Looks like Jared Leto isn’t the only person to take on method acting…
In a recent Vogue interview, Natalie Portman revealed she prepared for her role in Black Swan without really knowing it. Apparently, the film’s director, Darren Aronofsky, would try to pit Portman and Mila Kunis against each other in a way to get ready for the film. “He’d say, ‘Oh, Mila is doing really well on her stuff. She’s so much better than you,’ ” Portman recalled, in an attempt to create a real-life rivalry. The films major plot line is the conflict between Kunis and Portman and Aronofsky wanted to replicate that in order to bring out the most authentic acting.
Refinery29 also notes that although Aronofsky has denied these claims, he did admit to keeping the actress apart during the whole 42-day filming process. He said, “I knew it might be really hard to keep them apart because they’re friends, but I just didn’t want them to know each other’s motives.”
Well, it may not have been the most professional method of pushing an actress into a role, but it did win her an Oscar. Maybe next time though, trust that these women know what they’re doing—and that they don’t need to hate each other to be good actresses.