Natalie Portman has opened up about the difficulties she has faced as an actress, particularly during her younger days of work.
The 39-year-old spoke about the s-xualisation of children and the detrimental impact that has had on her own private life.
"Being s-xualised as a child took way my own s-xuality," Portman said to the Armchair Expert podcast. "It scared me.
"So many people had this impression of me being very serious, prudish and conservative as I grew up.
"I consciously cultivated that because it was my way of making myself feel safe.
"If someone respects you, they won't make you feel objectified.
Even as a youth, Portman was conscious of how she was being portrayed to the wider world.
"I was definitely aware of how they portrayed me," she added. "Mainly in the type of journalism that existed when the films came out.
"The only way I could be sure was to say that I was conservative and serious and that I had to be respected, and that I'm smart, so not to look at me that way."
