“I tried to provoke an argument between them”: 15 years ago, this iconic director trapped Natalie Portman and her partner on the set of this movie 4.2 out of 5

Darren Aronofsky spoke about the 15th anniversary of Black Swan Vogue Last August (M CNewsTo put it mildly, the bold strategy he implemented during filming: provoking tension between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis to increase the rivalry between their characters. An effort that he says quickly failed.

In 2010, Aronofsky directed black swanA psychological thriller that explores the fierce competition between two New York ballet dancers vying for the lead role. Swan Lake. He deserved this role Natalie Portman 2011 Best Actress Oscar. The director explains today that he tried, somewhat clumsily, to recreate this rivalry between Portman and Kunis off-camera. But the two actors, lifelong friends, immediately understood this trick and made fun of it.

“I tried to be a vicious headmaster and start a fight between them. Mila and Natalie quickly realized what I was doing and laughed at me. So it quickly became a joke that everyone understood. They are both very smart and immediately recognized the traps I was setting“- confided Aronofsky, praising the intelligence and insight of his actors.

Natalie and Mila were not deceived

The two stakeholders present during the interview also remember this unusual tactic. Natalie Portman say: “I remember that I was rarely with Mila, because we did not often shoot together. Early on, Darren started making comments like, “You know, Mila’s a great dancer.” And I said: Of course, yes! He’s so talented and I love him so much, I’m glad to know he’s doing a great job.’“.

Mila KunisA close friend of Portman’s for years and recommended by the latter for the role, also recalls: “Darren told me: “Natalie works really hard. She doesn’t get days off, Saturday or Sunday. So I texted Natalie and she said of course not. I think that’s when we realized Darren’s little game, but it was in good spirit.“

Despite these maneuvers, the filming experience remains positive in their memory. Mila Kunis He emphasized Aronofsky’s kindness:All the journalists wanted to know how intense he was on the set (…) and I replied: “He is actually a kind and considerate person who took us all to see. Twilight At the movies on our day off.” And the journalists were disappointed that he wasn’t the tortured director who treated us like garbage.” Natalie Portman Full: “Black Swan was incredibly demanding, but it was a great experience. The atmosphere was not wild, but everyone was friendly and respectful of each other.“

You can still watch Black Swan on Disney+.