While Natalie Portman is a beloved Hollywood name for some amazing and memorable performances in the world of cinema, she’s also an avid supporter of female rights in the film industry. Thus, it’s no wonder why her comment at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards was received with shell-shocked expressions from the attendees.
Everyone in attendance was visually and audibly surprised when the actress introduced the nominees for the Best Director award for the night by calling them the all-male list of contenders. This was something that no one could’ve expected from her, but in her defense, even though she didn’t say this herself, she had a very good reason for it.
Natalie Portman’s Savage Intro At The Golden Globes Left The Venue In Chaos
There are several instances in the film industry where we have seen actresses and many male stars rise up to any form of discrimination faced by the female population of Hollywood, whether it be misrepresentation or gross behavioral misconduct. And in 2018, Natalie Portman made one of the biggest statements in highlighting this problem at the Golden Globe Awards.
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During the ceremony, the Black Swan actress, along with her co-host for the night Ron Howard, was called to the stage to present the award for the Best Director category. After the actor gave his intro to the category, Portman took the mic to reveal the names of the filmmakers who were contenders to take the aforementioned award home. But before revealing their names, she called out “Here are the all-male nominees.”
Natalie Portman: 'And here are the all male nominees' 🔥🔥🔥#GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/f2MyPkF8x6
— UPROXX (@UPROXX) January 8, 2018
This caused quite an uproar in the venue with people either having surprised, baffled, or awkward expressions on their faces, while the nominees for the award were sheepishly laughing at the comment. Her main reason for doing so was to highlight the fact that the list of contenders didn’t accommodate any female filmmakers, even Patty Jenkins, who directed the critically acclaimed Wonder Woman the past year along with other deserving female directors.
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Why Was the Comment Necessary?
While some may feel that the comment was unwarranted, it’s important to consider that the trend of ignoring the works of female filmmakers in the industry was prevalent back then.
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In the wake of the #MeToo movement, it was an important step to be taken by female stars and other female individuals in the industry to take a stand against such kind of injustice happening with them. The major driving force behind Portman’s comment at the Golden Globes was the exclusion of many great projects by female directors in the past year such as Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird and directors like Kathryn Bigelow and Sofia Coppola before them.
