By Zack Zeigler
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| Natalie Portman stars as Jane Foster in "Thor" |
Starring in three Star Wars prequels, “V for Vendetta,” and “Black Swan,” for which she earned an Oscar, has made Natalie Portman no stranger to box office success.
Yet despite her vast film experiences, her role as Jane Foster in “Thor” proved to be unlike any other.
“It was very different for me,” Portman said. “There was very little blue screen work, and Kenneth Branagh is such an incredible director; he gave such attention to character and performance.”
Portman and her onscreen counterpart, Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis), who starred opposite Michael Cera in 2008’s “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” were both taken with Branagh’s unique style and artistic vision.
"He's an absolute mastermind," Portman gushed. "He’d ask a question and then lead you to an answer…but the fact that you had to come up with it yourself made it part of you."
Added Dennings, "There wasn’t a second that I didn’t understand what was going on with my character because Ken tells you everything and makes sure you’re not feeling lost."
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| Kat Dennings (with Stellan Skarsgard, left) stars as Darcy in "Thor" |
But it wasn’t Branagh’s direction alone that led Portman and Denning to understand the emotional sentiments of their characters. Source material, as well as extracurricular reading, also contributed.
"We were given a lot of Thor comics, and Ken also gave me books on female scientists and their experiments," Portman added. “My character was different in some ways in the comic book, but I think [Jane’s] earthiness is--hopefully--what helps transform Thor after he’s exiled to earth to learn humility.”
For more Thor, visit the film's official site and our "Thor" movie page!
Buy your "Thor" tickets now on Fandango, Moviefone or MovieTickets.com!
Check out the list of Required Reading: Thor Collections, and find the best jumping-on points with Thor: Where to Start!
In addition to "Thor," Marvel Studios will release a slate of films based on the Marvel characters including "Captain America: The First Avenger" on July 22, 2011; "Marvel Studios' The Avengers" on May 4, 2012; and "Iron Man 3" on May 3, 2013.
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