Natalie Portman Recalls 'Awkward' Mila Kunis Sex Scene In 'Black Swan'

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653290/20101130/story.jhtml

Dec 1 2010
Natalie Portman Recalls 'Awkward' Mila Kunis Sex Scene In 'Black Swan'
'I didn't really think through the fact that I was going to have to have sex with her,' she tells MTV News of suggesting her good friend for the role.
Brianne Riviello, with reporting by Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz)

Darren Aronofsky's much-anticipated "Black Swan," which is set to hit theaters Friday, has the movie world abuzz. The ballet flick, starring Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, promises to be both disturbingly dark and stunningly beautiful, as the prima ballerina fights for the coveted lead role in "Swan Lake." When a new dancer, Lily (Mila Kunis), vies for the top spot, Portman's character is swept into an intense psychological competition, rife with sexual connotations, including the much buzzed-about love scene between Portman and Kunis.

From what we've seen, the battle of the wills between the dancers is ruthless, and their ensuing sexual encounters are equally intense. One would be hard-pressed to believe that Portman and Kunis are, in fact, close friends in real life. When MTV News caught up with the lead actress recently, she discussed the experience of shooting such difficult scenes with someone she knew so well.

Portman was quick to praise her friend in the villainous role, revealing that it had been her suggestion to Aronofsky that led to Kunis being cast in the part. "It was really crazy, because Mila and I were very good friends," she said. "And when Darren asked me, 'Who do you think could do this part? Who has sort of a similar height, coloring, physique?' I was like, 'Oh, Mila, Mila, Mila!' He met her and obviously flipped over her, and she's super talented and does an amazing job in the movie." Portman later realized what the pairing would entail, however. "I didn't really think through the fact that I was going to have to have sex with her in the movie," she admitted.

The actress revealed that it was slightly uncomfortable to work on those scenes but said that having Kunis around was a positive experience as well. "It was pretty awkward. I almost feel like it would be easier to do it with someone you didn't know," she said. "But, having said that, it was great to have a friend there who, we could laugh and make jokes and get over it together."

Despite Aronofsky's efforts to increase the rivalry by separating the pals on set, the pair stayed in close contact. "He didn't want us to be friends while we were shooting, because we're rivals in the movie," Portman said of the director. "So we both had to do this ballet training, but he would make it at different times, and then he would tell me, 'She's doing really well,' and then tell her, 'Natalie's doing so much better than you,' " she laughed. "But we would share the information, so we were like, 'He's messing with us. This isn't real, this isn't real.' "