Natalie Portman doesn’t want to identify completely with her roles. As a woman, she can’t afford method acting in the style of Christian Bale or Jared Leto
There are many ways to become a celebrated actor. Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale and Jared Leto, like many others, rely on so-called method acting, in which they want to merge with their characters and temporarily immerse themselves completely in a fictional personality. This would obviously be nothing for Natalie Portman.
Natalie Portman doesn’t want to play like Christian Bale or Jared Leto
Portman told the Wall Street Journal:
I’ve gotten heavily into roles, but I think that’s a luxury that women don’t have. I don’t think children or a partner would understand if I let everyone call me “Jackie Kennedy”.
Portman is referring to her film Jackie and the tendency of some method actors to be addressed by their role name even when they are not filming
Watch Natalie Portman’s performance in Black Swan here:
Day-Lewis’ performance in There Will Be Blood is considered a typical method acting role, and strong body transformations such as Jared Leto’s embodiment of the Joker in Suicide Squad are also often cited as examples. Even Natalie Portman’s role in Black Swan, which according to the Daily Mail “was as difficult as anything I’ve experienced before”, is considered by some to be a clear case of extreme acting style.
