Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman think their Oscar-winning roles weren't their best performances

[gumby]

During their appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore talk about their best performances, whether they get offended by being asked to audition, if any of their kissing partners have had terrible breath, whether Natalie Portman would do a "Garden State" sequel, plus more

Comments

[imnotasquirrel]

They were also asked if they're "genuinely offended" if they're asked to audition for a role at this stage in their careers. Natalie Portman said she is, Julianne Moore said she isn't. Natalie Portman says at this point, you know what she can do and what she can't.

get over yourself, natalie! you're no julianne moore, so if it's fine for julianne, it's fine for you.

(ngl idk if natalie's reaction is reasonable, i just don't like her or her acting so i'm reading everything she says uncharitably.)

[frenchmoodle]

Natalie doesn't have much range, so maybe she's correct when she says they should know by now what she can't do.

[genbu_no_miko24]

Yeah Natalie lacks range. Watching May December made me realize she's at her best in subdued roles cause I think that's where her strength is. Expecting dramatic roles out of hers is bit up and down cause I think that's where she's weak. Especially crying scenes cause I always think she comes off hammy.

The one scene where she's doing the monologue of Gracie's letter.....ngl I thought she was 2 secs from going "Ani you're breaking my heart 🥺" lol cause I immediately remembered that!!

I think her crying scenes in Jackie are the better ones and even there it wants to veer into hammy but manages to resist.

[frenchmoodle]

[genbu_no_miko24]

This is EXACTLY what I was thinking of when talking about her crying scenes!!

[imnotasquirrel]

your gif has convinced me!

[mspopstar]

The brows are going through it

[kris_terror]

She's got a wild cry face

[primimproper]

You really can't even tell she was playing a cat, such talent

[pseudonygma]

This is gonna be an unpopular opinion but as an ugly crier myself, I love that she's also in the Ugly Crier Club, lol

[winegums]

re: May December, I thought it was good and handled the subject in a way that didn't sensationalise the abuse BUT the choice to have Natalie's character be a B-list actress from some cheesy popular tv show gunning for prestige by ~going method~, felt like a copout designed to cover for a couple of things

i.e. your two female leads are A list Oscar winners in this Oscar bait movie*. Also, having the Natalie character not be a prestige actress type also means she can ham it up when she's playing Gracie/reading the letter as a monologue and it comes across as 'the character is a wannabe with affected line deliveries' and not 'the irl actress can't pull this off'

*(Charles Melton came off Riverdale so it's accidental meta there)

[squirrels_oh_no]

And a director better know what they want when they call her up because the director's skill makes or breaks her performance half the time. With a good director, she's amazing. With a meh/bad one, she falls flat really fast.

[winegums]

true, she can't do comedy at all unless it's an SNL skit and even her Oscar bait tends to lean accidentally campy

even Black Swan's continued relevance is pretty much entirely about the ~dark ballet~ tumblr-friendly aesthetics, not the movie itself the way you see for, say, Marie Antoinette*.

*(which is also mad popular for its very deliberate aesthetic but at least the talk around it also involves what's actually in the film i.e. the portrayal of its characters and its influence on historical dramas now)

[masterofmystery]

i get what natalie's saying. like directors who are looking to fill in a specific role know natalie's not the look or idea of what they have in mind for said character, and they wouldn't bother going with her. so there's no point in an audition. honestly, if anything, she's insulting herself insinuating that she's limited in whatever types of roles she's already done in the past

[sisterruth]

I can see it both ways: But from her perspective, if you've been working close to 30 years and have numerous high-profile roles, then the director should have a good idea whether you're fit for a specific part if they understand the project/character. If they're not sure, then they either lack confidence in you as an actor or don't have a confident grasp on what the material needs.

On the other hand, sometimes a character might be so out-of-the-wheelhouse for an established actor that it makes sense to screen test them.

[musicnkisses]

Nah she’s an a-list actress with an Oscar and 30 years in the game. She shouldn’t be auditioning for anything unless it’s between here and like, Anne Hathaway.