Trending 27th November 2023 by Aoife CodyKane

Natalie Portman Is Discussing The Dangers Of Being A Child Star

"I would not encourage young people to go into this."

Image via Instagram, @natalieportman

Natalie Portman is opening up about her experience in the industry as a child star; and warning parents about the dangers that can come with it.

The American actress shot to fame as a little girl, after starring in the film Léon: The Professional, aged twelve.

Now, she’s reflecting on how she feels she made it out unscathed, and why people should be careful about letting their children into the acting world.

In a recent interview with Variety, Natalie opined that she “would not encourage young people to go into this.

“I don’t mean ever; I mean as children,” she continued.

 

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“I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents.” 

She went on to say that she has “heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it.”

Noting that things may have improved since her time as a child star, Natalie still feels that it’s too risky to put you children in those situations.

“I know all the conversations that we’ve been having these past few years, it’s made people more aware and careful. But ultimately, I don’t believe that kids should work. I think kids should play and go to school.”

This isn’t the first time Natalie has touched on the negatives of being a child star.

In 2018, Natalie spoke at the Women’s March in L.A about how often she was sexualised as a teenager.

“A countdown was started on my local radio show to my 18th birthday — euphemistically the date that I would be legal to sleep with. Movie reviewers talked about my budding breasts in reviews…

“I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually I would feel unsafe and that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort.” 

In 2020, speaking on Dax Shepherd’s podcast Armchair Expert, Natalie revealed how her experience affected her personal life.

“Being sexualised as a child, I think took away from my own sexuality,” she confessed.

“Because it made me afraid and it made me like the way I could be safe was to be like, ‘I’m conservative,’ and ‘I’m serious and you should respect me,’ and ‘I’m smart,’ and ‘don’t look at me that way.'”

“At that age, you do have your own sexuality and you do have your own desire, and you do want to explore things and you do want to be open,” the actress added.

“But you don’t feel safe, necessarily, when there’s older men that are interested, and you’re like, ‘No, no, no, no.’

“I would start choosing parts that were less sexy because it made me worried about the way I was perceived and how safe I felt.”

Heartbreaking stuff, but we love that Natalie is using her platform to speak out and raise awareness.

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