Natalie Portman Defends Hillary Clinton

Natalie Portman graces the April cover of Elle magazine to promote her period flick "The Other Boleyn Girl." Whole interview here.

Highlights:

On Hillary Clinton:

A lot of the stuff people say about her, I hear it and my stomach falls because it's so sexist. You ask people why they don't like her and it's because her husband cheated on her! That was obviously not her choice. She's so much more polished and experienced than anyone else. Last night, a friend, a social worker in L.A. who works with underprivileged kids, was saying how these girls who have never been interested in politics before are so excited that a woman might be president. I mean, look how many women are in government...Hillary's one of, what, [a handful of] female senators?

I also like Obama. I even like McCain. I disagree with his war stance--which is a really big deal--but I think he's a very moral person. I met him and Hillary on the same day, actually, when I went to Washington with Finca [a nonprofit that gives loans to businesswomen in developing countries]. Hillary was by far the smartest person I met that day. Just totally focused, and knew more about the issues than anyone else, and was so able to go from one thing to the other.

On starting her own production company:

It is proactive. It gives you more control over creating things, as opposed to having to get hired every single time. After you've worked for so long it's kind of annoying to have to be dependent in that way. With acting, getting work can be very passive. You're sort of subject to the whims and fashions of your moment. I've been working 15 years, and I know some years I get everything first and some years I read only uninteresting parts. I didn't want to just be at the mercy of whoever is making those decisions. Having your own company is a nice way to concentrate your ideas and make the kinds of movies you want to see.

Comments

[Pookie2112]

Another fine example of why actors should just stick to acting.

[nyblue]

And why talk show hosts should stick to....well­..hosting their shows.

[hellboundtrain]

Yes, another ditzoid actress expounding her largely uneducated views.
Actresses are not generally known for much depth or intelligence.
Natalie, your girl Hillary did not even read the NIE review before she voted to send men and women off to war. She failed to do her critical job and people are in harms way because of it.

[DocHP]

Natalie, There may be people who dislike each and every candidate for silly reasons..b­ut that goes for all of them and you have to move beyond that to the substantive reasons of which there are, in Clinton's case, a few doosies.
But what I wanted to say was that, while it is imperative that a candidate be well informed; the ability to sound wonky isn't proportional to the ability to make the best judgement calls. No one sounded better informed than the brilliant Bill Buckley who argued very wonkily against civil rights and got it just plain wrong on so many issues.

[Zm]

Objective democrats don't like the Clinton's unethical and unscrupulous behavrior these past couple months. One would have to be very biased or quite uninformed to think this has anything to do with gender or Bill's affairs. The NAFTA scandal was her from her campaign. Rezko, as it turns out, is having more ties to her campaign. She won't even release her tax docs. She's praising McCain while tearing down Obama with fear and misinformation. She'd rather sink the democratic ship so she has a chance in 2012 than see Obama become the nominee. I don't understand what so many people still support bringing the Clintons back.

Pretend for a second that the genders are reversed. Obama = female, Clinton = male. Obama would be getting the same amount of support. That's because Obama has more integrity, judgment, leadership, and, in my opinion, more of the type of experience that actually matters.

[Mort]

Natalie, honey, we pay you a great deal of money to entertain us. Just do your job.

[DMHendrix]

I care as much was Natalie Portman thinks as I do what Tina Fey thinks.

[kissmygrits]

I heart Natalie, but is anyone else sick of people who read other people's words for a living announcing their political positions, thoughts and theories like they mean anything..­.?

[maddog2112]

Yet if they fail to make it in movies, they fail to make it in TV, they fail to make it in radio and they start their own show and don't fire themselves, they are suddenly credable? Bill Oriely, Shawn Hannity, Rush limbaugh, ANn coulter for god sake, Michell Maulkin- these are the people we are supposed to listen too? These people have less credability that any Actor or singer. People try to exclude this group when they do not like what they are saying. THe problem is not that we listen to these people "announcing their political positions, thoughts and theories like they mean anything" . The problem is we give them less credit than the talking head idiots who are no different and would be in the same position as these actors and singers if they had any tallent or abilities themselves. The problem is not in listening to these opions, it is the act of trying to discredit them as if they mean any more or less than anyone elses. TV anchors and talking head pundents are all people that have failed to make it in entertainment and settled for where they found they could make money. Why not listen to these people like Natalie with at the very least the same credability. These people have less of an agenda to lie to you, where your orielys and Hannity crowd lie on a regular basis. So no I am not sick of "people who read other peoples words for a living" announing their political opion, I am sick of people attacking others that may not share their "elite, enlightined" wisdom of the world.

