Child of grace

A HARVARD degree in psychology was invaluable for Natalie Portman when she took on role of a tortured ballet dancer in the critically acclaimed Black Swan.

An actress known for her earnestness and determination, Portman had vied for this part for over a decade. When director Darren Aronofsky approached her, she had no difficulty in applying the rigours more usual to professional dancers during her preparations for this role.

Always über skinny and somewhat birdlike, Portman actually looks really unwell in this movie. She lost weight she never appeared to have had in surplus to begin with. So when she walks into the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills to talk to The Irish Examiner, I am relieved to observe not only how much healthier and happier she looks in the flesh, but that she is also sporting a pregnancy bump. Movie sets are well known to be intense places and she is now engaged to the father of the bump, choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who trained her for Black Swan.