Academy Award®–winning actress Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) returns to the “Thor” franchise as Jane Foster, the astrophysicist who developed a relationship with Thor when he was banished to Earth by his father in the first film. Happy to reprise the role, Portman says, “It’s really fun to get to come back and play her again. I think it’s rare to get the opportunity to play a female scientist in this kind of movie, so it’s nice to have a little foil for the Super Hero.”
Q: What is it like to be reprising the role of Jane Foster?
A: It’s really fun to get to come back and play her again. I think it’s rare to get the opportunity to play a female scientist in this kind of movie, so it’s nice to have a little foil for the Super Hero.
Q: Tell us where Jane is at the beginning of this film.
A: Jane is hard at work in London. She’s missing Thor still but forging on with her research and trying to date again and get her life back together.
Q: Thor is away dealing with the world of Asgard, correct?
A: Yes, but when Thor comes down she definitely is angry with him for not dropping by when he was on Earth.
Q: How has Jane’s world changed since the first film?
A: Jane has moved, so she’s now in London, not in Santa Fe anymore. Obviously she has gone through missing Thor and also being upset at him because he didn’t come knock on her door when he was on her planet. She’s definitely been getting over that and trying to move on.
Q: Now she lives in a beautiful apartment in London, correct?
A: Yes. She’s an heiress. Because her dad’s British, she inherited this beautiful apartment that her scientist salary surely would not support.
Q: Talk about working with Chris Hemsworth again and the evolution of Thor and Jane’s relationship.
A: It’s always so fun to work with Chris. He’s really got the best energy. He is so enthusiastic about the work and so sweet to work with and so good. It was just really fun.
Q: Where do they stand in their relationship?
A: Thor and Jane are reuniting and obviously she’s upset at first, but he quickly explains why he didn’t come say hi. He makes it up to her by saving her life and then they become this great team.
Q: So what is Jane’s relationship like with Darcy and Selvig in this film?
A: Darcy is still her intern, whom she loves but is also very annoyed by all the time. She has a wonderful sense of humor. Selvig is on the edge of lunacy from the events with the Avengers in New York but is still a great mentor to her.
Q: What was it like getting to work with Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo a lot more in this film?
A: It was great. I was so lucky this time to get to work with both Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo. They’re two actors I so admire, and they were so incredibly lovely—like beyond your wildest dreams lovely. So warm and normal and so impressive, doing really wonderful things with their scenes that I never imagined while reading them.
Q: What did you think about the script when you read it?
A: I was really happy that Jane got to be a little funnier. The joy of these movies is that they are these action movies but they’re also very light. You want to go because it provides an escape and is incredibly entertaining.
Q: What’s it been like working with director Alan Taylor?
A: Alan is really incredible. He’s really made this film so epic. I think it’s such a grand scale and it really sort of feels operatic when you see just how large everything is. The scope of the moviemaking is really, really grand and he’s just very dead on with all the character moments. He doesn’t do a lot of takes but he gives you really specific directions; he knows specifically what he wants. He gives very helpful notes.
Q: What is it like to work on such practical sets?
A: The sets are incredible. You walk on set and you’re like, oh wow, we’re making a movie. You feel like it’s really like the old days of cinema because the scope is just so, so grand. Huge columns and all; it’s just incredible. It’s fun to be on that kind of set and see the craftsmanship that goes into it. The Hall of Science set on Asgard was really, really beautiful.
Q: Let’s talk about your wardrobe.
A: It was definitely new to be in the Asgard clothes and luckily I think my character should feel uncomfortable in them, so, any discomfort I had could be part of the character’s feelings as well. The funny part was combining the clothes because we have the Barbour field jacket that I wear. It was my Earth jacket over the Asgard dress for much of the film, so that’s the combination that always makes people laugh.
Q: Why do you think audiences relate to Thor?
A: Thor is someone going through very human struggles with his father, with fate, and with what he’s meant to do with his life. These are classic themes that are part of many classic stories and part of our lives. They are definitely easy to relate to.
Q: Were you familiar with Thor before you shot the first film?
A: No, it was totally new.
Q: Why do you think Marvel has been so successful at creating a cinematic universe?
A: Marvel is amazing. I think they have such great taste with the people that they choose to make their films—the directors they work with and the crews. I think they make fun, smart movies of really good quality and people are responding to that.
Q: Can you talk about working with Tom Hiddleston?
A: Tom is wonderful. He plays Loki, of course, and he’s just an incredible actor who finds so much humor in his evil. He’s also fun to be around and he and Chris have a great rapport with each other. They’ve got sort of a brotherly thing. They really enjoy each other and annoy each other in a loving, joking way and it’s fun to be around.
Q: What was the most fun day?
A: The most fun for me was in Hayes, London, when I did the rig where I get sucked into the wormhole. They put me in a harness and I just went back and forth. It was really a lot of fun.
