Natalie Portman has reflected on her early experiences with sexualization in Hollywood, sharing how she navigated the challenges of fame as a young girl. The Oscar-winning actress, now 43, began her career at just 12 years old, starring in Léon: The Professional (1994) as a precocious girl who forms a bond with an assassin. Two years later, she appeared in Beautiful Girls (1996), where her 13-year-old character was the object of affection for a 30-year-old man (played by Timothy Hutton).
In a recent interview with Interview Magazine, Portman spoke candidly about the pressures she faced and how she crafted a studious, intellectual persona as a form of self-defense. The conversation was prompted by her May December co-star Jenna Ortega, who asked whether Portman believed society had normalized the sexualization of young women.
“I think the public perception of me was very different from who I actually was,” Portman responded. “I’ve spoken about this before—how, as a child, I was very sexualized, which I think happens to many young girls in the public eye. It made me really scared.”
While acknowledging that sexuality is a natural part of growing up, Portman emphasized that she wanted to explore it on her own terms—not as something projected onto her by others. “I wanted it to be mine, not for others to direct at me,” she said. “I felt like the way I could protect myself was to say, ‘I’m so serious. I’m such a good student. I’m smart, and this is not the kind of girl you go after.’ I thought if I created that image, I’d be left alone. It shouldn’t have to be that way, but it worked.”
Portman also touched on the importance of privacy, particularly regarding her personal life and children. “If you tell people how private you are, they respect your boundaries much more,” she explained. “I set up a little barrier, saying, ‘I won’t do photoshoots with my kids.’”
The actress, who divorced French dancer Benjamin Millepied last year following allegations of his infidelity, briefly mentioned her past marriage. “I was just excited to have kids with someone I was in love with,” she said. “But it’s so important to have people in your life who support you in a crisis.”
Portman shares two children—13-year-old Aleph and 8-year-old Amalia—with Millepied. Her reflections highlight the ongoing struggles young actresses face in an industry that often objectifies them, as well as the resilience required to reclaim one’s narrative.
