The Oscar-winning producer and actress, photographed in the Parisian hôtel particulier of the creative Vincent Darré, moves to television with her first role in the Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake”. While filming “Fountain of Youth”, the new adventure film by director Guy Ritchie.

Text by CARRIE WITTMER Photography ELLEN VON UNWERTH Styling GIULIO MARTINELLI

<a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/natalie-portman-most-iconic-roles-star-wars-padme-thor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natalie Portman</a>, sitting in the backseat of a car in Paris, wears a wool coat and a charcoal crew-neck sweater (a monochrome look for a rainy Tuesday). She is taking the train back to London, where she is filming &ldquo;Fountain of Youth,&rdquo; a Guy Ritchie adventure film starring Eiza Gonz&aacute;lez, Domhnall Gleeson and John Krasinski. In 2011, Portman won an <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/culture/viral-oscar-moments-of-all-time-academy-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscar</a> for her stirring performance as the ballerina Nina in Darren Aronofsky's &ldquo;Black Swan.&rdquo; When she won the Oscar in a draped purple Rodarte gown, she was pregnant with her first child, now two.
Over the course of her film career - which began at age 13 in &ldquo;L&eacute;on: The Professional&rdquo; - she has worked with Michael Mann (&ldquo;Heat,&rdquo; when he was only 14), Todd Haynes (&ldquo;May December,&rdquo; produced by his production company MountainA), Alex Garland (&ldquo;Annihilation&rdquo;) and Pablo Larrain (&ldquo;Jackie&rdquo;). She was Padm&eacute; Amidala, the queen of "Star Wars" and her interpretation of Sam in "Garden State" (released 20 years ago) gave life to the stereotype of the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" (the eccentric girl who teaches melancholic young men to embrace life, a term invented for Kirsten Dunst in &ldquo;Elizabethtown&rdquo;, ed.). Since 2011 she has been the face of Miss Dior. &nbsp; Now Portman, 42, is moving on to television like many of her Oscar-winning peers (Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Jodie Foster and others). While Portman has made several guest-starring television appearances, Apple TV+'s &ldquo;Lady in the Lake,&rdquo; based on Laura Lippman's 2019 novel of the same name, will be her first television series. Portman plays Maddie Schwartz, a 1960s housewife who abandons her husband to become an investigative reporter in Baltimore, where she becomes involved in the seemingly unrelated murders of a Jewish girl and a black woman. Portman spoke to L'OFFICIEL via Zoom - from the back of the aforementioned car - about the differences between acting for television and film, her production company, the house of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/dior-womens-pre-fall-2024-show-new-york-collection-maria-grazia-chiuri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dior</a> and her viral encounter with Rihanna at Fashion Week in Paris in January (her favorite song is &ldquo;Sex With Me&rdquo;).
L'OFFICIEL: Can you tell me about your meeting with Rihanna at the Dior fashion show? NATALIE PORTMAN: It was like a dream. I've been a big fan of his for a long time. Her music means a lot to me and I was so excited.

LO: People forget that celebrities are bewitched by other people&hellip; NP: I really appreciate her talent and her art, and it has made my life better. LO: You've been with Dior for ten years. What does this relationship mean to you? NP: It's truly incredible to see Maria Grazia's (Chiuri, womenswear creative director of Dior) approach to the house and to have a woman who is so dedicated to feminism, art and women's art and who celebrates them in each of her creations, simultaneously celebrating the practicality of being a woman. Seeing a high fashion show where women wear flats and every dress has pockets, you get the feeling that she knows exactly what we want to wear. It was very exciting and a real revelation on how fashion can enhance women and not oppress them. She is a talented, creative and true person. If you talk to her, you'll want to stay there for hours. You would like to be her best friend. LO: &ldquo;Lady in the Lake&rdquo; is your first leading role in a television series. What convinced you to make this choice? NP: The format of the series allows you to tell a complex story and have a lot of space to develop it. It is obvious that as a means of communication it is interesting. Some of the best stories of our time have been told in series form. Also, I got to work with Alma Har'el (creator, writer and director), who I adore. LO: What did you like about the story? NP: I really liked the story itself for two main reasons. One is that my grandmother was from Baltimore and was about the same age as Maddie at that time. Also, the history of the assimilation of Jews during that time is interesting to me, and the question of what it means when oppressed people can become oppressors.

LO: How is acting for a television series different from acting for a film? NP: It's more of a marathon than a sprint. A film has a short, intense time period. A series takes a very, very long time to film. It is extremely demanding and extremely emotionally challenging for a long period of time. It's tiring and you have to conserve your energy. As an actor, you also have a lot more detail about the character because you have a lot more time available, obviously. LO: Is there any director you would like to work with in the future? NP: Greta Gerwig. I have worked with her several times. I would like to work with Gina Prince-Bythewood, who is someone I've been trying to find something with for a long time, and with Paolo Sorrentino. Then there are many others I would like to work with again, like Alma Har'el, Darren Aronofsky and Pablo Larra&iacute;n. LO: Any actors? NP: There are so many actors that I find exciting and challenging: Olivia Colman, Kate Winslet, Paul Mescal, Jodie Comer. LO: Your production company, MountainA, produced &ldquo;May December.&rdquo; How does it feel to have more control over your projects? NP: There is definitely a difference. When you are an actor, you can focus on what you do and not worry about any problems. Being a producer puts you in an adult mode where you're like, &ldquo;Oh, there's a problem.&rdquo; I'm the one who takes care of improving it. I really like that's exactly the stage of life I'm in. I've been around long enough to know how to help fix what's wrong.

