Mila Kunis is reflecting on the intense physical and emotional demands she faced while preparing for her role in Black Swan.
In a new interview with Vogue, celebrating the 15th anniversary of the 2010 psychological thriller, Kunis joined co-star Natalie Portman and director Darren Aronofsky to discuss the film’s enduring impact and the extreme lengths they went to behind the scenes. To authentically portray a professional ballerina, Kunis underwent a drastic transformation.
"My prep was a lot of dancing and very little eating — which I know you’re not supposed to say, but it’s the truth. I drank a lot of broth and danced for 12 hours a day," she revealed.
Originally, the cast was scheduled to have three months to prepare before filming. However, due to delays in funding, the timeline was extended—something Kunis ultimately saw as a hidden blessing.
"We were only supposed to have three months of prep before filming started, but we lost some financing, so that got extended to six months while Darren tried to find money," she said. "It sucked for Darren, but Nat and I were so happy because we had three extra months to dance."
The role took a physical toll on Kunis, who sustained multiple injuries during filming.
"We would shoot those dancing scenes for hours, and I had bruises all over my ribs just from being lifted over and over again," she recalled. "I also dislocated my shoulder pretty early in the production and thought I was completely screwed, but Darren sent me to an acupuncturist and I somehow came out totally fine."
Portman, who played Nina, a ballerina descending into obsession and madness, shared how Kunis ended up landing the role of Lily, Nina’s enigmatic rival. The casting, it turns out, stemmed from a casual conversation between longtime friends.
"We had been friends for years, and I remember being at the Rose Bowl Flea Market with her, talking about this ballet movie I was making with Darren. Mila said, 'I remember when I would take off my pointe shoes…' and I was like, 'Wait, you did ballet?' I immediately called Darren and said there was this amazing actress with ballet experience who would be perfect for Lily," Portman said.
But there was one small hitch—Portman had slightly overstated Kunis’ ballet background.
"I think I said, 'I danced once,' and that got twisted into me having taken pointe," Kunis admitted, prompting Portman to laugh and reply, "I may have exaggerated on your behalf!"
As the trio looked back on the film's release 15 years ago, Portman shared her thoughts on seeing the final cut for the first time.
"I didn’t quite understand the tone of the movie while we were shooting, and was pretty surprised by what it ended up being. That first time watching it was shocking and exhilarating in a really wonderful way. I had no comprehension of the scope of Darren’s vision while we made it," she said. "The success was incredible."