[PackyJ]

Natalie Portman should stick to acting.

[jpshotwheels]

I still love her, she is great, V for Vendetta was one of her best picture, but Hillary was the one ont he screens

[transendentilist]

How so? Please explain? Or are you just another Hillary hater who accuses, but never proves their accusations. NEVER!

[Zm]

Clearly, she is.

[jessejuju]

Packyj you have no idea how much help Natalie Portman provides to children through her various charities.­She isnt the typical Hollywood actress and God forbid she speaks her mind.It's a sad day when people cant express themselves for fear of being attacked, thats not America, no matter who is the leader.

[beaves35]

Since when can't actors have an opinion? Oh, since they're different from yours! So what is your problem? That she has a bigger audience than most when she voices her opinion? I would submit that you have a bigger audience that someone who doesn't have a computer. Does that mean that you should stick to whatever it is you do as well? Leave Queen Amidala alone!

[mansky]

Why is this news?

[jimchap]

Well, Natalie is a young actress not a wonk. Anyone who would vote on the basis of gender cannot be taken seriously. She's still a good actress but just doesn't get it.
By this logic, anyone not supporting Obama is a racist.
The difference is Obama runs clean, Hillary runs dirty.

I'm getting to the point where I need to shower when I see her contrived, smug grin.
Obama can lead, Hillary will be politics by the numbers.

......and I started out as a Hillary supporter.

[Dannydel]

"Oops...so­rry, I was looking for Huffpo. I must have stumbled upon the 'E' site by mistake.

[Swift2]

Oops...sor­ry. I was looking for HuffPo. I must have stumbled on Obama Pravda by mistake.

[Dvmx]

it's certainly true that Clinton's candidacy may inspire some young women. the only things is, to do it her way, you have to have been First Lady for 8 years first.

[MGhamma]

Ya, she was fooled by senator Palpatine too, until it was to late. Whoops, did I say that out loud?...Ne­vermind.

[GenXer]

How true, and she was totally blinded by Aniken, who become the greatest evil the universe have ever known. I wonder how Ben Kanobi stands on the candidates.

[tumblewind]

I still remember the election of 2004. When I overhead my Chiropractor talking to another patient about the election. He had voted for George W Bush because he was such a moral man! I almost came unglued!!! George W Bush can be called a lot of things but moral isn't among them!!! I personally don't think McCain is anymore moral than Bush! How can anyone call continuing the slaughter of innocent people for greed ambitions moral?????? McCain wants to continue the slaughter of innocents and rape their country because his party started it. In fact, he wants to bankrupt this country with his Republican war! I will have to disagree vehemently with her on that phrase. Whomever is running on the Democratic ticket I will be voting for.

[connorin]

that's right windy...
McCain wants war for greed ambitions
McCain wants to slaughter innocents
McCain wants to rape their country
McCain wants to bankrupt this country

I am pretty sure those all all the things he stands for...the items he lists in his stump speech...h­is goals/hope­s/dreams..­.what he gets all his followers to chant at his rallies...

thank you for this glimpse into the mind of a democrat and how they see the world...ha­ve a nice day

[Dannydel]

The "Smurf in a Commando Suit", is a grizzled, angry old hypocrite. He was involved in our last phony war, which we lost, and he yet he talks about being in Iraq for "100 years'. He was tortured and yet he went with President Moron and backed the torture act. How can THAT be? I think that if he were subjected to a psychological exam (which we don't require of persons going for this most important job), he would be found to be borderline insane. I think he would invade Fantasy Island if he could find it, just to prove how tough he is. If he is elected, this once great country is totally screwed. And we deserve it.

[USisLiberal]

connorin, isn't that what's happening? Oh no, that's right, we're fighting the terrorists there so we don't have to fight them here, yadda, yadda. That's very honorable and absolute bullshit.

Thanks for a glimpse into the mind of a person that probably voted for Bush twice.

And as for McCain's goals/hopes/dreams, well they follow in step with whatever Bush's goals/hopes/dreams are on any given day.

Go ahead, chant "Four more years" because that's all McCain would be, four more years of Bush-style financial squander and folly.

[MoeGreen]

Morality? As much as I liked Reagan I would say you'd have to go back to Carter to find the last moral President we had. Before that? Way back. Most immoral? Natalie Portman wants to put his wife in office. Looking forward to November, maybe one Democrat candidate has a shred of decency in his body. Maybe.

