Darren Aronofsky has revealed that he once attempted to create tension between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis while directing Black Swan. The filmmaker admitted his plan to stir rivalry quickly backfired when the actresses realised what he was doing.
In an interview with Vogue marking the 15th anniversary of the 2010 ballet drama, Aronofsky recalled, "I was trying to be a sneaky director and make them argue. Mila and Natalie both realized very quickly what I was doing and made fun of me, so it quickly became a joke that we all understood. They're both very clever and were instantly privy to whatever trick I was playing."
Portman remembered feeling isolated during filming, "I remember being separated from Mila and that we weren't in the same space a lot when we weren't shooting. Darren made some comment early on, like, 'Ya know, Nat, Mila's dancing so well.' And I was like, 'Of course she is! She's so f---ing talented and I love her so much and I'm happy she's doing a great job!'"
Kunis said she also saw through Aronofsky’s attempt: "Darren would tell me, 'Nat is working really, really hard. She's not even taking Saturdays and Sundays off.' Then I would text Nat and she'd be like, '…No, I'm not?' I think that's how we figured out what Darren was up to, but it was all in good fun."
Despite the director’s strategy, Portman and Kunis remained close friends. Portman went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.
A remastered version of Black Swan will return to IMAX cinemas on August 21 and 24.
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