Actress Natalie Portman has candidly shared how the experience of being sexualized as a young performer has influenced her development over the years.
During a recent episode of the “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard” podcast, Portman, who entered the entertainment industry at the age of 12, reflected on the challenges she faced in Hollywood and the adverse effects of unwelcome attention.
Portraying the character of Marty at 13 in the 1996 film “Beautiful Girls,” where her role involved a romantic connection with an older man played by Timothy Hutton, Portman expressed her discomfort with being depicted as a ‘Lolita' figure, drawing parallels to the adolescent character from Vladimir Nabokov's novel known for her inappropriate relationship with an older man.
The renowned actress revealed that she consciously opted out of the role of Lolita in Adrian Lyne's movie adaptation in 1997, emphasizing that the sexualization she experienced in her youth instilled fear within her regarding her own sexuality.
Recalling her debut in the 1994 film “The Professional” at the tender age of 13, Portman highlighted the internal conflict she faced between the public perception of her maturity and the natural curiosity and desires of adolescence.
Acknowledging the struggle of navigating personal boundaries and unwanted advances from older individuals during her formative years, Portman admitted to constructing emotional barriers to safeguard herself against inappropriate attention, which hindered her from fully expressing her true self.
The Academy Award-winning actress elaborated on the conscious image she projected to deter objectification, explaining that she deliberately avoided intimate scenes in her teenage roles to shield herself from feeling vulnerable and concerned about external perceptions of her.
Despite the challenges she encountered in managing her public image and personal growth, Portman emphasized that her protective measures ultimately enabled her to feel secure and navigate her career successfully.
Now aged 39 and married to French dancer Benjamin Millepied, with whom she shares two children, Portman reflects on her past experiences with a newfound perspective, underscoring the importance of establishing boundaries and preserving one's sense of self in the face of external pressures.
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