[Darksider]

Hillary supporters drive me nuts. They constantly play up Hillary's meager accomplisments while downplaying Obama's. "I mean, look how many women are in government­...Hillary­'s one of, what, [a handful of] female senators?" Yes, Hillary is one of a handful of female senators. And the only one who cruised into town using her famous husband's last name. Barack Obama is the ONLY african american senator. A mand who worked his was up from a community organizer on the streets of Chicago to the status of junior senator of Illinois. And he earned his senate seat without trading on his spouse's name or contacts.

Hillary Clinton and her supporter have never shown Barack Obama any respect. He outraises her in cash, wins more states, leads in delegates and leads in the popular vote and they still dismiss him. On Hillary's best day so far winning 3 out of 4 contests she's STILL behind him. Whe Hillary doesn't get the nomination her cultish fans will be stunned despite the signs being there all along that she is losing.

[FLB]

Yuck, just another celebrity whose proven to have no political brain or sense of reality. I am so sick of the argument that we should vote for HRC because she has a va-jay-jay. Urgh!

[Dannydel]

She was in the bedroom when the red phone rang though....­that's gotta count for something, unless it was Monica ringing.

[nyobserver]

So she has her own mind (sort of like Hillary I suppose). I can't understand why people are so threatened by that.

Personally, I think its a good thing to form a thoughtful opinion, regardless of whether everyone agrees with you or not.

[BenjiG]

Believe me, her thoughts aren't theatening to anyone but herself or the "handful" of other dumb actresses like her who can't stop themselves from saying stupid things. I have never heard her express a cogent thought--it's always something ludicrous like "I know what it feels like to be black," or "I even like McCain. I disagree with his war stance--which is a really big deal--but I think he's a very moral person." Her PR person should be fired. Smart people who went to Harvard don't feel the need to drop it into every sentence and every interview. She starts off every promo for whatever movie she's appearing half-naked in by making sure we are reminded she went to Harvard and following up with some incredibly dumb comment. If I were her I would be mortified to read my own interviews and realize that I sound like a dumb, spoiled, teenager who has lived in a bubble my whole life and wouldn't have lasted a week in the real world.

[PigsOnSoma]

It's a question of judgement - 100 years??? - moral???

[cybersense]

I find it very concerning that most posts are negative, without facts and only play to use name calling to try to issue their point about why Obama should be nominee for President.

I am really worried about this. This is the mentally of the people who support Obama? We are really in trouble, and so is he.

[LisainNYC]

Why are you assuming all the negative comments come from Obama supporters?

50% of the American public dislikes Clinton and will not vote for her. All of those people are not necessarily Obama supporters. I would wager that most are Republicans. Stop trying to denigrate Obama supporters in your back-handed way.

[jessejuju]

...and widely reported that a large amount of voters would choose Mccain over Obama, and those are democrats!

[Fathoms]

I think perhaps they are reacting to Hillary's negative campaign tactics. As for being in trouble; that's a fact. None of the present candidates are best for the job by a longshot. That bring said, while I'm willing to hold my nose and vote for Barack; I'm not sure I'll be able to do that for the Clinton machine.

[Darnamell]

I find it concerning that your candidate of choice resorts to race-baiting and Bush-style fearmongering to scare up votes.

That said, you are right. Obama supporters should try to emulate a better outlook and provide more examples why we are for him than against "her". Not that I'm doing a great job of that right now. That said, I do love his college plan and his concept of actually talking to foreign leaders instead of just bombing them. Everyone has a point of view, and finding out what it exactly is can help bridge some of the divides we have. Speaking to someone you do not like is not acquiesence to their policies.

That said, Portman and any other entertainment type is entitled to their own opinions. It is about as valid as mine and should probably be reported on as much - as in, not much at all.

[dawlishgal]

That's funny....I read the same posts as you do, and it seems to me that it is HC supporters who are the name-callers and the soreheads.

They allowed themselves to become intoxicated on the fumes of her senses of entitlement and inevitablity, and they can't stand it that a more appealing candidate just happened to come along.

They go into DTs at the idea that voters might pick another candidate.­..whose fault is that, if not their own for uncritically supporting somebody just because she happens to be a woman...ne­vermind that she and her ilk are out to rip the progressives out of the Democratic party and replace them with corporate suck-ups like themselves­..

A great majority of those that the HC supporters call "haters" and "cultists" are merely former Clinton supporters who took another look at the 8 years of Clintons and realized that they were fed up and didn't want anymore of them. I supported John Edwards, and when he suspended his campaign, I was damn glad that there was another decent non-triangulating candidate to support.