The Oscar-winning actress and experimental producer with an appetite for playing obsessive women with agency pivots to television on the Apple TV+ series Lady in the Lake.

Photography by Ellen von Unwerth
Styled by Giulio Martinelli

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/young-natalie-portman-photos">Natalie Portman</a> is sitting in the back of a car in Paris, wearing a charcoal wool coat and charcoal crewneck sweater (a monochrome look for a rainy Tuesday). She&rsquo;s on her way to catch a train back to London where she&rsquo;s shooting Fountain of Youth, a heist-adventure film from director Guy Ritchie, co-starring <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/eiza-gonzalez-bulgari-ambassador-the-three-body-problem-guy-ritchie-movie">Eiza </a><a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/eiza-gonzalez-bulgari-ambassador-the-three-body-problem-guy-ritchie-movie">Gonz&aacute;lez</a>, Domhnall Gleeson, and John Krasinski.&nbsp;
In 2011, Portman won an <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/every-look-2024-oscars-red-carpet-fashion-style-academy-awards">Oscar</a> for her stirring performance as the perfectionist ballerina Nina in Darren Aronofsky&rsquo;s Black Swan. When she accepted the Oscar in a drapey purple gown by <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/rodarte-fall-winter-2023-collection-show-fashion-week-nyfw">Rodarte</a>, she was pregnant with her first child of two. She&rsquo;s since split from then-husband Benjamin Millipied and has managed to keep her family life private, despite tabloid fodder last year. Throughout <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/young-natalie-portman-photos">Portman&rsquo;s film career</a>&mdash;which began at the age of 13 in L&eacute;on: The Professional&mdash;she&rsquo;s worked with filmmaking masters, including Michael Mann (Heat, when she was just 14), Todd Haynes (May December, produced by her production company MountainA), and modern auteurs like Alex Garland (Annihilation) and Pablo Larrain (Jackie). Her work has also transcended genre: she was Padm&eacute; Amidala, a key figure in the Star Wars prequels, but her performance as Sam in Garden State (released 20 years ago this year) virtually invented the concept of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Since 2011, she&rsquo;s been the face of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/dior-fall-winter-2024-pfw-show">Miss Dior</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/anya-taylor-joy-dior-dress-twinning-natalie-portman">the French house&rsquo;s</a> signature fragrance.
Now, Portman, 42, is pivoting to television like many of her Oscar-winning peers (Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Jodie Foster, and more). While Portman has made various television appearances as a guest star or Saturday Night Live host, she will lead her <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/lady-in-the-lake-natalie-portman-apple-tv">first television series</a> in Apple TV+&rsquo;s Lady in the Lake. Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Laura Lippman, Portman plays Maddie Schwartz, a 1960s housewife who ditches her husband to become an investigative reporter in Baltimore, where she becomes consumed by the seemingly unconnected murders of a Jewish girl and a Black woman. The series is expected to premiere this summer.&nbsp;
Portman spoke to L&rsquo;OFFICIEL over Zoom&mdash;from the back of the aforementioned car&mdash;about the differences in acting for television versus film, her production company, the house of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/dior-fall-winter-2024-pfw-show">Dior</a>, and her viral mutual fan-girl moment with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/rihanna-sexy-nun-interview-cover">Rihanna</a> at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/best-looks-paris-fashion-week-runways">Paris Fashion Week</a> in January (her favorite song is &ldquo;Sex With Me,&rdquo; by the way).

