Natalie Portman returns to the beloved Marvel franchise in Thor: Love and Thunder. This time she even slips into a superhero costume.
Natalie Portman (41) has taken on some memorable roles throughout her career. In the 90s, the then just 13-year-old played in “Léon – Der Profi”. She had her breakthrough role as Padmé in “Star Wars” Episodes I to III. In 2011, Portman won an Oscar for her performance as ballet dancer Nina in Black Swan. For her latest film “Thor: Love and Thunder” the Jane Foster actress slips into a superhero costume for the first time.
“It’s so lucky when you’re asked if you want to play a superhero. It’s an extremely rare opportunity for everyone,” says the 41-year-old in an interview with the news agency spot on news. In the first two “Thor” films, she played the famous astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster, who falls in love with Thor, the god of thunder (Chris Hemsworth, 38).
Natalie Portman loves Taika Waititi’s ‘sense of humor’
Portman did not appear in the third part of the Thor: Day of Decision series. Her return to the fourth part was therefore something very special. “I loved Thor: Decision Day. It’s one of my favorite MCU movies, if not my favorite. It was so exciting when Taika [Waititi] asked me to be a part of Love and Thunder want.” She had a lot of fun working with director Taika Waititi (46). “I love his sense of humor,” Portman admits.
To portray the female version of the muscular Thor, Portman prepared sufficiently. For a few months she worked with a personal trainer and supported her workouts with protein shakes. In the end, however, the 1.60 m tall actress was a little tricked. “There was a lot of film magic involved, of course,” she admits openly.
Filming in Australia was a privilege
The mother of two particularly enjoyed the filming this time. The film was shot in Australia. “I loved working in Australia. The people were so amazing and the crews were so amazing. The country is just so beautiful, one of the most beautiful places in the world,” Portman recalls. It was a privilege to be able to travel to Australia during the pandemic – after all, the country was known for its strict entry requirements at the time: “When we were there, we experienced an almost completely normal life together, after we were in the USA, yes been in lockdown all the time.”
Portman celebrated his birthday during filming. “I turned 40 while I was making the film. Reaching this milestone as a superhero is really a unique fortune. It was really an incredible opportunity that I got,” says the Hollywood star gratefully. She was also able to spend a lot of time with her children on the set. Waititi created a “kid-friendly environment” there. “My kids loved it. They said to me, ‘Mom, can you please only make movies like this?'” Portman laughs.
Natalie Portman soon to voice actress in an animated film?
What’s next for Portman is not yet known. However, the all-rounder still has some ideas as far as his film career is concerned. “I really want to do an animated film. I would love to do a voice acting role there,” she enthuses. She also wants to do comedies more often in the future, but Portman says she hasn’t done that many of them yet.
“Thor: Love and Thunder” can be seen in German cinemas from July 6th.
