Raising the game

The Hollywood A-lister talks candidly about her role as an activist and how she’s working to level the playing field

- SALLY HUNWICK

As the saying goes, if you want something done, ask a busy person. It’s a sentiment that is entirely appropriate when talking about Natalie Portman.

An Academy Award winner, BAFTA winner, two-time Golden Globe winner, and recipient of numerous lofty nominations, Portman has clearly earned her place amid Hollywood’s A-list. But don’t be fooled, her long-standing career as an actor, producer and director is only the first line of her achievements.

Portman has played the role of swan (and won an Oscar for it in 2011) and still today the swan analogy resonates in real life. Like the bird, Portman has undeniable beauty and grace, but look beneath the surface and you will find a woman working hard to move things forward and create genuine change.

You might know that Portman, an avid reader, has her own book club – and she regularly shares her favourite reads to her 9 million Instagram followers. But what you might not know is that Portman also co-owns a women’s football team (more on that soon). You may also be aware that Portman is an influential activist for animal rights and environmental issues, but it might not have registered just how vocal she also is about the rights of women – both in the workplace and with regards to their own bodies. Of course, you probably know that she is a mother of two children (son Aleph and daughter Amalia), but you could be forgiven if you didn’t know that Portman can also call herself a New York Times best-selling author.