Natalie Portman for L'Officiel

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: Tell me about&nbsp;meeting Rihanna at the Dior couture show at Paris Fashion Week.
Natalie Portman: It was just like a dream. I've been such a big fan of hers for such a long time. Her music means so much to me, and I was so excited to see her. I thought I was just going to go up and tell her that I was a big fan. So it was just a very big compliment that she was so kind to me. It was a very memorable life moment.
L&rsquo;O: People forget that even celebs are starstruck by other people.
NP: I just appreciate her talent so much and her art so much, and it's made my life a lot better.
L&rsquo;O: You've been working with Dior for over a decade now. What does that relationship mean to you?
NP: It&rsquo;s really incredible to see [Dior Creative Director] Maria Grazia's approach to the house and to have a woman who is so dedicated to feminism, to art, and to female art, and who is really celebrating these in every one of her creations while also really celebrating the practicality of being a woman. Seeing a couture show where the women are wearing flats, and every dress has pockets. You really feel like she knows exactly what we want to wear. That's been super-exciting, and a real revelation about how fashion can celebrate the female and not oppress the female. She&rsquo;s also such a talented person, a creative person, and a true person. She's also so fun and interesting to sit with. You talk to her, and you just want to be there for hours. You want to be best friends.

"The story of Jewish assimilation is interesting to me, and the question of what it's like when oppressed people can become oppressors."

L&rsquo;O: Lady in the Lake is your first starring role in a television series. What convinced you to make the pivot?
NP: The format of telling a story in a series format allows for such intricacy of character and so much more space to develop a story. It obviously has been so impressive as a medium. Some of the best storytelling of our times has been in the series format. I also got to work with Alma Har&rsquo;el [the series&rsquo; creator, writer, and director], who I just worship and adore, in a close way.
L&rsquo;O: What did you like about the story?
NP: The story itself was really compelling to me because of two primary things: One is that my grandmother was from Baltimore and about the same age as Maddie during that time period. So there was a real imagination of what it was like to be a woman at that time in that kind of city. And also the story of Jewish assimilation is interesting to me, and the question of what it's like when oppressed people can become oppressors.

L&rsquo;O: How is acting for a television series different from acting for a film?
NP: It's much more of a marathon than a sprint. A film gets a short time period; it's very intense. A series takes a very, very long time to shoot. It's extremely demanding and extremely emotional. It's taxing, and you really have to preserve your energy. It's just really, really consuming. As an actor, you also have a lot more character details because you have so much more time, of course.
L&rsquo;O: Are there any directors you want to work with in the future?
NP: I'd love to work with Greta Gerwig as a director. I've worked with her several times as an actress [No Strings Attached, Jackie]. I'd love to work with Gina Prince-Bythewood [The Woman King], who is someone I've been trying to find something with for a while, and Paolo Sorrentino [The Young Pope]. Then there are many people I'd like to work with again. I'd love to work with Alma Har&rsquo;el [Lady in the Lake] again. I'd love to work with Darren Aronofsky [Black Swan] again and Pablo Larrain [Jackie] again.
L&rsquo;O: Any actors?
NP: There are so many actors that I find so exciting and inspiring: Olivia Colman, Kate Winslet, Paul Mescal, Jodie Comer.
L&rsquo;O: Your production company, MountainA, produced May December. How does it feel to have more creative control over your projects?
NP: There is definitely a difference. When you're an actor, you can just kind of focus on what you do and not worry about any problems. I feel like it puts you into adult mode to be like, &lsquo;Oh, there's a problem.&rsquo; I'm the one in charge of making it better. I love that. That's exactly the stage I am at in life. I&rsquo;ve been around long enough that I know how to help fix what is wrong.&nbsp;

"There are so many actors that I find so exciting and inspiring: Olivia Colman, Kate Winslet, Paul Mescal, Jodie Comer."

