissolve into laughter.

On Their Friendship
Portman’s restraint and Johansson’s lack of inhibition ended up being quite compatible on set—in fact, says Alison Owen (film producer), they behaved like coconspirators, constantly backing each other up when one had a request or suggestion. “They were like two friends at school,” she says.

At times, Johansson even did the talking for Portman. “Natalie would be uncomfortable in her costume and not say anything,” says Johansson. “She’d tell me, ‘My rib is killing me.’ I’d be like, ‘Natalie, why don’t you say something?’ I’d have to be like, ‘Hellooo, someone, Natalie’s rib is hurting! Can you fix her zipper?’”

On Hating Gossip Magazine (Not blogs)
“You’re never going to find me at the Ivy,” says Johansson, referring to the notorious paparazzi hangout. “I don’t care how good the Cobb salad is. These tabloid magazines—I think they’re hideous and the downfall of society.”

On Political Opinion
Right now, though, fighting the rumor mill is less important to Johansson than fighting for her presidential candidate of choice, Barack Obama. She spent several days in Iowa in January, working the phone banks on his behalf and talking to high school and college students about the importance of caucusing. “I will continue stumping for Obama until he’s elected,” she declares. “The past eight years have been painful for a lot of people. We’re in a state of emergency.”

Portman is still struggling to decide between Obama and Hillary Clinton. She can’t help remembering how impressed she was when she met the latter, who was sponsoring a FINCA-backed bill that went before the Senate. “I met with about 10 representatives that day and Hillary was by far the sharpest. Did you read Gloria Steinem’s op-ed piece?” Portman asks, citing Steinem’s January 8 column about Clinton in the New York Times. “Hillary’s just so experienced.”

On Monogamy
“I’m into monogamy,” says Portman. “But I’m not really into marriage right now. I sort of hate the legal aspect of it. What does the state have to do with it? Why are they making rules that say my lover can stay in the United States if they’re foreign or share my health care benefits because I’m straight”—here her eyes flash with horror—“but if you’re gay, you can’t have that?”

“It’s so archaic,” Johansson agrees. “It’s just, like, bizarre to me. I feel like in 10 or 15 years’ time our children are going to look back and say, ‘What? You were around when gay people weren’t allowed to get married?’”

Johansson goes on to say that she is, for the record, excited about the idea of marriage and having a family. Harlot jokes aside, she’s painfully aware that the press has made much of her sex life—including whether or not she did, in fact, have relations with Benicio Del Toro in an elevator, as was rumored in 2004. (She has denied it.) “I’ve been battered for saying that I don’t believe humans are monogamous by nature,” she says, referring to an interview she gave two years ago. “The response was, like, ‘What a ho-bag!’ I didn’t mean that I don’t practice monogamy in my own life—of course I do! I’m not going to be in some tarty relationship. But I stick by what I said.

“I remember another time,” Johansson continues, getting more and more irritated, “I said I get tested for AIDS twice a year, and again that got spun as me being promiscuous. But I was single at the time, and I think it’s important to do that!”

“That’s totally responsible,” Portman says. “A great role-model thing to talk about.”

“The only thing that’s a little bit annoying,” confesses Portman, when the subject turns to her public profile, “is I feel that I come off kind of boring sometimes.”

“I don’t think you’re boring,” says Johansson in sisterly solidarity.

“Thank you,” says Portman. “I appreciate that.”

—

The Other Boleyn Girl is scheduled to hit theater on February 29.

We think this is an amazing photo shoot but the makeup artist could have done a better work on Johansson.

Click Here to read more on Scarlett Johansson’s and Natalie Portman’s cover story interview with W magazine.

[Photo: W magazine]

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Inside Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman had an interview with New York Times/TMagazine as part of an exclusive Web series, “Screentest.” Natalie talked about her childhood and her happy times.

CLICK HERE to watch Natalie Portman’s interview with New York Times.

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