Hollywood actress Natalie Portman, who rose to fame as a child actor, recently said she doesn’t believe kids should be exposed to the world of fame. The “May December” actress told Variety she “would not encourage young people” to try to make it in Hollywood as children because of the myriad dangers that surround the industry.
The Oscar winner said, “I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents. You don’t like it when you’re a kid, and you’re grateful for it when you’re an adult. I’ve heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it.” A great deal of her concerns about childhood stardom centers on her experience of being sexualized as a child star.
The ways she was, she said, “took away from my own sexuality because it made me afraid.” In response to being sexualized, Portman changed her behavior as she aged. She previously said some people “had this impression of me that I was super-serious and prude and conservative as I got older.” She said, “I consciously cultivated that because it was a way to make me feel safe.”
Portman continued, “If someone respects you, they’re not going to objectify you. At that age, you do have your own sexuality, and you do have your own desire, and you do want to explore things, but you don’t feel safe necessarily. You build these fortresses.” Fundamentally, Portman simply believes kids should spend their childhood being kids. “Ultimately, I don’t believe that kids should work,” she said. “I think kids should play and go to school.”
Portman, 42, began her acting career in 1994 when she starred in “Léon: The Professional.” She became a household name, though, when she portrayed Padmé Amidala in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” in 1994. “May December” stars Portman as actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman), who is set to portray Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in a movie. Gracie is a Georgia woman who became a notorious tabloid figure when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy, Joe. This is loosely based on the story of teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, who had an affair with and married her teenage student, Vili Fualaau.
Twenty years have passed, and Gracie is trying to move on from the scandal. But to prepare for her upcoming role, Elizabeth visits Gracie and Joe (Charles Melton), who is now 36. The couple is still together, married with children, but Elizabeth’s arrival exposes the fractures beneath their carefully constructed surface.