Natalie Portman opened up about first meeting Mark Hamill and Martin Short during a visit to ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday.
The 42-year-old actress, who looked stunning in a little black dress while promoting her new Netflix film May December, was asked by Kimmel, 56, if she met Hamill for the first time at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday.
“He called me his mother,” revealed Portman, who played Padmé Amidala, the mother of Hamill’s character Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise.
“It was the coolest thing,” Portman said of their meeting when Kimmel showed a photo of them shared by Hamill, 72, on social media.
Portman said she previously met the late Carrie Fisher who played Hamill’s sister Princess Leia in the science fiction franchise.
Natalie Portman gushed about Mark Hamill and Martin Short’s first meeting on Thursday while visiting Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC
‘She was such an icon of mine. And this was the first time I met Mark,” she said.
Kimmel asked Portman how often she meets an icon she hasn’t met before, since she’s been in the entertainment business since she was a child.
‘Often. I feel like it often,” Portman said.
“Is it because you don’t get out much?” Kimmel asked jokingly.
“Yes,” Portman replied, laughing. “That’s exactly it.”
Kimmel asked if Portman has recently met anyone she’s never met before and wanted to meet.
‘I also met Martin Short at the Globes. I’m out of my mind,” said Portman, whose work was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical at the Golden Globe Awards in May-December.
“My friend Jess and I, she was my date, it was like we were following him around. Mr. Short, Mr. Short. It was so exciting,” said Portman, who recently seemingly confirmed her divorce from 46-year-old husband Benjamin Millepied.
“It was the coolest thing,” Portman said of their meeting when Kimmel showed a photo of them shared by Hamill, 72, on social media.
Kimmel asked if Portman has recently met anyone she’s never met before and wanted to meet
“My friend Jess and I, she was my date, it was like we were following him around. Mr. Short, Mr. Short. It was so exciting,” said Portman, who recently seemingly confirmed her divorce from husband Benjamin Millepied
Martin Short, who also met Portman for the first time, will be seen at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday
Portman said Short, 73, was delightful and revealed his 1991 film Father Of The Bride was her favorite role of his.
“Father Of The Bride was very important growing up,” Portman said.
Portman said she also had her picture taken with Short and Kimmel joked that they should book the popular comedian.
The actress previously played a round of ‘Who’s High’ with Kimmel in which they tried to determine whether people picked up off the street in Hollywood were high on drugs.
“When was the last time you ate, and what did you eat?” Portman asked them.
Portman and Kimmel guessed wrong, but their backup choice was right.
The actress previously played a round of ‘Who’s High’ with Kimmel in which she tried to determine whether people picked up off the streets in Hollywood were high on drugs
“When was the last time you ate, and what did you eat?” Portman asked them
May December was released on Netflix in December after a limited release in select theaters in November.
Loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, the film follows actress Elizabeth, played by Portman, who studies Gracie, played by Julianne Moore, before portraying her in a film.
Kimmel asked Portman if it was fun playing someone who isn’t a good actor.
“It obviously takes a lot of pressure off,” Portman said with a laugh.
She also admitted that she enjoyed making fun of herself.
“There’s a lot of jokes about actresses in this movie,” Portman said.
May December received widespread critical acclaim and was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute.