King Charles asked an 18-year-old Natalie Portman if she was also in the original Star Wars films during The Phantom Menace premiere in 1999.
The actor was reflecting on her role as Padmé Amidala in George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel trilogy, which was completed by 2002’s Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in 2005, when she recalled meeting the royal.
The actor was still only a teenager when she began filming for the prequels, but revealed that King Charles once wondered if she might have been involved in the originals.
The first two original Star Wars films – Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – came out before Portman was born in 1981, while Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was released in 1983.
“I remember Prince Charles, he was then Prince Charles, asked me if I was in the originals,” Portman recalled of the premiere on Watch What Happens Live with host Andy Cohen. “I was like, ‘No, I’m 18!’ But he was very friendly.”
The actor appeared on the show alongside Julianne Moore to discuss their new drama May December, when Portman added that while “no one has asked” her, she would also be open to reprising her role of Padmé Amidala.
She said that working on the trilogy was “amazing,” adding: “It was the first time I worked digitally. I don’t think anyone was shooting that way then. It was my first time working with a green screen. It was a whole new set of skills to pick up and a whole new world to enter.”
Portman’s character died in childbirth after giving birth to Luke and Leia in Revenge of the Sith.
The Black Swan actor recently reflected on her debut role in Léon: The Professional, referring to the film as “cringey”.
In other recent Star Wars news, Daisy Ridley has spoken out about her new film set after the events of The Rise Of Skywalker, saying it’s “not what I expected”.