**Natalie Portman Speaks Out: ‘I’m Still Treated Like a Child’ on Set Despite Decades in the Spotlight**
Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman has opened up about her continuing struggle to be taken seriously in the film industry, revealing that she still frequently encounters people who ‘treat her like a child’, despite a distinguished career spanning several decades.
Speaking candidly with Harper’s Bazaar, Portman reflected on her formative experiences as a young actress, rising to fame in 1999 with her role in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” Now 43, Portman remains a prominent figure in Hollywood but confesses that overcoming early perceptions of her as the eternal ingenue has been a persistent challenge.
In conversation with the magazine, Portman drew connections between her own experiences and those of up-and-coming actress Jenna Ortega, with whom she collaborated in the new comedy-thriller, ‘The Gallerist’. “We’re both physically tiny, so people will often treat you like a child forever,” she observed. Despite reaching her forties, Portman noted, “People kind of pat me on the head. I don’t look like a child, but I often feel like I’m treated like a kid.”
The actress went on to explain that child stars often feel compelled to adopt a more serious demeanour as a defence mechanism. “When you start working as a kid, you kind of always feel like a kid in the workplace,” she said. “Having some of that seriousness helps remind people, ‘I’m a grown-up.’” This persona, Portman suggests, is less about personality and more about professional survival in an industry where youthfulness can be a double-edged sword—offering opportunities on the one hand, while inviting underestimation on the other.
Portman and Ortega’s working relationship revealed other shared habits that tie back to their formative years in entertainment. Describing their time on set, Portman noted, “We don’t sit in a chair; we just kind of squat in the corner.” She pointed out that this unusual practice is one adopted by several actors who began working at a young age. “Catherine Zeta-Jones, who was also a child actress, said she did it too – that it’s a way of grounding yourself.” For Portman and her colleagues, these rituals help maintain a sense of presence and reality amidst the often surreal environment of filmmaking. “There’d be all these chairs, but we’d just squat and look at each other and be like, ‘Wow, this is weird.’”
Jenna Ortega also commented on the importance of connecting with fellow actresses who share the unique challenges of growing up in the industry. Having established friendships with Portman, as well as Winona Ryder and Natasha Lyonne—both well-known for having navigated the pitfalls of child stardom—Ortega described the support she’s found as invaluable. “It’s been so beneficial and so cosy,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “They’ve seen it all, and, honestly, during a much darker time in Hollywood.”
Ortega highlighted the ‘jaded’ camaraderie that can form among those who started working in film and television at an early age. “We’ve all got this jaded way about us that I don’t think we’d have if we hadn’t started so young and had so many brutal realisations and experiences…” she added, expressing gratitude that, despite the challenges, her mentors had “turned out all right.”
Portman’s candid reflections throw light on a less visible but enduring reality: the challenge of shaking off childhood perceptions and being recognised for one’s maturity—on set and off. As Hollywood continues to grapple with how it treats its youngest stars, voices like Portman’s serve as a reminder of the complexities faced by those who have grown up under the harsh glare of the spotlight.
This ongoing conversation punctuates the changing landscape of film, where past and present generations of child actors share their experiences and, in doing so, push for a more understanding and respectful environment behind the scenes. Portman’s honesty hopes to inspire a more nuanced conversation about respect, maturity, and the roles offered to women—both on screen and behind the scenes.