25 years after debuting in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Natalie Portman has opened up about the Star Wars prequel trilogy backlash, and how she currently views her role in the franchise. Portraying Padmé Amidala in all three of the prequel movies, Portman’s role was not only prominent, but also extremely important to the Star Wars galaxy as a whole. Despite this, and the popularity of her character, even she was not exempt from the backlash these movies faced when they were released. Now, however, she’s able to be honest about her experience with the prequels.

Speaking to GamesRadar, Portman remains honest about the fact that “the reaction to them when they came out, being as harsh at it was – it was hard.” Despite this, however, Portman’s current thoughts on the prequel trilogy and its legacy are nothing but positive. She says that she considers it to be “an extraordinarily lucky thing to have been part of,” in addition to the fact that she feels “very blessed to have been part of that, at that moment in my life.”

What sticks out for Portman the most is the fact that it made her a special part of so many people’s childhoods. She gushes that she “is so, so lucky” to have been a “part of something like that that’s part of that cultural mythology, and part of people’s childhoods.” This is the outlook she’s been able to gain since watching the children of the prequels grow up and voice their opinions on the movies, which she calls “the balm of time.”

Hopefully The Appreciation Trend Won’t End With The Prequels

Other New Star Wars Projects Deserve This Love, Too

Portman isn’t the first of her Star Wars prequel trilogy peers to not only open up about the hardships of the initial backlash, but also the sweetness of watching these movies get their deserved appreciation over time. This is a trend that hopefully won’t end with the prequels alone, as in the coming years, it will soon be the sequel trilogy’s turn to get this same love. Seeing it through the eyes of those who were raised on the movies will surely help Star Wars audiences yet again see them through a new lens that will enhance the viewing experience for them.

While it’s always nice to hear from Star Wars prequel trilogy actors such as Portman about their experiences, it’s still such a shame that they had to go through what they did with the harsh backlash of the movies – and, for many of them, at such a young age. This same thing also happened to the actors of the sequel trilogy, and it’s even happening now with actors from the Star Wars TV shows. It seems this initial backlash is unavoidable in Star Wars, but hopefully, hearing from actors such as Natalie Portman will remind viewers that they’re human, too.

Source: GamesRadar