Natalie Portman is one of the most outstanding actresses in recent Hollywood history. The Israeli began her career as a prodigy. However, one of the films that launched her to fame when she was just a child may not have aged in the best way.
It is Léon: The Professional, which is considered a 90s classic, but in recent years many people have pointed out that the film caused Portman to be sexualised.
Natalie Portman’s awkward debut
In a recent interview, Natalie Portman spoke about the film, which despite being a phenomenon at the time, today even makes the actress uncomfortable.
“It’s a film that I still love, and people come to talk to me about it more than anything else I’ve done. It gave me my career,” she said. However, she confesses that “when you watch it now, it certainly has some embarrassing aspects to say the least. So yes, it’s complicated for me,” he admitted.
Léon: The Professional marked the acting debut of Portman, who was cast when she was 11 years old. However, among the criticisms the film has received recently is that certain nuances and scenes suggest a sexual relationship between Mathilda (Portman) and Léon (Jean Reno).
In 2018, feature film director Luc Besson was accused of raping Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy for two years. Several other women described “inappropriate sexual behaviour” by the Frenchman, but did not press charges. He denied all allegations and the case was dismissed in 2021 after an investigation.
When Portman was asked about her reaction to the filmmaker’s sexual abuse allegations, the actress replied, “It’s devastating.” She also reflected on her time working with him: “I didn’t really know. I was a child working. I was a child. But I don’t want to say anything that invalidates anybody’s experience,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.