Mia Wasikowska Talks Weight Obsession, Natalie Portman's Ballet Dancing

Mia Wasikowska, who burst on the scene with an epic 2010 that included starring in "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Kids Are All Right," stars in the newly released film adaptation of "Jane Eyre," for which she's getting rave reviews. Her attention to detail and dedication to her craft is what makes her stand out as an actress, but it's a devotion that began with a different craft.

In a new cover story with Black Book Magazine, Wasikowska discusses her childhood and career thus far, including her original passion: ballet. Unfortunately, it had its negative impacts on her, too.

“Dance is about perfection," she the told the magazine. "It’s about the line of your ankle, the ideal weight, minute things that most people don’t notice but that dancers are trained to see and spend hours obsessing over in front of the mirror.”

It's an issue Wasikowska has discussed before.

“I was probably half the size I am now and more unhappy with my body than I am now," she told the UK version of OK! Magazine. "And at the same time, I was watching these films that were really inspiring me. What I loved was the imperfections they showed in people and the imperfections in the decisions they made and in the way that they looked. And that to me felt so much more right, and it was something I was really more interested in pursuing.”

Still, her history in the art gives her some expertise when it comes to judging ballet, especially when other actresses are concerned. And no one played a more high profile ballet performance than Natalie Portman. Wasikowska told the magazine that Portman's performance was very credible, especially the way her body transformed.

“Dancers are kept in a perpetual state of pre-puberty, and for young girls in particular, that type of pressure breeds insecurities," she said. "You can become so obsessed with the smallest details—it was a good thing for me to get out of.”

For much more from Wasikowska, including her take on celebrity, growing up in Australia and what her co-stars say about her, click over to Black Book Magazine.

Comments

[chitown]

02:12 AM on 03/27/2011

In actuality, actresses are scrutinized and criticized for their weight as much or more as ballet dancers. Young actresses are often thinner than professional dancers, who have far more muscle. I can't think of anyone currently dancing who is as thin as Kate Bosworth or Megan Fox.

Ms. Wasikowska is a very talented actress, but for whatever reason, she did not succeed as a dancer or pursue a dance career. There is no need for her to put down a profession she is not a part of.

[ellawensmom]

07:11 PM on 04/10/2011

She's telling the truth. My mom danced ballet, and so does one of my younger sisters. I've been around alot of ballet dancers. It's not fun. Their constant obsessing makes them appear extremely self-centered. My sister, who has always been tiny, and a size 4 after three kids, was told as a twelve year old that she was fat. Ridiculous. Those girls were weighed every week, publicly. If that's not negative for a young girl I don't know what is.

[LMPE]

04:36 PM on 03/26/2011

I think that I'll avoid professional dancing.

[rezna]

07:40 PM on 03/25/2011

Its nice to see that some of the famous people who have an idea of what good ballet is aren't being super critical of Natalie like her body double is. Its amazing what jealousy can do to people.

[DipsyDoodles]

10:04 AM on 03/25/2011

She's so pretty. Never saw her before but I like her.

[Twohairydogs]

01:37 PM on 03/26/2011

Oddily enough, Jane Eyre is all about her being small and plain.

[LMPE]

04:37 PM on 03/26/2011

I first saw Mia Wasikowska in "Defiance"

[Mafdet]

08:39 AM on 03/25/2011

I like her movies.  She's a good actor.

[ZombyWoof]

08:10 AM on 03/25/2011

Am I the only one who thinks she bears a striking resemblance to porn actress Aurora Snow?

[usamade]

07:30 AM on 03/25/2011

I was a competitive ice skater from a very young age. It's the same in skating. Your weight is almost as important as your skating. When skating you have to take dance as well. The pressure can be overwhelming to young girls.

When I turned professional in my later years, I always told my students to have fun and live life without fear about their weight.

[jen q]

01:40 PM on 03/26/2011

So was I! I never did very well in competitions as a somewhat chubby kid. Then as I went through my growth spurt and was suddenly lanky, I did much better. I'd like to think that it was because I had progressed as a skater, but honestly I think it had more to do with the way I looked.

[Jackie2000]

12:50 AM on 03/25/2011

okay....i guess this explains portman's oops baby:

Dancers are kept in a perpetual state of pre-puberty, and for young girls in particular, that type of pressure breeds insecurities," she said. "You can become so obsessed with the smallest details—it was a good thing for me to get out of.”

guess good 'ol benji wasn't used to a woman actually ovulating....ick!

[Nesnem]

01:25 PM on 03/25/2011

Ha! Too funny :-)

[c-tom]

12:27 AM on 03/25/2011

I first saw her in 'Defiance' and have been following her brilliant career ever since.

[MiaisAwesome]

12:27 AM on 03/25/2011

She's a very talented actress! Obviously, she is naturally thin, I couldn't imagine her half her current size, wow! It is shame how pressured ballerinas are to continue to look like children even up until their mid twenties, good for her for walking away from that!

[KJLSanDiego]

12:22 AM on 03/25/2011

She's still thin, but it looks like a natural sleek build.
I was hesitant about her for some reason, but I have enjoyed her work thus far.

[kalapa]

10:22 PM on 03/24/2011

From the moment I saw her performance in In Treatment, I knew she'd be getting accolades for her acting chops pretty soon. She blew me away, and to think it was her first role in the US. She embodied the role of Sophie so fully, and so compellingly, it was impossible to take your eyes off her when she was on screen.

[Nesnem]

01:26 PM on 03/25/2011

She was my fave patient on In Treatment. Agreed!

[jen q]

01:41 PM on 03/26/2011

She was amazing on that show.

[BlueMrsKitty]

07:45 PM on 03/24/2011

Is she playing Jane? If so, she's too pretty.

[sourpatch575]

07:23 PM on 03/24/2011

Doesn't she know that Natalie Portman didn't even do much of the dancing in Black Swan...?

[purenergy]

02:31 AM on 03/25/2011

She did about 85 %, that a lot, imo. She was also praised by the ballet community for the intense training she went through to prepare and for the authenticity/quality of her dancing.

[Kelly Jade]

09:26 AM on 03/25/2011

Did you also know that most actors don't really get set on fire or shot in action movies too?
I think she also knows that Portman is an actress who prepared for a role in an intense way to make her seem credible and not an actual dancer.