Like many people over the last 30 years, Natalie Portman doesn’t think “Léon: The Professional” holds up. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Portman describes the film’s depiction of a quasi-romantic relationship between an adult hitman and a 12-year-old girl as “cringey, to say the least.” Portman, who was just a child when she starred in the movie, acknowledges that her relationship with the film is complicated.
Despite the film’s enduring popularity and its iconic poster being a dorm room staple, Portman emphasizes that she was merely “a kid working” at the time. Addressing the sexual abuse allegations against director Luc Besson, she expressed shock and sorrow, noting that she was unaware of these issues during production. “I really didn’t know,” she said. “I was a kid working. I was a kid. But I don’t want to say anything that would invalidate anyone’s experience.”
Reflecting on “Léon: The Professional,” Portman acknowledges the film’s mixed legacy. She notes that while many people still love the movie and frequently discuss it with her, it also contains aspects that are uncomfortable to watch today. “It’s a movie that’s still beloved, and people come up to me about it more than almost anything I’ve ever made, and it gave me my career,” she said. “But it is definitely, when you watch it now, it definitely has some cringey, to say the least, aspects to it. So, yes, it’s complicated for me.”
Her recent comments are less nuanced than those she made in a 2019 interview with Empire. Back then, she acknowledged the film’s positive impact on her career and appreciated its connection with audiences, but also recognized its inappropriate elements. “I appreciate it when something connects with an audience,” she said. “It also gave me my career on a platter and was 100% a positive experience. I loved doing it. But you watch and it’s largely inappropriate.” She added, “There’s a lot of stuff in there that’s not amazing through today’s eyes. I think because people are still connected to it and care about it, and I personally did not have anything but positive feelings, I still feel more on the proud side. Even though I totally understand, I don’t know how I’d show that to my kids.”
The film’s backstory adds another layer of complexity. As Marlow Stern wrote for The Daily Beast in 2018, “Léon: The Professional” was a disturbing example of art imitating life. The movie was inspired by Besson’s relationship with child actor Maïwenn, whom he met when she was 12 and he was 29. They began dating romantically when she turned 15, and Maïwenn had his child at 16. “When Luc Besson did Léon, the story of a 13-year-old girl in love with an older man, it was very inspired by us since it was written while our story started,” said Maïwenn. “No media made the link.”
