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Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman on their 'unique' experience as ‘child actors’: 'I felt very scared by it'
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Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman on their 'unique' experience as ‘child actors’: 'I felt very scared by it'


"As a kid, I was really sexualized, which I think happens to a lot of young girls who are onscreen," she continued


Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman bond over their experience as ‘child actors’© GettyImages
Daniel NeiraSenior Writer
APRIL 16, 2025 3:04 PM EDTAPR 16, 2025, 3:04 PM EDT

Natalie Portman looked back on her successful career, after starting her journey in the entertainment industry at a young age. The star talked to Jenna Ortega during her latest conversation on Interview magazine, where the pair shared their experience as "child actors" and reflected on the challenges that come with being exposed to the industry.

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The pair shared their admiration and appreciation for each other, with Natalie praising Jenna for "leading" the "next generation." "You’re so, so talented and such a good human and so kind and so smart," she told the 'Wednesday' star.

"Obviously you’re a child actor. I’m a child actor. We all have this kinship. As soon as someone mentions that they were a young actor, you start to look at them differently," Jenna told Natalie before asking, "Do you think that having your children helped you find a bit more of a balance?"

Natalie Portman on the set of the film "Leon"© Patrick CAMBOULIVE
Natalie Portman on the set of the film "Leon"

Natalie went on to agree on their bond as child actors, as it is a "unique" experience. "I totally agree on that connection as child actors because there’s a lot of things people believe about us that I don’t feel are necessarily true," the actress stated.

Natalie Portman attends the Premiere of 'Leon' in 1994© Stephane Cardinale - Corbis
Natalie Portman attends the Premiere of 'Leon' in 1994

"And yet it’s a very unusual, unique experience that not a lot of people share. But having kids, that wasn’t really my motivation. I was just excited to have kids, and with a person that I was in love with. But it’s really important to have people in your life who keep you on the ground," she added.

Jenna Ortega arrives at the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Miracles From Heaven" 2016© Gregg DeGuire
Jenna Ortega arrives at the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Miracles From Heaven" 2016

Reflecting on the challenges she faced, Natalie said: "As a kid, I was really sexualized, which I think happens to a lot of young girls who are onscreen," she continued "I felt very scared by it. Obviously sexuality is a huge part of being a kid, but I wanted it to be inside of me, not directed towards me."

Jenna Ortega attends a red carpet for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" © Stefania D'Alessandro
Jenna Ortega attends a red carpet for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice"

Further in the interview, Jenna talked about her experience connecting with previous generations of stars and the way the media and public perception have changed. 

Natalie Portman attends the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show © Stephane Cardinale - Corbis
Natalie Portman attends the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show

"There’s something really, really heartwarming, but also simultaneously devastating, anytime I speak to actresses from previous generations, just because their experience is so jarringly different," she said. "Not everybody has that community that you talk about, or the friends or the parents. So it’s nice to see how much it’s changed because I’ve been very fortunate in my upbringing, in our line of work."

© ¡HOLA! Reproduction of this article and its photographs in whole or in part is prohibited, even when citing their source.

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  • Jenna Ortega
  • Natalie Portman
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