Natalie Portman Hasn't Shown Her Kids the 'Star Wars' Prequels

Natalie Portman is a prolific actress who has led a stellar acting career, starring in everything from big action blockbusters like Thor to critically acclaimed independent films like Aronofsky's Black Swan.

While it is perhaps easy for some to forget where Portman got her start, Star Wars fans know her of course for one of her early roles -- one that was a big part of launching her film career -- as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

In an interview with Yahoo, Portman discussed her virtual book club, her cooking videos, and even her role in Star Wars. She spoke too about her children, Aleph and Amalia, and about the fact that, while she hasn't shown her kids her Star Wars films yet, it is exciting to be a part of something that can inspire them.

"It's so fun to be part of something that kids relate to so much. I haven't shown my kids the movies yet - I think it's so weird for them to think of me as anything other than their mom. They've seen the recent Star Wars movies that I am not in - my son has, my daughter, is too young. It feels really lucky to be part of something that's every child's imaginary world. It's very exciting to be able to impress my kids a little bit."

When it comes to Star Wars, surprisingly, it wasn't always positive for Portman. She starred in the franchise when she was only thirteen, and she has revealed previously that she had difficulty getting roles because of her association with the series. However, while Portman's start with Star Wars was a bit of a bumpy road, she's shown appreciation for it in more recent years, even starring in a rap segment on SNL where she defended the quality of the prequels.

The topic of Star Wars led to a discussion on when it is appropriate for kids to be exposed to films like Star Wars, and how it can impact them. While it is true that the Star Wars movies are immensely fun and mostly appropriate for all ages, it is also true that the themes can be quite intense at points and can lead to bigger conversations about conflict in the world. Portman said that she is working to control what her children are exposed to and what conversations they have, so that it all happens at the right time in their growth.

"You have to think what is age-appropriate for kids. Kids don't come out knowing that there are obstacles. I don't really want to introduce to my child at three that she's going to have all these hardships because she's a girl. We can talk about it when she's older. For a boy, I think the most important thing is to be conscious how what you do or what you say can make other people. That's what storytelling is. You want to talk to them equally about the issues. For me, I don't really want to talk about the big issues right now with them. I think it's too early. I started talking to my son a little bit about how to treat people nicely. The core of it is just caring for other people and imagining how they feel."

She elaborated on this, saying:

"They’re so unaware of any kind of gender definitions or restrictions. What I wanted to teach both of them was to have empathy for all people. It’s exposing them to stories that have protagonists that are all genders, backgrounds, and ability levels."

While Star Wars is making strides to be more diverse, it is true that even a big franchise like Star Wars hasn't always been inclusive. Portman definitely was not speaking specifically about Star Wars with this comment, but it is admirable that she is making an effort to expose her children to diverse and inclusive content, and it is something that we as viewers can be thinking about, too, when it comes to what we expect from the media we consume.

You can read Portman's full interview here.

Written By Alex Cherry

Syndicated From Culture Slate