Navigating the world of showbiz is a formidable challenge, and it gets even more complicated when one starts their journey to stardom as a child. Known for iconic performances in movies like Black Swan, Natalie Portman’s initiation into the industry began with her debut in the 1994 film Léon: The Professional. However, like many child stars, her early experiences were not without challenges.
Portman has been one of many teen actresses or stars, who have been haunted by the infamous countdown clock, one of the ways to s*xualize young stars by counting down the days until they reach adulthood. Talking about the different aspects of being a child star in a recent interview, the actress expressed gratitude towards her ‘over-protective’ parents, who played a crucial role in rescuing her from the distressing experience.
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Natalie Portman is Thankful to Her Over-Protective Parents
During a recent appearance on the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Natalie Portman got candid about the concept of being a child star. The actress, who made her debut at the age of 12, was asked if she would prefer her children entering the show business. However, the mother of two said that she would never encourage “young people to go into this.”
“I’ve heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it,” she shared on the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. Reflecting on her own experience, she considers herself fortunate to have had protective and wonderful parents who guarded her from any potential harm. Portman 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.”
Further into the conversation, she acknowledged the positive impact of recent discussions on industry practices. “It’s made people more aware and careful,” she said. But the Oscar-winning actress kept her stance as she stated that kids should not work but rather should play and go to school.
Natalie Portman Experienced ‘S*xual Terrorism’ at 13
Speaking at the 2018 Women’s March, Natalie Portman recalled experiencing what she described as “s*xual terrorism” at the age of 13. She shared that a local radio station started a countdown to her 18th birthday and also recalled getting a fan letter with a “r*pe fantasy” from a man.
“A countdown was started on my local radio show to my 18th birthday – euphemistically the date that I would be legal to sleep with,” she shared. Such remarks made her adjust her behavior and reject projects that did not have intimate scenes to feel that she was safe.
Sadly, Portman is not the only young star to experience such harsh realities of showbiz. A similar countdown page created for Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, also known as the Olsen twins, continues to exist. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown was also subject to many creepy online forums counting down the days to her 18th birthday and the Harry Potter star Emma Watson also reportedly had a countdown clock to her 18th birthday.
