Natalie Portman would feel "silly" if she tried to stay in character when not filming.
The ‘Jackie’ actress – who is pregnant with her and husband Benjamin Millepied’s second child, a sibling for five-year-old son Aleph – has a lot of "respect" for method actors as she insists there is no way she would be able to immerse herself in a role so deeply, she insisted on carrying it on at home.
She said: "I respect people who are able to stay in character all the time but I can’t do it. I feel really silly.
"I can’t go back to my family and be [in Jackie Kennedy’s voice], like, ‘Hi everyone.!’ [Aleph] would be like, ‘Mum, stop.’ "
Though the 35-year-old actress feels very lucky she rarely has to audition these days, she admits that can be restricting as she doesn’t get the chance to prove herself in a different type of role.
Asked if she still has to audition, she told OK! magazine: "I am very, very lucky that I don’t usually have to.
"But there’s a downside to that too because people tend to think they know what I can or can’t do.
"Choosing projects, I’m impulsive. A lot depends on the character, the script, the director…
"Nicole Kidman said something to me that stayed with me for so long. We worked together on ‘Cold Mountain’ when I was 21 and she said, ‘You never know how a movie is going to turn out but you can ensure your process is interesting if you’re working with an interesting director.’ "
And these days Natalie also has to factor in the impact on her family when she’s deciding whether to accept a project.
She explained: "Recently the extra layer is logistics because it takes a big toll on my family to be constantly moving around.
"They’re like, ‘Go to New Zealand for four months!’ And I’m like, ‘What planet are you living on? I have a kid in school!’"
Natalie Portman would feel silly acting off set
