Natalie Portman has no recollection of a terrible injury she had while filming Black Swan, which won the actor her first Oscar. Starring the Leon star as a ballet dancer who seeks perfection, the 2010 five-time Oscar-nominated movie sees Nina’s mental state deteriorate while she competes for the lead role in a production of Swan Lake.
In an interview with Vogue, Portman looked back at filming Black Swan 15 years since the movie came out and admitted to not remembering an injury she had while filming the dressing room scene.
When asked about the scene in which Nina pushed Lily, who turned out to be herself, into the mirror, Portman shared that she didn’t have “a hint of a memory.” Co-star Lily Kunis recalled seeing Portman “scarred up all around” her neck the day after the injury. Check out their comments below:
Portman: I don’t remember that?
Kunis: Nat, I remember shooting with you the day after you sH๏τ that scene. You were scarred up all around your neck. Darren was like, “Yeah she really went for it.”
Portman: I completely blacked that out. Not a hint of a memory.
What This Means For Natalie Portman’s Black Swan
From strained muscles to a concussion, Portman suffered several injuries during production. Her Academy-winning performance was physically tormenting for the actor, and the worst injury she had on set included a dislocating rib, which continued to be painful for Portman for three weeks. Previously, the star has talked about the various pains she pushed through during production.
Kunis’ vivid memory of the injury painted a picture of how hard Portman pushed herself for the role, and her not remembering also made sense, considering she was in a high level of pain throughout the production. Reflecting on her time playing the role, the Leon: The Professional star admitted that it was “deeply challenging” but also “wonderful.” However, she would “opt out” if she’d known she would be making “a masterpiece by suffering.”
Our Take On Natalie Portman’s Performance In Black Swan
From her breakthrough role as a young ᴀssᴀssin in Leon: The Professional to playing Padme in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the actor has played several iconic characters in her career. She has received three Oscar nominations to date. In addition to Black Swan, which she won for Best Actress, Portman was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Closer and Best Actress for Jackie.
However, Black Swan arguably has Natalie Portman’s best performance to date. The level of complexity of the role is unmatched in comparison to her other roles. Her performance is deeply powerful and intense. Combining with Darren Aronofsky’s intricate camera work, the actor played a fundamental role in making the mind-blowing psychological thriller a masterpiece.