L&rsquo;O: What kind of projects is MountainA looking for?
NP: It&rsquo;s really based on the artists we're interested in: Established artists like Todd Haynes, whose films we love, and also emerging talents who are making their first or second films. It's really exciting to straddle both: helping new talent develop their visions, and also working with masters. But usually, when you work with someone like Todd, they know so well exactly how to do it. You're really just there as a little cushion.
L&rsquo;O: It must have been so exciting and rewarding to see <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/charles-melton-riverdale-exclusive-interview-2019">Charles Melton</a> [the Riverdale star who played Joe in May December] blossom and have this big moment with May December.
NP: He worked so hard and he's so talented. He's so serious about what he does, and he has such good taste. I'm so impressed by all the choices he's continuing to make, too.
L&rsquo;O: You've been in this business for an extremely long time, pretty much most of your life. The entertainment industry is always evolving, but it's changed so much even in the past five years. How do you think that you've adapted so well to it?
NP: I don't know. There's something I've noticed about a lot of actors, and it's true about myself, is that a lot of us have moved a lot as kids. It makes you really flexible and able to assess a situation quickly. It's funny because actually on May December, both <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/julianne-moore-gloria-bell-actress-interview">Julianne [Moore]</a> and Charles are military kids, so they also moved around a lot. It&rsquo;s quite a common thing. I think it makes you able to pick up on subtle social cues and figure out how to get along and fit in. You adapt yourself to different roles you need to play in different situations. I'm sure that serves us well when an industry changes and then you have to be like, &ldquo;Okay, what do I do now to be able to keep working?&rdquo;

"I'd love to work with Greta Gerwig as a director. I've worked with her several times as an actress [No Strings Attached, Jackie]."

L&rsquo;O: Many actors work their entire careers to get an Oscar, and you got one quite early in yours. Did that take any pressure off?
NP: It wasn't ever the goal. The goal was always following my curiosity and working with people who interested me and who I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with. So it didn't really feel like it changed that much in terms of the way I approached my work. Of course, you don't want that to be the only thing you do that people love or respond to, so I think that the bar is always high to just keep making things that people can connect to.
L&rsquo;O: You've always been an activist for women and were a leading voice throughout the MeToo movement. Have you seen any change in how women are treated in the industry since?
NP: People are much more conscious, so that's a great starting point. People are aware and talk about it, and it feels a little bit easier for people to speak up if they're feeling uncomfortable. Then there are certain things that have practically changed. On Lady in the Lake, it was the first time we had an intimacy coordinator for any project I'd worked on, and that is an important step as well. But it's far from fixed. We still have such a far way to go, and there's abuse that happens all the time still, unfortunately. But, yes, I think there was a step forward for sure.
L&rsquo;O: What was having an intimacy coordinator like?
NP: Everyone knows what they're supposed to do, what's okay to do, what's not okay to do, and it's all talked about before filming. It's choreographed like a stunt scene; it's not just a free-for-all that people can take advantage of if they're not on good behavior. It preempts having a problem.

L&rsquo;O: Are there any characters you&rsquo;ve played that you think about often?
NP: I tend to move forward. I don't dwell on past things, but there are certain themes I repeat, like public and private identity, and the roles we play for other people versus who we really are, particularly the roles that women have to play for different people in their lives. Women's quest for freedom and agency, and telling their own story, is one I repeat a lot. [It&rsquo;s] not intentional, but retrospectively I can kind of be like, &ldquo;Oh yeah, I kind of am drawn to those themes.&rdquo;&nbsp;
L&rsquo;O: It&rsquo;s funny you say that because after I saw May December, I thought about how that film thematically connects to Black Swan and Vox Lux [a 2018 film in which Portman plays Celeste, a temperamental pop star]. If there was any character you had to play again, who would you pick?
NP: Actually, Celeste from Vox Lux would be a fun one. Honestly, she was a very exciting character to play.

HAIR Philippe Mensah&nbsp; MAKE-UP Kelly McClain using DIOR BEAUTY MANICURE Sylvie Vacca using DIOR BEAUTY PRODUCTION Producing Love PRODUCER Ludovic Del Puerto HEAD OF PRODUCTION Zo&eacute; Martin PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Anna Ceravolo SET DESIGNER Chlo&eacute; Rimbot DIGITAL TECH David Dejan PHOTO ASSISTANTS Axel Launay and Constantin Schlachter PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Julien Fernandes and Perrine Seignour STYLIST ASSISTANT Fernando Echeverr&iacute;a

Natalie Portman's New Chapter

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