Being a part of the Star Wars franchise is still a dream of many. While many actors still seek an opportunity to be a part of it, actress Natalie Portman made a huge contribution to the franchise by starring in it at a very young age. But the franchise which had the potential to propel her career, turned out to be a hurdle for her.
After featuring in Star Wars films, Portman found it really hard to get cast in any movie. Fortunately, her connections in the film industry helped Portman to come out of her tough times and she finally sought out a role in a film, which later turned out to be a success.
Natalie Potrman’s contribution to Star Wars film was in vain
Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman once saw a dark phase in her career when she starred in the mega-franchise Star Wars. Portman appeared in the prequel trilogy of the film and played a significant role of Padmé Amidala.
Star Wars fans certainly know the importance of Amidala to the Skywalker family tree. Her relationship with Anakin Skywalker is a big part of the story as it forms the base for everything that takes place further in the story, from Anakin becoming Darth Vader and the Empire taking over, to the Rebel Alliance forming and leaders like Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker emerging.
Thus, it can be said that Portman’s character of Padmé Amidala has a crucial role in shaping the entire Star Wars saga. Even after playing an important character, Portman failed to bag any role further. According to The Digital Fix, the actress claimed during an interview,
“Star Wars had come out around the time of Seagull, and everyone thought I was a horrible actress. I was in the biggest-grossing movie of the decade, and no director wanted to work with me.”
However, this issue was eventually resolved when Portman sought help from legendary filmmaker Mike Nichols.
Mike Nichols saved the drowning career of Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman’s struggle to find a suitable role for herself came to an end when she was assisted by Mike Nichols. The actress said,
“Mike wrote a letter to Anthony Minghella and said, ‘Put her in Cold Mountain, I vouch for her.’ And then Anthony passed me on to Tom Tykwer, who passed me on to the Wachowskis.”
A few years later, Portman signed a project where she collaborated with Milos Forman. The No Strings Attached actress recalled her conversation with Forman and said,
“He said, ‘Mike saved me. He wrote a letter so that I could get asylum in the U.S.’ He did that for 50 people, and it doesn’t make any one of us feel less special.”
Even though the Prequel Trilogy films aren’t considered the best science fiction movies, it is undeniable that Portman gave her best efforts possible in the films.
Source: The Digital Fix
