Natalie Portman recalls King Charles asking her surprising Star Wars question

Portman had to tell the then-prince that she was too young to have starred in original 1970s and 1980s films

Natalie Portman has recalled an encounter with King Charles that revealed the then-prince’s lack of Star Wars knowledge.

The actor appeared on US chat show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Monday (4 December) alongside her May December co-star Julianne Moore.

During one segment, a viewer called into the show and prompted Portman to reflect on her time promoting Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999. She played Padmé Amidala in the film, as well as the second and third movies of the trilogy: Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Natalie Portman and King Charles (Getty)

Though the first of the franchise’s prequel trilogy, The Phantom Menace follows three previous editions of the Star Wars story, released in 1977, 1980 and 1983, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

Host Cohen asked Portman about meeting Charles at the premiere of The Phantom Menace, which was her first entry into the sci-fi series.

“I remember Prince Charles, he was then Prince Charles, asked me if I was in the originals,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘No, I’m 18!’ But he was very friendly.”

Born in June 1981, Portman would have been two years old by the time the third original film was released.

Portman, now 42, also shared some thoughts on the possibility of returning to the franchise following the reintroduction of her prequel co-star Hayden Christiansen reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker.

Although she revealed that “no one has asked” her about returning to the Star Wars world, Portman added: “I’m open to it.”

She also remembered her time on the prequel trilogy as “amazing,” adding, “It was the first time I worked digitally. I don’t think anyone was shooting that way then. It was my first time working with a green screen. It was a whole new set of skills to pick up and a whole new world to enter.”

Last year, Portman hinted towards initially having unsure feelings towards one of her Star Wars films.

While discussing the fact that her 2013 film Thor: The Dark World has been widely regarded as one of the worst films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she told Variety: “I mean, I had it with [1994 Luc Besson thriller] The Professional, too. It was slaughtered critically, and now, despite having been in Marvel and Star Wars movies, it’s the main thing people come up to me about.”

“That and Star Wars are two examples of things that when they came out, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is a disaster.’

“And then 20 years later – actually, 30 years later for The Professional – it’s beloved.”