Natalie Portman explains why she doesn’t think children should go into Hollywood, citing her work as a child actor

Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman rose to fame as a child in cult movie 'Leon: The Professional' and then continued working in classics like 'Beautiful Girls' and of course in the 'Star Was'” prequel trilogy tackling the role of Queen Amidala when she was just 17. 

But those early experiences in Hollywood as a child, she reveals, shook her to her core, and she now reveals she would discourage any child from entering the business before adulthood.

“I would not encourage young people to go into this,” she told Variety. “I don’t mean ever; I mean as children. I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents. You don’t like it when you’re a kid, and you’re grateful for it when you’re an adult.”

“I’ve heard too many bad stories to think that any children should be part of it,” she continued. “Having said that, I know all the conversations that we’ve been having these past few years. It’s made people more aware and careful. But ultimately, I don’t believe that kids should work. I think kids should play and go to school.”

This isn’t the first time the 'Black Swan' star has spoken about her experiences as a child in the industry. During an appearance on the 'Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard' podcast, she stated, "Being sexualized as a child, I think, took away from my own sexuality, because it made me afraid.. She revealed started feeling this way after playing Marty in the 1996 film "Beautiful Girls,” which ultimately affected how she felt about her career.

 "I would start choosing parts that were less sexy, because it made me worried about the way I was perceived and how safe I felt," the 'Closer' star said.

She’s not alone in her thinking. Other former child actors, and even stars who are parents to children, are speaking out about the trauma and pain they experienced in the business. Many feel they were robbed of a childhood, and others are protective of their children, discouraging them from pursuing it until they’re 18. Here’s our roundup of Hollywood stars speaking out about the damage the industry does to children.

Demi Lovato

"I'll always look at child stardom, at what I went through, as something traumatic for me," singer and actress Demi Lovato told Spin in 2022. "No child should ever be in the limelight. It's too much pressure." 

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski have  two young daughters, Hazel and Violet but during an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK, Emily made it plainly clear she won’t let her children enter the business just yet.

"My toes curl when people tell me, 'My daughter wants to be an actress.' I want to say, 'don't do it.' Because it's a hard industry, and it can be very disappointing. A lot of people tell you not to take things personally — but it's completely personal, especially when you're being judged on how you look. So you just have to endure that side of things." 

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Arguably the two most famous twins on network television back in the 90s due to their role as Michelle on 'Full House' Mary-Kate and Ashley took a step back from the spotlight as soon as they could and that was very intentional. "I look at old photos of me, and I don't feel connected to them at all... I would never wish my upbringing on anyone," Mary Kate admitted to Marie Claire. "[We were] little monkey performers," she added.

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci was a child star in movies like 'Mermaids' and 'The Addams Family,' but was lucky enough to translate it into a career as an adult. However, she is not without scars. "I had a very hard time with fame as a child, being interviewed and being asked about my life. ... No child should be held up for adults to criticize, question, interview, weigh in on. It's the reason we don't have pictures of our children up online. It's the same thing," she told IndieWire.

Channing Tatum

'Magic Mike' star Channing Tatum shares daughter Everly with ex-wife Jenna Dewan, and even though they’re split, they agree on their parenting tactic when it comes to the industry. 

He told People, "Jenna and I, we've always met eye to eye on this one. It's pretty tough to be a child actor or artist. I also believe that if you really want to be a beautiful artist, you have to go live a real life. And I think kids in Hollywood, in general, there's a lot of things that are standing in the way to living a very normal life in the world."

Drew Barrymore

As a child, 'ET: The Extra Terrestrial' star Drew Barrymore was dancing at Studio 54 before she’d even hit puberty. She now wants to make sure her two daughters, Frankie and Olive, don't follow in her footsteps. 

In an interview with People, she revealed, "I'm not going to let them be kid actors. That's so not their journey," she said. "If they want to be actors [later] in life, I would be supportive of it. Can you imagine me being [a] mom [who is] pushing her kids out there? That's not going to happen."