"Probably the role I am most proud of is that of Jackie," answers without hesitation Natalie Portman (Jerusalem, 1981), referring to Jacqueline Kennedy the wife of the U.S. president, whom she portrayed in the 2016 film. It is surprising that she does not hesitate for a second when answering, considering she has appeared in more than 50 feature films (not counting those she has directed or produced) in a career that has moved boldly between mainstream cinema, intense roles, and biopics through which she has grown before the eyes of the world -clarifying, our world, not Mars, even though she also acted in Mars Attacks! by Tim Burton-.
The first time her face appeared on the big screen, and therefore inevitably entered our lives, she was 13 years old. It was in 1994, and that unknown teenager turned out to be an unexpected competitor -as a newcomer, anonymous, and very young- for already veteran and recognized Jean Reno and Gary Oldman in Léon by Luc Besson. From then until her latest film -released a few months ago on Apple TV, The Fountain of Youth, by Guy Ritchie- she has appeared in Star Wars, the quintessential saga of the 20th and 21st centuries, as Padmé Midala, mother of Luke and Leia and partner of a proto Darth Vader; she has been Jane in Thor, thus claiming a piece of the Marvel universe; she has shown her most disturbing side in Black Swan, the romantic side in New York, I Love You, the shaven head in V for Vendetta...
Even with all this acting display, if there is still a person on Earth -or Mars- who has never seen Natalie Portman on a screen, they have surely seen her on a billboard or on the back cover of a magazine. Fifteen years ago, in 2010, it was announced that she would be the face of Dior cosmetics and perfumes and, specifically, of Miss Dior. This fragrance is precisely the apple of the maison's olfactory eye: created in 1947, it is inspired by Catherine, the sister of monsieur who was part of the resistance and whom the designer perceived as an icon of the new bold and independent femininity after World War II. The scent is renewed in Miss Dior Essence this autumn courtesy of Francis Kurkdjian, creative director of the brand's Perfumes, to captivate the senses of today's young women; what remains, just like on the big screen, is Miss Dior Portman... now at fifteen.
Natalie Portman precisely kicks the book of female clichés from the Angel City Football Club. It might seem like the synopsis of one of the movies she stars in, but nothing could be further from the truth: the actress is one of the founders -Serena Williams is another- of this American soccer team that joined the National Women's Soccer League in 2022.
How has Natalie Portman changed in these 15 years of relationship with Dior?
It has been a great journey in which I have become a mother twice [of Aleph, in 2011, and of Amalia, in 2017, whom she had with her ex, choreographer Benjamin Millepied]. I have had important and exciting moments in my professional life, among which stands out being able to continue with this Miss Dior, with whom I share the desire to be very independent, free, bold, wild... and to remain in love with love.
And at this point, what would you do for love?
From truth and commitment, anything that does not sacrifice my authentic self. I believe that's the limit to fully enjoy being in love.
Miss Dior Essence aims to be the scent of today's young women. How do you see the girls of 2025 compared to the teenager you were in the 90s, in Beautiful Girls, for example?
I hope that circumstances have truly changed for them. Since I was a child, at least, I believe we have worked enough as a society to expand opportunities and give women the possibility to be whatever we want without being confined to a specific definition of femininity.
What is femininity to you...
Every aspect a woman can be, any way she wishes to express herself. That's why I think Catherine Dior is still an incredible example today, decades later: she was brave, empathetic, daring, and idealistic, a true mix of attributes not associated with traditional stereotypical femininity.
Natalie Portman precisely kicks the female clichés book from the Angel City Football Club. It might seem like the synopsis of one of the movies she stars in, but nothing could be further from the truth: the actress is one of the founders - Serena Williams being another - of this American soccer team that joined the National Women's Soccer League in 2022.
What clicks in your mind to get involved in a project so far from your career, so unpredictable?
My work with the Time's Up movement had a lot to do with it [the initiative created by Hollywood celebrities in 2018 against sexual harassment in the film industry], but it was decisive to realize how my son watched female athletes' competitions with the same enthusiasm as male ones. That's when I thought about the cultural shift it could mean if female athletes had the same visibility.
Is there a parallel in how women have been treated in cinema and in football?
Absolutely. Unfortunately, in our society, value is often determined by salary. Women are paid less frequently in practically all areas, and I also believe their success is overlooked. Women's football has become very popular thanks to the FIFA World Cup, but then loses strength when it comes to other types of competitions. Something similar happens in cinema. You see movies like Barbie, directed by a woman, produced by a woman, starring a woman, with a story very focused on women, that are very successful, but they are underestimated as if it were something occasional that only happens once in a lifetime.
You have been a vegetarian since childhood, an animal rights activist, supported the Tacare Girl program for girls' education in Tanzania, with the Jane Goodall Institute... Why do you choose those causes?
I am fortunate to have attention directed towards me and I hope to redirect it to issues that are more useful and impactful than myself. I choose to speak about what matters to me in the hope of making an impact and perhaps improving someone's life by doing so.
It is true that, having started so young, you have been in the media spotlight your whole life, exposed on the big screen, but not only. How have you managed to live it normally, within some order?
I have lived an unusual life, but I am very lucky to have wonderful people around me, like my parents, my cousins, my friends, who always make me feel safe. Dealing with this all your life is very intense, but I think many children today experience this exposure because of the internet, where they create a kind of public self that is not their real self.
Your latest film, The Fountain of Eternal Youth, is about a treasure hunt for that mythical and coveted object. Why, as a society, are we so obsessed with not aging?
It seems like a very simple evolutionary thing: if we are supposed to procreate and youth has more chances of that, then we would want everyone to be young, right?
Would you want to be eternally young?
I try to seek that wonder, that amazement, and that excitement of youth. I hope to maintain that special feeling of discovering something for the first time throughout my life.
What do you take away from entering maturity?
I feel very fortunate to have friendships that have lasted decades, people with whom I have gone through so much and supported each other.
Have you made friends from any film shoot?
I made very good friends on No Strings Attached [directed by Ivan Reitman in 2011, with Ashton Kutcher and Greta Gerwig as co-stars].
Is there a movie or performance that has marked you as a viewer?
Dead Man Walking (1995) changed my beliefs and showed me the power of cinematic activism. Gena Rowlands' performance in A Woman Under the Influence (1974) is probably the closest to what I would have liked to do in my career. I would have also loved to be in any Gene Kelly movie and direct something like Planet Earth, a great documentary about our planet. I enjoy my free time reading, with my children, friends, and family, traveling, but mostly with any plans in nature.
Francis Kurkdjian, director of Christian Dior's Perfume Creation, creates a new essence Miss Dior, Miss Dior Essence, fruity, gourmand, woody, and floral for this autumn. Inspired by the concept of youth that has always characterized the perfume since 1947, it maintains the original Sambac jasmine while the base notes take a deep and sensual turn with oakwood. The perfumer has added a sweet facet, much liked by younger generations, of blackberry jam and elderflower. It is presented in a houndstooth-patterned bottle, with a black bow paying homage to past Miss Dior creations.