Summary
- Natalie Portman drew inspiration from Kabuki theatre for her portrayal of Queen Amidala, using the characters' slow and regal movements as inspiration for the role.
- Portman made changes to her voice to deepen it at George Lucas' request, but the classic Queen Amidala voice was digitally altered to make it even deeper.
- Queen Amidala is an incredible character, especially considering she is only 14 years old in "The Phantom Menace," and her character grows stronger in the subsequent films.
Natalie Portman explains how she brought powerhouse Padmé Amidala to the big screen in Star Wars' prequel trilogy, George Lucas still wanted to make some changes. Padmé first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace as a teenage Queen, which meant that she needed to have a particular air about her. To master this, Natalie Portman had very specific inspiration.
Although this influence came from a wonderful place, George Lucas wasn't totally sold. In an interview in the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Natalie Portman explained her process for bringing Padmé to life:
"When I was in Japan doing press for Léon as a 13-year-old, I had the opportunity to see Kabuki theatre," she explains of her Phantom Menace physicality. "When I saw the designs for the costumes and hair and make-up for Queen Amidala, I immediately thought of that. I tried to use some of the ways I observed the characters moving their eyes, the slow and regal way they moved their bodies, as inspiration for the role."
Portman went on to explain that although she had drawn that inspiration and made changes to her voice to deepen it as George Lucas had wanted, she discovered that, ultimately, the classic Queen Amidala voice was digitally altered to make it even deeper.
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Natalie Portman's Queen Amidala Is Truly Unforgettable
Queen Amidala in The Phantom Menace is an incredible character, particularly given that she is 14 years old at the time, and Padmé goes on to be an even stronger character in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Although it is meaningful, of course, that Padmé becomes Anakin Skywalker's wife and the mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, her other roles can't be downplayed. In fact, Padmé's canon deleted scenes show her essentially starting the rebellion.
Beyond that, though, Padmé is one of the most level-headed characters in all of Star Wars and is extremely perceptive. She not only anticipated that the Republic was headed down a dark path, but she also suspected before anyone else that Count Dooku was behind the attempt on her life. Unfortunately, few listened to her wisdom throughout the prequel trilogy.
Audiences have been practically begging Star Wars via their many social media accounts to bring Natalie Portman back as Padmé, particularly now that Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen have both reprized their roles. Doing so might prove a bit more difficult in Padmé's case because she died in Revenge of the Sith and could not return as a Force ghost, but hope remains for stories set elsewhere in the timeline. Even if she does not return, though, Padmé remains one of Star Wars' best characters, in part because Natalie Portman acted so beautifully.
Source: Empire Magazine