10 Questions for Natalie Portman

By Carolyn Sayre

She's a Harvard grad, an acclaimed actress and a humanitarian, but she says she's no role model. Her new movie is The Other Boleyn Girl. Natalie Portman will now take your questions

What have you learned about yourself by portraying powerful women? --Dani Araya, Toronto It has encouraged me to say things authoritatively. Often women preface what they say with "I know this might sound stupid" or "I don't mean to be aggressive, but ..." I tend to do that, so it is great to have the opportunity to play a leader.

You take on a period piece in [ITALIC {The Other Boleyn Girl}]. What is your favorite time in history? --Nikki Barrett, York, PA. I'm really interested in 1920s Berlin. I read this great book by Amos Elon called The Pity of It All. It's about Jewish life in Berlin right before the war. The whole environment of the salons and all this culture--there was a real openness and freedom. It's scary to think the response to that was this incredible fascism.

Does knowing you are a role model affect what parts you choose to play? --Nina Chung, Hermosa Beach, Calif. I don't consider myself a role model--I make mistakes all the time. It's more about how I want to portray women and myself. I played a stripper in Closer, and now it sickens me how many scripts I get where the woman is a stripper or a prostitute. I also have this sort of good-girl image--it's such a virgin-whore thing with female roles.

You once shaved your head for a role. Would you do it again? --Will Kooi, Edmond, Okla. I don't know. I loved having a shaved head, but the growing-out process is really sketchy. I had some odd haircuts.

Most of your movies are very serious. Would you consider working on more comedies? --Mariana C[a {o}]rdova, Calexico, Calif. I would love to, but it is difficult to find something where the woman is funny without endorsing frivolous girldom. I love chick flicks, but I hate the fashion obsession and always wanting to get married at the end--that really bugs me.

How do you feel about the missteps of today's young stars? --Ryan Youell, Williamsburg, VA. You're never going to change the fact that it's hard for some people to deal with their lives, but you can change your reaction. Give them their space and privacy. The worst thing about our society is that it revels in people's difficult times.

As a native of Israel, what role do you think the U.S. government should play in its affairs? --Amy Lucio, Riverside, Calif. I would love to see a government that made demands on Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement. Ultimately, it has to come from the people themselves, though. No one is going to like an externally imposed solution.

You work with the Foundation for International Community Assistance. How can micro finance help change women's lives? --Henry Zakumumpa, Kampala, Uganda Microfinance is part of the solution. It is an incredible way to give capital to the world's poorest people, mainly women. With these loans women are able to take agency in their own lives. They don't need to wait around for someone to come help them. We really take that for granted here.

Should celebrities use their stardom to influence voters? --Sofia Canbolat, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Sure. People can listen to a host of influences and still make their own decisions. I'm always interested to hear who the people I respect are voting for. Gloria Steinem wrote this Op-Ed in the New York Times that influenced me toward Senator Hillary Clinton.

Would you ever consider running for office? --Dan Walton, Canton, Ohio I never really considered it, but it's not a bad idea. I'm not going to be getting parts in the next five to 10 years--I'll be over the hill. [Laughs.] Maybe I can go into politics once I'm too ugly for Hollywood.

Online exclusive: Extra questions

What was it like working with Scarlett Johansson in your new movie [ITALIC {The Other Boleyn Girl}]? --Michael Nassar, College Park, Md. They never put two young women together in a movie where both parts are really strong. Usually, if two women are of the same age in a movie, one is the lead and the other is the best friend. It was amazing to get to work with her. I admire Scarlet's work so much. She's an incredible actress.

Do you think today's films are excessively violent? Should the government do something about it? --John Price, Beijing I think the world's excessively violent. It is hard to say where that originates--whether it's a reflection, or it's reflecting, the world. I think there should be protections in place for parents so that they know what their kids are being taken to, but I don't believe in any control of art.

Will you ever retire from acting? --Luda Klein, Jerusalem, Israel I don't know. It is impossible to predict where you're going to be--I change so quickly.

Is it difficult to lead a normal life with the paparazzi? --Bob Garrett, Albany, N.Y. I'm relatively lucky, though it does get worse and worse. There are choices you can make about where you live that help. I really don't enjoy being in Los Angeles or certain parts of London. New York is getting pretty rough too, because anyone who can get a camera can be a photographer.

Do you think there will ever be peace between the Israelis and Palestinians? --Mara Zivkov, Belgrade, Serbia I think there will be. They are two incredibly wonderful and educated cultures. I don't think anyone really cares about the down and dirty specifics of what the deal is. The majority of people just want their kid to be able to go to school, play and not be afraid.

You have been compared to the late Audrey Hepburn. Did you grow up emulating her sense of style and global consciousness? --Amy Lynch, Tallahassee, Florida She was definitely someone I admired growing up--I watched her movies over and over. I was also incredibly influenced by the kind of work she did outside of her acting career. It's a compliment, but I think saying that anyone is like her is an insult.

Do you believe that Michael Vick should be allowed to play in the NFL after his awful abuse of dogs in his care? --Giles Troy Page in Cary, N.C. I think mistreatment and cruelty to animals should be treated with the same seriousness as cruelty to people if not more. Animals are clearly never at fault.

I know you have a love for animals, if you were an animal, which one would you be? --Rafael Calzada, Davenport, Mich. An elephant--I love elephants. I saw them a lot in Kenya right before I was in Uganda. I think they have such deep levels of emotion and communication. They're amazing animals.