Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky admitted that he tried to stir a rivalry between Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman while filming their psychological thriller.
Fifteen years after the movie’s release, which earned $329.4 million worldwide against a $13 million budget, the 56-year-old filmmaker explained his reasoning in an interview with Vogue.
Aronofsky said that he wanted to push the actors to argue to help them get into character as ballet dancers competing for the lead in Swan Lake.
He admitted, “My take is that I was trying to be a sneaky director and make them argue. Mila and Natalie both realized very quickly what I was doing and made fun of me, so it quickly became a joke that we all understood.”
Portman, 44, recalled being separated from Kunis when not shooting and described how Aronofsky would praise Kunis to provoke her. However, she remembered telling him, “She’s so f**king talented and I love her so much and I’m happy she’s doing a great job.”
Kunis shared a similar story, saying Aronofsky would tell her, “Nat is working really, really hard. She’s not even taking Saturdays and Sundays off,” which prompted her to text Portman, confirming the director’s playful tricks.
Despite the attempts at rivalry, both actresses looked back fondly on their experience. Portman called it the first time she felt a “mind meld” with a director, while Kunis described Aronofsky as kind and thoughtful, even taking them to see Twilight on a day off.
For the unversed, Black Swan was released in 2010 and received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.
