Natalie Portman Needed To Work On Her Thighs, Trained Over 30 Hours A Week For Sixth Months To Be A Ballerina in Black Swan
We already heard about the amazing Rodarte costumes for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. According to Lauren’s review of the ballet thriller (out nationwide December 3), the costumes–Swarovski encrusted tutus and spider web-y warm up knits–nearly upstage the stellar, not to mention creepy, performances by stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.
But just how they got their bodies into ballerina shape is another story. Kunis, who lost 20 lbs. for her role, told People mag that she “looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings! … Everything was just protruding.”
Though Portman had some ballet experience (she gave up the barre at 13), she trained for six months before filming, putting in five hours a day, six days a week. And while it might seem Portman already had the perfect body to play a ballerina, she needed to work on her thighs.
Luckily for Swarovski, Rodarte, Aronofsky, lead costume designer Amy Westcott, and pretty much everyone involved in this film, the clothes are nearly as powerful as the performances. 