Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning performance in “Black Swan” came at a serious physical cost. During a recent appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” Portman revealed the toll her body had to go through while portraying troubled ballerina Nina Sayers in the psychological thriller.
When asked about the worst injury she suffered during filming, Portman didn’t hesitate.
Portman Says She Suffered a Rib Injury
“I misplaced a rib or something,” she said, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. “It, like, went under. It was from being lifted all the time. That was really wild.”
The role required relentless physical commitment, with Portman spending much of the film dancing as her character spirals both physically and psychologically.
Inside the Grueling Training Behind ‘Black Swan‘
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan” demanded extreme precision, both emotionally and physically. The film also starred Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey, and Vincent Cassel.
In an official featurette, Aronofsky described Portman’s workload as unusually intense, noting that she was required to deliver her performance while maintaining exact, technically precise movement for the camera.
Former New York City Ballet dancer Mary Helen Bower, who trained Portman for the role, offered insight into just how demanding the preparation became.
Getty“The idea is, if you’re going to play a ballerina, you’re going to have to train like one,” Bower said.
She went on to describe Portman as “so devoted,” detailing a grueling routine that stretched on for months.
“We’re meeting at 5, 5:30 in the morning, doing ballet for two or three hours,” Bower said in the exclusive behind-the-scene clip of the movie.
“She goes and works a 12-hour day and meets me at the gym at night, and we’re doing our toning exercises and swimming a mile. And then she goes home and goes to sleep and then we get up the next day and do it again. And this is six days a week for months and months and months leading up to the movie.”
Physical Sacrifice Behind an Oscar-Winning Performance
Natalie Portman went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Black Swan,” but the achievement came at a significant physical cost.
In addition to the rib injury, Portman has previously revealed that she suffered a concussion and pushed her body far beyond its limits. She later admitted there were moments when she feared she might not make it through the demanding process.
She also lost weight while training at an elite level, at times working as many as 16 hours a day to meet the role’s physical demands.
The experience ultimately reshaped how she connected to her work.
“It was the first time I understood how you could get so wrapped up in a role that it could take you down,” Portman told Entertainment Weekly.
Why Portman Says Real Dancers Have It Even Harder
GettyDespite the injuries she sustained, Natalie Portman has been candid about the realities of professional ballet and the limits of her own experience.
Speaking to NPR, Portman stressed that her training barely compares to what career dancers push through on a daily basis.
“Real dancers dance with such incredible injuries that you wouldn’t even believe. They will dance with a sprained ankle or torn plantar fascia or twisted necks,” she said.
Since “Black Swan,” Portman has gone on to earn additional Oscar nominations for “Jackie” and for her supporting role in “Closer.” This year, she also lent her voice to the animated film “Arco,” which received an Oscar nomination.
Even so, “Black Swan” remains one of the most physically demanding and transformative chapters of her career.
