What was Natalie Portman's regimen for 'Thor: Love and Thunder'?
Marvel finally has dropped Thor: Love and Thunder's teaser. While it retained director Taika Waititi's intelligent humor with Sweet Child O' Mine, a song by Guns N' Roses, providing the perfect backdrop, it was Natalie Portman's Jane Foster that left us stunned. Foster wielding the Mjolnir with her buffed-up hands was a sight to behold. So, how did Portman make it happen? Let's explore.
Why does this story matter?
Portman is known as a method actor. And, like other perfectionist performers, she also has gone to extreme lengths to look the part. Example: Going bald for V for Vendetta or getting rigorously tutored in ballerina for her disturbed character in Black Swan. So, it's not surprising that the star will do whatever it takes to maintain the authenticity and transformation of her character.
Foster's arc changes from 'Love and Thunder'
Until now, Foster was known to be a genius astrophysicist and Thor's love interest, but that changes from Thor: Love and Thunder. In this upcoming movie, we will see Foster as the Mighty Thor and so Portman needed to add biceps to her slim hands. For this, she took a two-way approach that comprised weights and a diet rich in proteins, albeit vegan.
Portman swears by vegan diet
"[Chris Hemsworth aka Thor] would eat like a baby animal every half-hour or something to keep protein going," Portman had said in 2020, a year after the movie was launched. "I'm going to have to figure out the non-animal equivalent of pounding protein," she quipped. What her diet comprised isn't clear, but if she stuck to a vegan diet, we'd love some recipes, please!
Know about Portman's regimen
Four months before the shooting, Portman started training under internationally-certified pilates instructor Naomi Pendergast. "We did a lot of weight training and protein shakes—heavyweight training that I haven't ever done before. Of course, I've never really aimed to get bulky. It was very physical, so it was a lot of both agility work and strength work," she shared. But it wasn't easy for her.
Portman explains struggle of initial weeks
While talking to Jimmy Fallon in October 2020, the Hollywood actor revealed the initial weeks were all about adjusting to the new routine. "I've had like months of the pandemic, eating baked goods and laying in bed and feeling sorry for myself. I'm, like, super tired after working out. And during. And dreading before," she elaborated. However, the end result left a satisfying aftertaste.
'It's so wild to feel strong for the first time'
"It definitely helps you get into character...it's definitely changed the way I move. You walk differently; you feel different. I mean, it's so wild to feel strong for the first time in my life," Portman—a fan of gyrotonics and yoga—told Vanity Fair last August.