LO: What kind of projects is MountainA looking for? NP: It depends on the artists we are interested in. Established artists like Todd Haynes, whose films we love, and emerging talents making their first or second film. It's really exciting to be able to help new talents develop their visions, but also work with the masters. Usually, when you work with someone like Todd, he knows exactly what to do. You are just a little help. LO: It must have been exciting and rewarding to see Charles Melton blossom and have this big moment with &ldquo;May December&rdquo;... NP: He worked so hard and is so talented. He is so serious about what he does and has good taste. I am very impressed by all the choices he continues to make. LO: You've been in this industry for a very long time, practically your whole life. The entertainment industry is always evolving, but it has changed so much even in just the last five years. Why do you think you've adapted so well over the years? NP: I don't know. One thing I've noticed in a lot of actors, and it's true for me too, is that a lot of us moved around a lot as kids. This makes you very flexible and able to quickly assess a situation and be able to adapt. It's funny because actually in &ldquo;May December&rdquo; both Julianne (Moore) and Charles are children of military men, so they've moved around a lot too. It's a fairly common thing, which I've found when talking to fellow actors. So I don't know. I think this makes you able to pick up on subtle social cues and figure out how to get along and fit in. You adapt to the different roles you have to play in different situations. I'm sure this is useful when an industry changes and you have to ask yourself: "Ok, what do I do now to continue working?". LO: Many actors work their entire career to get an Oscar, and you got one pretty early. Did that take some pressure off you? NP: That was never the goal, which was always to follow my curiosity and work with people who interested me. So I didn't feel like much had changed in terms of my approach to work. Of course you also want to make other things that people will love, so the bar is raised to continue making things that audiences can connect with.

LO: You have always been an activist for women and a leading voice of the MeToo movement. Have you noticed any changes in the way women are treated in the industry since then? NP: People are much more aware, and this is a great place to start. They talk about it, and it&#39;s a little easier for them. Then there are some things that have practically changed. In “Lady in the Lake“ it was the first time I had an intimacy coordinator and this is also an important step. But it&#39;s far from resolved. There is still a very long way to go and, unfortunately, there are still abuses that occur all the time. But yes, I think there was definitely a step forward. LO: What was it like having an intimacy coordinator? NP: Everyone knows what they have to do, what&#39;s good and what&#39;s not good, and we talk about it before filming. The scene is choreographed, like an acrobatic scene; there is no longer room for those who don&#39;t behave correctly. This avoids having a problem.

«I would like to go back to working with Greta Gerwig, Alma Har&#39;el, Darren Aronofsky and Pablo Larraín» Natalie Portman

LO: Is there any character you&#39;ve played that you think about often? NP: I tend to move forward. I don&#39;t dwell on past things, but there are some themes that I have addressed on multiple occasions, such as the role we play with others versus who we really are, especially those that women have to play for different people in their lives. And also the search for freedom by women. The freedom of women and the possibility of telling their own story is a theme that recurs often, unintentionally, but in hindsight I can say: &quot;I am attracted to these themes&quot;. LO: It&#39;s funny you say that, because after seeing “May December” I thought about how it connects thematically to “Black Swan” and “Vox Lux” (2018 film in which he plays, a hot-tempered pop star). If I had to play a character again, who would you choose? NP: Actually, “Vox Lux” would be fun. Honestly, it was a very fun character to play.

<div class="page" title="Page 3"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div class="page" title="Page 2"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"> Throughout the shoot Natalie Portman wears sandals; PÍFERI. Apartment decorated by Vincent Darré <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">IN THE WHOLE MAKE-UP SERVICE— <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Forever Glow Star Filter, Forever Glow Foundation, Rouge Dior 999 Satin, Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara – 090 Black <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">and Diorshow On Stage Crayon – 090 Black: all <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">DIOR BEAUTY. TEAM CREDITS: HAIR: Philippe Mensah @ capsule Agence MAKE-UP: &nbsp; Kelly McClain @ a frame agency using D <strong style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 0.9375rem; letter-spacing: 0px;">ior Beauty NAILS : <strong style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 0.9375rem; letter-spacing: 0px;">Sylvie Vacca @ call my agent &nbsp; using Dior Beauty SET DESIGNER: Chloé Rimbot <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">PRODUCTION: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Producing Love <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">HEAD OF PRODUCTION: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Zoé Martin <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">PRODUCER: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Ludovic Del Puerto <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">PRODUCTION CORDINATOR: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Anna Ceravolo <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Perrine Seignour and Julien Fernandes <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">PHOTO ASSISTANTS: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Axel Launay and Constantin Schlachter <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">DIGITAL OPERATOR: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">David Dejan <span class="s1" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">STYLING ASSISTANT: <span class="s5" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Fernando Echeverría LOCATION: <strong style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 0.9375rem; letter-spacing: 0px;">Vincent Darré&#39;s Atelier Particulier</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

Natalie Portman moves to television with "Lady in the Lake"

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