'They Ruined the Franchise': Natalie Portman Recalls Early Backlash After Star Wars Role 'Got Murdered'

Natalie Portman recalled being 'murdered' by critics over her role in Star Wars. The actress portrayed the young Queen of Naboo in 1999's Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. She reprised her role as Senator Padmé Amidala in Attack of the Clones, where she grew closer to Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker. She returned in her final role as Padmé, Anakin's secret wife, in 2005's Revenge of the Sith, where she gave birth to Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia before passing away.

Natalie Portman Opens up About Hiding Her Pain Early in Her Career

In a Harper's Bazaar story published on 26 October, the actress reflected on her struggle with a series of 'failures' early in her career before winning an Academy Award.

'I had lucky early experiences of failure. I know I've been also very lucky to have a lot of successes that have balanced it out,' she explained. 'But I mean, for example, my first film, Léon: The Professional, got horrible reviews and had no box office.'

'And then I made Star Wars. I was 16, and that got murdered,' she continued. 'It was a huge success financially, but all of it was "They ruined the franchise. None of them can act. They all suck."'

Despite working with top actors in the industry, such as Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson and Samuel L. Jackson, Portman revealed that she didn't talk to anyone about how the pressure affected her.

'I think it was an amazing early lesson in how to read really bad things about yourself and then be able to be like, "I'm going to make another one. I'm going to show them,"' Portman shared with the publication. 'I don't remember talking to anyone about it. I didn't want to show anyone that I was hurt or anything.'

Natalie Portman Won Her First Oscar in 2011

Even while she was performing in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Portman took on other projects. She took roles in V for Vendetta and Garden State, which received more positive reviews from critics. In the same year that Revenge of the Sith was released, Portman was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Closer, which she didn't win. However, she finally received an Academy Award in 2011 for her role in Black Swan.

She continued to act in various projects, such as the 2024 miniseries Lady in the Lake, Apple TV's 2025 film Fountain of Youth and The Gallerist, which will be released in cinemas this December. In the film, she plays an art gallery owner named Polina Polanski, who takes drastic measures to turn an accident into a work of art.

Natalie Portman Welcomes Her Third Child This Year, Admitting It's Probably Her Last

The actress shares son Aleph, 15, and daughter Amalia, 9, with her ex-husband Benjamin Millepied. She welcomed her third baby in Paris with her partner, Tanguy Destable, whom she started seeing in March 2025. Portman admitted that she is 'full of wonder and joy at this magical little human'.

'It gives me a whole new attention to my big kids too, as I am reminded of how recently they were these little fresh creations and how quickly they've blossomed into incredible humans with their own amazing personalities and senses of humour and ideas,' the actress said of her third child.

The 45-year-old actress said she feels 'calm' and a sense of 'gratitude' after welcoming her third child, knowing it would likely be her last.

'There is a gratitude that when you're young, you don't necessarily grasp,' she told the outlet. 'And there's a calm and knowing myself: who I want to spend time with, what kind of energy I want around me that makes the experience so beautiful every day. And knowing it's probably the last time, I cherish every moment.'