Natalie Portman Covers Vogue Australia April 2019 In Images By Emma Summerton

Actor Natalie Portman is styled by Jillian Davison in Vogue Australia’s April 2019 issue, lensed by Emma Summerton./ Hair by Sophie Roberts; hair by Sophie Roberts

Natalie Portman does not shy away from activism and walking her talk. In 2018 the Jerusalem-born, ‘Black Swan’ star refused to accept her Israel-awarded Genesis Prize in person, saying she ‘does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel’.

Portman is also passionate about gender equality, speaking at the inaugural Women’s March in Los Angeles. The heavily pregnant Portman addressed the crowd:

“From the bottom of both hearts beating inside my miraculous female body, I want to thank our new president – you just started the revolution,” she said to resounding applause. Last year, soon after the Time’s Up movement to eradicate sexual harassment was officially launched, Portman returned to the dais at the 2018 Women’s March and revealed how she was sexualised as a 12-year-old after the debut of her first film, ‘Léon: The Professional’. Several weeks later she took her stance to the Oscars, highlighting the lack of inclusiveness in the best director category that she was presenting, brilliantly deadpanning: “And here are the all-male nominees.”

Reflecting on her own role in perpetuated certain Hollywood norms, Portman tells Vogue Australia’s Sophie Tedmanson:

“I mean, it’s all related, because it’s all about how we are valued, and I think we’ve internalised it, and become part of it. We’ve become complicit in the system because we internalised that.

“It was a real eye-opening of: ‘Wow, I’m part of this system. I’ve accepted this system. I’ve been complicit in this system’, not in the way of knowing someone’s getting abused and not talking about it, but complicit in the way of not actively revolting against it. It’s been quite a year.”

As a spokeswoman for Dior, Portman gushes about her relationship and admiration for Maria Grazia Chiuri.  

“I almost cried when I saw her putting flats down the couture runway. I was like: ‘Yes!’” she says as she pumps her fist in a sign of empowerment. “She’s amazing and it’s been really fun – it’s also made me wear red lipstick a lot more in my real life. I don’t normally wear make-up but whenever I’m feeling bold, like I want to go in and get things done, I put on red lipstick and I’m ready.”

Portman’s husband Benjamin Millepied is a renowned French ballet dancer and choreographer, and they share Grazia Chiuri’s love of ballet. The designer explored blurred gender identity through the special costumes she created for the closing now presentation in Rome of ‘Nuit Blanche’.

Portman also discussed blurring gender lines in her Vogue Australia interview. Tedmanson writes:

“I ask if she is teaching both her daughter and son to become empowered, and she nods. “Yes, it’s absolutely different when you know you are raising a next generation, both male and female,” she says. “And also, of course being introduced to the ideas of gender fluidity where you’re like: ‘Oh, how do I not imprint this shit that I have imprinted on me? How do I not imprint that on my kids?’ I think we’re all grappling with it in different ways.” ‘