Israeli-born actress and director Natalie Portman told British magazine Marie Claire that she is worried by the growing anti-Semitism in Paris, where she moved last year with her husband Benjamin Millepied, Director of Dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, and their son.
“Hatred exists in many forms and in many places and it’s important to be aware of it,” she said. “If you can take something positive from it, it allows us to have more empathy to others who are experiencing it.”
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in May, Portman was asked if she feels nervous about being Jewish in Paris. “Yes,” she replied, adding: “But I’d feel nervous being a black man in this country. I’d feel nervous being a Muslim in many places.”
During her interview with Marie Claire, Portman talked about her experience as a child actress and the fact she did not fall off the wagon, like many other child actors.
Portman received her first role in the movie “Léon: The Professional” at the age of 11, and rapidly became an international star.
But unlike today’s child and teen stars, Portman could grow up and still have fun the old-fashioned way, even in the spotlight.
“I was in that lucky window: there was no Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. I went out and got drunk with my friends and no one knew,” she said.
While the 34-year-old actress had her fun in the past, she takes a serious position on gender pay gap in the film industry.
“There is an outrageous discrepancy between men and women in Hollywood. Titanic is a huge hit and Leonardo DiCaprio immediately goes to $20 million per movie and Kate Winslet doesn’t. But that feels totally like it’s changing.
“Young women like Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart – they’re the stars now. I don’t even know who the guys are who are their age,” she added.
