Natalie Portman is one of the most recognized faces in the world. Such an achievement does not come easy, and it is safe to assume that she worked very hard to get to where she is today. The actress has been a part of some extremely successful projects, having important roles in two of the biggest franchises of all time and having three Oscar nominations to her name.
However, she once went back to her roots and talked about the film that started it all for her; Léon: The Profession. The actress revealed that she does not think that the movie could be released in today’s time, and such a sentiment is not surprising.
Natalie Portman Does Not Think Léon: The Professional Can Be Made Today
Natalie Portman gave an interview with Empire, via Business Standard, where she reminisced on her past works, specifically talking about the film that started her rise to fame; Léon: The Profession. The themes in this movie are quite questionable, with a young, 12-year-old girl becoming the protege of an assassin and then eventually developing a crush on him.
The actress specifically talked about this aspect of the film, stating that she does not believe that the movie could be made in today’s times when the tolerance around such matters is lesser.
“There’s a lot of stuff in there that’s not amazing through today’s eyes. I think because people are still connected to it and care about it and I personally did not have anything but positive feelings, I still feel more on the proud side. Even though I totally understand – I don’t know how I’d show that to my kids,”
Even though she recognizes that the movie holds a very special place in fans’ hearts, she does not think it is the best film for children to watch. Despite associating nothing but good memories with the film, she revealed that she would not want her children to watch it.
Léon: The Profession Resonated More With Fans Than Star Wars
When Natalie Portman starred in Léon: The Profession, she was also 12 years old. Since then, she has gained immense amounts of success. She has become an important part of one of the most successful franchises of all time, playing the role of Padmé Amidala in the world of Star Wars. She has also been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even has an Oscar to her name. Despite this, it would seem that she is unable to outrun the 1994 film.
“It’s as weird mix. It’s still the thing people come up to me the most on the street, even more than ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Black Swan’. I appreciate it when something connects with an audience. It also gave me my career on a platter and was a 100 per cent a positive experience. I loved doing it. But you watch and it’s largely inappropriate.”
In the interview, Portman also talked about the project that she gets the most questions about and the answer might be surprising to many of her fans. Despite being a part of two multi-billion-dollar franchises with massive fanbases, the most questions come from the film that she did when she was not even a teenager.
