Natalie Portman, known for her role as Padmé Amidala in the iconic Star Wars franchise and her Academy Award-winning performance in “Black Swan,” considers her contribution to the children’s series “Bluey” as “the most important one.”
Wondering how an American actress fits into an Australian cartoon?
“I was a narrator of a nature documentary that they were watching,” Portman explains about her role in the “Whale Watching” episode from Season 3, where she is credited as “Whale Doco Narrator.”
In the episode, siblings Bluey and Bingo are eager to play, but their parents are too tired. Mum relaxes on the couch with some chips, while Dad sprawls on the rug. The kids climb onto Dad’s back, pretending Captain Bluey is giving Bingo “the best tour ever.”
As the kids watch a whale documentary on TV, Portman’s calming voice narrates, “Whales travel extremely long distances into warm waters to have their babies. They stay with them all the way back to the colder waters. There’s nothing a whale mom wouldn’t do for her children.”
Mum, watching the show with her kids, feels guilty and eagerly joins in the pretend play.
“It’s a very important show for my family,” Portman told Hoda Kotb during an appearance on TODAY to promote her first major television series, Apple TV’s “Lady in the Lake.” Portman has two children with ex-husband Benjamin Millepied: son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 7.
“I was really, really honored to get to be part of it,” she said of the cartoon.
Hoda Kotb could relate.
“‘Bluey’ is such a hit in our house, too,” said Hoda, who has two daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. “What is it about it?”
“It’s so wonderful,” Portman enthused. “It’s just … I don’t know. It’s just pure joy.”
“Which is something that we need,” Hoda added.
“Something we need,” Portman echoed.