Many Star Wars actors symbolize their portrayed characters for the fans and belong to their childhood. Whether it’s the original or the prequel trilogy, many simply consider Star Wars as part of their lives. Natalie Portman recognized this and, despite difficulties, is glad to have participated in the franchise.
Star Wars was not Natalie Portman’s first role. She made her debut in 1994 with Léon: The Professional. Three films later, she played Padmé Amidala in the first prequel film. The film was released when she was 18.
But even back then, it was challenging to participate in such a well-known franchise, especially at the start of a new trilogy. In an interview, she spoke about what it was like to join the franchise and deal with the fans. Even today, fans are critical of new Star Wars productions: Fans criticize and mock a scene in the new Star Wars series
In Star Wars: Episode 1, Portman was first seen as Padmé Amidala:
It was difficult
As GamesRadar reports, Natalie Portman spoke in an interview with Total Film about her role in Star Wars. She explains how difficult it was to enter such a franchise as a newcomer. Nevertheless, she regrets nothing and is happy with how it turned out.
She explains that the reaction to the films and to her was initially really tough and harsh. After all, she was between 16 and 24 during the filming of the first part and the release of the third part. Despite the initial harsh criticism, she is glad to have been a part of the films.
And of course, over time, they have gained more appreciation, which was nice to feel the balm of time again and again. But yes, I feel very blessed to have been part of this moment in my life.
Natalie Portman on the Star Wars prequels (Source: GamesRadar)
She knows how much the franchise means to the fans, and she is glad to be a part of their childhood
and the cultural mythology
of the films.
This is quite a reconciliatory story, especially considering how accepted the prequels are today. The sequels, however, are a different story. Many actors had to deal with the fanbase there.
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and especially Kelly Marie Tran received a lot of backlash from the Star Wars community. The latter was racially attacked on social media after the release of Star Wars, as The Hollywood Reporter reports. The absurd thing is that she is not to blame for her character; she plays what a writer has written.
Another point of criticism in the Star Wars universe is the constant changing and adding of new lore pieces that alter some aspects of previous films. Be it characters that shouldn’t actually be alive or rules that suddenly become irrelevant. Sometimes, however, they also hide backstories of well-known characters: Although it was never explained in the Star Wars films, Disney has shown us who Anakin’s father is
