Natalie Portman professes she’s ‘a pretty goofy person’

Amid negotiating a friendly for her soccer team and prepping for Cannes, Black Swan actress Natalie Portman addresses her ‘very serious’ persona.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress said: “People often tell me they’re surprised that I’m silly. But most people who know me well know I’m a pretty goofy person."

"Some people are surprised that I will be joking around before doing a very serious scene, but it’s part of how I function well. I need to leave the drama for the screen. That’s not to say that there’s not a serious approach to the work and an intense focus to it. It’s just that silliness helps the flow and also the feeling of safety and comfort that allows me to be bare when I need it.”

Portman may be a goofy person in real life, but she returns to her dark roots in film in Todd Haynes May December; as an actress prepping to play a woman embroiled in a tabloid scandal, who is married to a significantly younger man.

Sharing her Cannes rituals, Portman said she loves getting drinks at Hotel du Cap and finding a dance party somewhere.

Later in the interview, responding to a question about Cannes addressing its poor history with women, the actress said:

“I’m happy that they’ve been pressured to do so. I obviously wish it were a lot farther along.”

Portman's drama May December will premiere at Cannes on May 20.