Natalie Portman’s ‘The Professional’ Director Luc Besson Felt Responsible for Her Career After the Film

Natalie Portman originally got her start by starring in the Luc Besson picture The Professional. But Besson once shared that their working relationship didn’t end when The Professional did.

Director Luc Besson still followed Natalie Portman’s acting career after ‘The Professional’

Portman made a huge impression on the film industry after starring in Besson’s The Professional. She was just 11-years-old when she nabbed the R-rated feature. Because of the film’s mature content, she asserted that her parents needed a bit of convincing before she could do the project.

“It was definitely a big conversation in our household before they allowed me to do it,” she once told TIFF. “My parents are not related to the film industry at all and they were very much like, ‘Child actors become drug addicts, prisoners. This is not the road we want you to take.’ And I really fought hard for it.”

After starring in The Professional, Portman saw many other film opportunities come her way. The following year saw her in movies like Heat and Beautiful Girls. She’d soon land a major part in the Star Wars franchise, which would enhance her star-power. Besson confided that he was following Portman’s career ascension closely at the time. Since he gave Portman her first film, Besson felt a sense of duty regarding the Oscar-winner’s future.

“From 11 to 16, I was following every film she said yes or no to because her parents were not in the business. I introduced her to her agent,” Besson once said according to Irish Examiner. “You feel responsible when you put a 12-year-old in this business. She’s clever, though. At 16, she didn’t need help anymore.”

Natalie Portman’s parents were on Luc Besson’s back while filming ‘The Professional’

Although Portman’s parents agreed for their daughter to star in the feature, they still had concerns about the movie throughout filming. But Besson understood their concerns.

“With Natalie it was different, she was only 11-years-old and Leon was her first film. And it’s about a young girl who takes guns and shoots everywhere, so her parents were very scared, they didn’t know me very well. So I think that’s why they were on my back for a few weeks,” he once told The Guardian.

But Besson asserted that it didn’t take too long for him to earn her parents’ trust. Portman, however, also occasionally butted heads with Besson. There were certain lines the Oscar-winner wouldn’t cross.

“The funny thing was Natalie. Obviously at 11 she didn’t smoke, she was against it. She was already responsible. She said: ‘I don’t want to show kids that I am smoking,’” Besson recalled as an example. “So I said: ‘OK, what about showing them that you quit?’ She said: ‘OK.’ And I said: ‘But to show that you quit, you have to show that you were smoking.’ So we made this deal where we showed her smoking at the beginning and then she quit for Leon.”

Natalie Portman learned how to cry on command while filming ‘The Professional’

Being able to cry on command is a skill that many actors possess, including Portman. But it wasn’t an ability she gained overnight. The Professional would mark the first time the No Strings Attached star had to cry on the big screen. But after initially having trouble getting the tears flowing, the film’s producers got the performance they wanted by applying a very painful method.

“It was the early weeks of shooting and it was really hard for me to cry there,” she once said according to Uproxx. “That was the first time that I ever had menthol blown in my eyes. They did it once and I was like ‘Okay, I can cry’ it was so painful. Every take after that I was able to focus and cry because I didn’t want anymore mint in my eye.”