Natalie Portman shared a little insight on how she chooses the projects she wants to work on and why she started applying this mentality to her career.
Jenna interviewed Natalie for the publication’s spring issue cover story. During the discussion, Jenna asked the Academy Award-winning actor if she valued “the character or the script” more, to which Natalie replied with a surprising answer.
“I learned from actresses that came before me who said, ‘It’s important to go for joy.’ There [are] moments in your life where it’s really meaningful to have a work experience that just envelopes you in happiness, and this was one of those,” she said, referring to her latest, upcoming film, Fountain of Youth.
The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star then wondered if Natalie’s personal life “tends to intertwine” with her acting roles. Natalie said she prefers to go for more emotionally challenging roles when her home life is at peace.
“It doesn’t always work out, but I’m drawn to things because of what’s happening in my personal life,” she told Jenna. “It’s actually counterintuitive because to do emotionally difficult material, my real life has to be pretty chill, no major issues. You want to find that joy and lightness and humor in your work when things are harder at home.”
This could be referring to her recent split from her ex-husband. After 11 years of marriage, Natalie quietly divorced her ex-husband, Benjamin Millepied, in February 2024, after she filed in July 2023. Despite rumors claiming that Benjamin had an affair, neither Natalie nor Benjamin addressed the allegations. But she did share how Rihanna gave her a big boost of confidence in a way that only Rihanna could.
But if ever she’s in search of joy, Natalie knows exactly where to find it.
“My kids are always a source of excitement, because you just see them develop into the individuals they are. And also, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my friends, with their kids and my kids; that’s pretty fun.”
And that’s a beautiful thing! To learn more about Natalie, check out her full Interview magazine cover story.