Natalie Portman Reveals Weird Question King Charles Asked Her About Star Wars

Natalie Portman reveals the somewhat awkward exchange she had with England’s King Charles – over the subject of Star Wars continuity, of all things. 

Portman appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen to promote her new film May December, and of course, the subject of Star Wars had to be addressed. Portman portrayed Padmé Amidala in George Lucas’ Star Wars Prequels – the noble Queen and senator of the Republic, who captured the heart of Anakin Skywalker, and ultimately shared in his downfall. It seemed like a character arc that ended with the Prequel Trilogy – but Star Wars has expanded in such a way that bringing back any character and/or actor is feasible in some form or another. 

During her interview with Andy Cohen, Natalie Portman made it clear that she was still open to making a return to Star Wars – before we also got a funny little anecdote about her time meeting (then prince, now king) Charles, at the premiere of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1999: 

“I remember Prince Charles, he was then Prince Charles, asked me if I was in the originals [Star Wars OT Trilogy],” Portman recalled. “I was like, ‘No, I’m 18!’ But he was very friendly.”

King Charles III has long earned a reputation for not necessarily being ‘on the beat’ when it comes to social interactions – especially when trying to relate to those outside the royal bubble. Based on Natalie Portman’s anecdote, it’s hard to know just how much awareness of Star Wars King Charles had back in 1999 – and that’s saying something, given that the first film, Star Wars: A New Hope was released in theaters back in 1977. So, either the royals didn’t dip into pop culture all that much back then, or Charles was just really bad at gauging age. Given Portman’s youthful appearance, it’s hard to believe the latter is possible. 

How Can Natalie Portman Make A Star Wars Return

As stated, Padmé Amidala’s character arc in Star Wars seems pretty finished at this point – but there’s room for some key places where Portman could show up. 

First, any new onscreen stories set in the Star Wars Prequels era could feature Portman’s Padmé – and that includes the live-action Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker TV series a lot of fans want. Portman’s PT co-star Hayden Christensen has reclaimed the limelight of Star Wars in the last few years (thanks to roles in Obi-Wan and Ahsoka), and a lot of fans want to see a series examining Anakin’s experience going from death to resurrection as a Force ghost, as well his revisitation (and reconciliation) of his history and experiences. If that is a story premise that Lucasfilm goes with, then certainly one place Anakin would have to revisit: the place Padmé occupies in his heart, and how it all went so wrong. 

Other than that: there are plenty of Star Wars animated that prove that existing characters can get a spotlight for standalone or anthology-style stories. Natalie Portman’s voice work for a Padmé animated project would be just as much a win for hardcore fans as a live-action project. 

The Star Wars Prequels are streaming on Disney+.