Natalie Portman reflected on her role in Leonresulted in her being “sexualized” as a child.
The actor made her film debut in the film Luc Besson when she was 13 years old, playing Mathilde, a young girl who is captured by an assassin after the death of her family.
Portman described her views on the film, called Leon: Expert in the US, is “complicated” in a new interview.
“It’s a movie that’s still loved and people come to me for it more than most movies I’ve ever made, and it gave me a career,” she said. Hollywood Reporter, added: “But sure, when you watch it now, it definitely has some confusing aspects, to say the least, about it. So yeah, it’s complicated for me.
When asked how she feels about the sexual abuse allegations against Besson, Portman replied: “It’s devastating.”
She added: “I really don’t know. I am a working child. I am a child. But I don’t want to say anything that could invalidate anyone’s experience.”
In 2020, Portman said she built a “fortress” to protect herself from the media after being branded a “Lolita character”.
Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in ‘Léon’
(Film/Shutterstock)
She said: “I think being sexed as a child took away my own sexuality because it scared me.
“It made me feel that the way that I could be safe was to say, ‘I’m conservative, and I’m serious, and you should respect me, and I’m smart and don’t look at me that way. ‘”
