Natalie Portman had never seen Star Wars until she joined the cast

Natalie Portman admitted she had never seen a Star Wars film until she was cast in the franchise.

The 42-year-old actress played Padme Amidala in 1999 prequel The Phantom Menace and its 2002 and 2005 sequels, and though she was "aware of the lingo" of the sci-fi world, she hadn't sat through any of the original trilogy.

She told Radio Times magazine: "I didn't know the films at all before I was cast!

"I was aware of the lingo, as American culture is so immersed in Star Wars.

"Even if you've never seen the movies, you know what Princess Leia buns are, what a lightsaber is, what a Jedi is, you know who Yoda and Obi-Wan are… you know all these words and names before you even see the films. But I only saw the films when I was approached to do them."

Natalie can next be seen in May December and although she wasn't "comfortable" shooting a sex scene for the film, she was thankful there was an intimacy coordinator on board to guide her through it.

She said: "It's never comfortable. And we just figured it out between ourselves. I think we all had a very good, open communication.

"But I think intimacy coordinators can be really wonderful, especially in environments that are uncomfortable or hostile. It can be helpful to have some sort of structure around it."

Natalie was less at ease when director Todd Haynes told her she needed to hold a snake.

She said: "It was definitely a real easy garden snake! I remember Todd asking me, 'Are you comfortable handling snakes?' And I said, 'Absolutely not!' Then he said, 'But we need you to', and I was like, 'Okay… if I must!'"

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