“Pure joy”: Natalie Portman names the “most important” credit of her career
Ahead of the release of her new series Lady in the Lake, Natalie Portman has revealed the most important role of her career, picking out an unexpected cartoon television credit.
Since making her feature film debut in Léon: The Professional in the early 1990s, Portman has amassed an impressive filmography. She starred in the Star Wars prequel series as Padmé Amidala, won an Academy Award for her performance in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, and portrayed a real-life First Lady in Jackie. However, none of these roles take the title of the most important credit of Portman’s career.
Rather than picking out a starring role in a sci-fi franchise or an award-winning drama, Portman recently named a one-off voice acting credit in Bluey as the most vital role of her career.
Bluey first arrived on our screens in 2018, with creator Joe Brumm at the helm. The series follows its titular character, a blue dog, on her adventures in Australia. An impressive list of guest stars have appeared on the show during its time on air, including Australian actor Rose Byrne and Broadway staple Lin-Manuel Miranda.
In 2021, Portman lent her voice to the animated show for an episode titled ‘Whale Watching’. She played the narrator of a nature documentary about whales. Her voice can be heard divulging whale facts while Bluey sits in front of the television.
During a conversation with Today, Portman explained why the role was so important to her, citing her personal connection to the cartoon. “It’s a very important show for my family,” she shared, “and I was really, really honoured to be part of it.” Portman went on to describe the show as “so wonderful” and “pure joy.”
Since her appearance in Bluey, Portman has starred in several successful feature films, including a third entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Academy Award-nominated May December, the latter of which she also produced. Now, she has turned her attention back to television. Portman is set to star in an upcoming drama mini-series titled Lady in the Lake, which is set to hit Apple TV+ this weekend.
Beyond Lady in the Lake, Portman is set to star in an adaptation of a British children’s classic, Roald Dahl’s The Twits. The cast list also includes former Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke and British comedian Johnny Vegas. It is expected to arrive in 2025.
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