How Much Shorter Is Natalie Portman Than Her ‘Thor’ Co-Star Chris Hemsworth?
Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth’s on-screen partnership is an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, filming scenes together required some ingenuity because of their severe height difference. The production team found a way, and Natalie Portman’s height doesn’t stop her from wielding Mjolnir in the new Thor: Love and Thunder. So, how tall is Natalie Portman compared to Chris Hemsworth?
Natalie Portman received praise as an actor from an early age
Portman’s talent has helped her climb the acting ladder. She’s versatile enough as a performer to stand out in mainstream blockbusters and interesting auteur-led movies. The MCU was her second attempt at a global franchise, and her reputation remained high even as the Thor movies struggled to find the right tone out of the gate.
Portman had screen presence before she was ever on a screen. She was scouted at a pizza parlor as a kid and offered the chance to model professionally. She turned that down and decided to begin her acting career, appearing in Leon: The Professional when she was 13. Her performance drew wide acclaim and led to more roles as a notable child actor in Heat and Mars Attacks!
She continued to balance her education while becoming a movie star on her terms. Portman was still in high school when she joined the Star Wars universe as Padme Amidala. It’s safe to say the prequels did not land with the audience at the time, but Portman was not the reason why the trilogy was largely disappointing. When she wasn’t in the galaxy far, far, away, she was putting in great work in the likes of V for Vendetta, Black Swan (for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress), and Jackie.
Portman returned to franchise work by playing love interest Jane Foster in the Thor movies. She was an unfortunate victim of Marvel’s inability to find the right voice and direction for the characters, but after Thor: Ragnarok, the studio appears to have a point of view that can get more out of Portman in the next movie.
How tall is Natalie Portman compared to Chris Hemsworth? Their height difference made filming ‘Thor’ tricky
During an interview on The Graham Norton Show alongside Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman reveals how the production team found creative ways to get the two Thor co-stars in the same frame during close-ups.
“I was mainly cast because I can make anyone look huge,” she jokes. “I’m just extraordinarily short.” That description is probably too harsh on her.
So, how tall is Natalie Portman? At 5-foot-3, she’s significantly shorter than Hemsworth, who is a strapping 6-foot-3, a full 12 inches taller than his Thor co-star.
Making short people look taller isn’t a new problem in Hollywood. Tom Cruise would have a much different career if it weren’t for creative solutions. For Portman, all the crew needed was a simple piece of technology to get her closer to Hemsworth. “They usually had some sort of ramp I would walk up to somewhere near his face.”
Norton’s interviews always skew in the direction of silly, but the laughs become boisterous when the host pulls out action figures for Thor and Jane Foster. Their height difference is substantial, but the figure has Portman barely peaking above Hemsworth’s belt.
The interview was well-received by fans in the comments section. Joce C called the Oscar winner “so humble” for saying she landed her role in Thor to make Hemsworth look huge.
Cryzz0n wrote, “I’m cracking up imagining how small and adorable she probably looked in her costume for love and thunder.”
And Maria Josh said, “I no longer feel ashamed of being short … Thanks, Natalie, for existing.”
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ showcases her as an action star
Natalie Portman hasn’t appeared in a Marvel property since Thor: The Dark World and didn’t seem to be clamoring for an entryway back into the franchise. But director Taika Waititi persuaded the actor to rejoin the series with the promise of a much more prominent role in Thor: Love and Thunder.
A lot has happened to Jane since we last saw her. She is now a warrior ready to fight alongside the Nordic god and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) as Mighty Thor. Portman has been in action movies before, but we’ve never seen her this jacked before.
It’s jarring but exciting to see Portman try something new this deep into her career. The actor spent hours sculpting her physique for Love and Thunder, but her stature once again proved an obstacle. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige admitted the team used some “movie magic” to make Portman look taller.
Thor: Love and Thunder premiered in theaters on July 8.
