Natalie Portman Opens Up About Pregnancy Wellness and Her Love for Rom-Coms

And smelling like Miss Dior.

You’ve known for nearly 15 years what Natalie Portman smells like—that’s how long she’s been the face of Dior’s Miss Dior fragrance—and her relationship with the scent is still going strong. In honor of Miss Dior Eau de Parfum, which has been redesigned with a new couture-inspired houndstooth bow (for the very first time), Portman stars in a new campaign film where she walks around Paris as Chappell Roan sings “Good Luck, Babe!”

ELLE caught up with Portman in France to talk about bringing Lena Dunham’s Famesick to her book club, her feelings about longevity, and the romance book she recently loved.

What kind of emotions do you associate with the Miss Dior fragrance?

Love, of course—and passion, freedom, and independence. It is a fully felt woman.

Have you had any sensitivity to scents during pregnancy?

Scent becomes much more present for me when I’m pregnant each time, for better or worse. I was at a restaurant with a friend of mine the other night, and I was like, There’s gas. There’s a problem. My sense is much more potent and it must be something to warn you about danger, because I am hyperaware of gas and smoke.

You recommended Famesick for your book club, and you’re working with Lena Dunham on a new romantic comedy movie, Good Sex. Are there any particular stories in the book that really stuck with you?

The one that made me laugh out loud was when they go on Barbara Walters the first time when Girls premieres. I just found all of her depictions of relationships so generous because everyone just comes out looking very human. It’s not like a tell-all where you leave and you’re like, Oh, that person’s a jerk. It feels very Lena in her generosity and love toward people. We’re all messy; we all do things that we’re not always going to be proud of, and then we also have good sides. It lets people be human.

You’ve done romantic comedies before, but why were you drawn to this new one with her?

I’m just such a fan of Lena’s. I saw Tiny Furniture when it first came out and contacted her immediately and wanted to know who she was and what she was doing. She is so extraordinary as a writer, a director, and an actress. We’ve been talking and looking since then. Finally, she called me and was like, “I have this idea for you,” and it was so great. Rom-coms are my favorite movies to watch, so I’m so excited to get to be part of one that I think is really, really special and beautiful.

Why are romantic comedies your favorite?

They’re just very comforting. The world is hard, life’s hard, and when you sit down and watch a movie to have some joy and pleasure—it’s nice. It’s really where you see that what we do [as actors] can bring light into people’s lives and entertain.

Do you read romance books?

I don’t as much, but I should. I recently read The Wedding People and liked that one. My friends have told me about Sarah J. Maas, but I haven’t gotten into those yet.

You’re often drawn to roles that are subversive. Is your character in Good Sex subversive in some way?

Not really. I’m trying to think how much I can tell. But she has two relationships at the same time. That’s a little subversive, but it’s not that wild. A lot of women do that now.

What is your wellness routine now?

I try and do some kind of physical activity every day. I either swim or walk, and do gyrotonics. I’m still vegan. I take lots of vitamins. I try and sleep as much as possible. I also feel like being pregnant is almost like a cleanse because you don’t drink and can’t have caffeine. So I’m like, Wow, I’ve never been cleaner in my life.

Do you find that there’s a big difference in the way that pregnancy or maternal care is perceived in the U.S. versus France?

It’s interesting, actually. In many ways, the same. I find the doctors to be amazing in both places, but they do have different landmarks for pregnancy and some of the tests they recommend are different. The biggest difference for me is a socialized versus not-socialized approach to medicine. When you’re in a socialized medicine country, they’re trying to do the best for the most people, without making you pay for extra stuff. Whereas, in the U.S., they’re like, “Well, if you want this, we can add this.” You can see that it is also a business.

Speaking of business, what do you think about the word longevity?

There is the literal meaning of living longer. For me, it’s more about living well as long as possible. I don’t think any of us want to be around till we’re 100 if we don’t have sound minds and bodies. How do we keep our bodies and minds intact for as long as possible, and fill our lives with meaningful relationships, joy, and beauty? I think about exercising and being healthy, and also exercising my brain by doing crosswords and things like that.

I also feel grateful to the generation of actresses before us who really expanded the lifespan of how long an actress works. People used to be like, I can’t get jobs after 40, and now our greatest actresses are in their 60s and 70s. You see women really thriving throughout their entire lives.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Via: ELLE