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Natalie Portman's Black Swan Body Double Says Film's Producers Are "Lying"
Posted on Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:30 PM PDT
ABC/Fox Searchlight
Natalie Portman's body double in Black Swan, Sarah Lane, continues to speak out about the amount of dancing she claims Portman did her her Oscar-winning role in the ballet film.
Lane told 20/20's Elizabeth Vargas she wants the film's producers to come clean about the dancing Portman really did: "They're completely lying about the amount of dancing Natalie did in the movie."
Lane, a trained ballerina, says claims Portman did most of her own performance scenes are an insult to her profession:
- "I've been doing this for 22 years, and to say that someone trained for a year and a half and did what I did is degrading not only to me but to the entire ballet world. They threaten the entire principle of ballet and I feel like I need to say something."
The film's director, Darren Aronofsky, says the claims are completely untrue. The ABC show aired this response from him:
- "Here is the reality. I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film—111 are Natalie Portman untouched. Twenty-eight are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math, that's 80 percent Natalie Portman."
When the film's editor Andy Weisblum was approached, he said, "There are about 35 shots that are full-body shots in the movie. Of those 35 shots, 12 are Natalie, and then the rest are Sarah."
But that's not the only controversy about a Natalie Portman body double ... an Irish student has come forward to say she was paid $450 to stand in for Portman in a scene of Your Highness. Read more about that, after the jump ...
Universal
Irish student Caroline Davis says she was chosen to take the place of Portman in this scene, in which Portman's character dives into an icy lake in Belfast. The Irish student told The Sun: "I’m a film studies student so I jumped at the chance to be on set."
At least the taught bum is 100% Portman -- that's the only part I care about!
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Natalie Portman On Her Diet: "I Actually Went Back To Being Vegetarian" - Apr 11, 2011
Natalie Portman Brushes Off Body Double Controversy In New Interview - Apr 07, 2011
Comments
EFF OFF YOU BITTER HAG!
IT'S A MOVIE NOT A DOCUMENTURY ACTRESSES ARE PLAYING THE PART OF DANCERS PEOPLE KNOW THEIR NOT REAL DANCERS.
STFU AND GO AWAY!
I dont blame her for being pissed. Ballet is hard. And like she said, to say Natalie trained for a year and could doall those dance moves when this lady trained for over 20 is a complete insult.
I must be missing something. Why is this woman complaining? She got paid to be a body double. Did she think she was going to be the star of the movie? Maybe she's upset that she didn't get an Oscar?
EVERYONE uses body doubles. Bitchy ballerina needs to go eat a burger and shut up.
I haven't seen the movie, and haven't heard enough good on it, to want to see it. I guess my question is, does the dancing outweigh the acting, or are the Oscars just one big scam??
Who cares!! This girl needs to get a life and stop trying to hog the spotlight - we will never remember you anyway sweetheart...
She just needs a better contract next time. They don't owe her anything unless it was in the contract. She was paid to be part of the illusion. Contract particulars would have at least credited her properly. Also, Natalie really should have thanked her from the Oscar and other award show stages.
I agree completely with this girl, all the praising for the movie have been about how "well" she did the dance moves, etc.
That Natalie should have been honest about it, at least...she knows she is overrated, but you know she is jewish after alll as well as 98% of Hollywood's big names...
Sarah Lane must not want anymore work in Hollywood anymore. The way she is stirring up trouble, she is acting like she wants the Oscar that Natalie won. Natalie deserved the Oscar as her performance was outstanding and I am not talking about the dancing. If Natalie had not won, we would not being hearing all of this crap from Sarah Lane. I am sure she was well paid for her work. In other words stfu and go away.
Natalie Portman is a liar and should give back the Oscar.
She's not complaining about Natalie winning the Oscar for lack of talent, it's for the production company claiming Natalie did most of the work. She lied. All of Hollywood lies. Natalie Portman is no different.
I think this girl needs to give it a rest already. She was hired to be a body double and that is the end of the story. Portman was acting out all the scenes and earned an Oscar from her performance. I am pretty confident in saying this girl will NOT be getting anymore opportunities in films again if she can't keep her mouth shut.
this girl is insulting the audience!!! does she really thinks that the watchers of a movie that revolves around ballet don't have the slightest idea of what it takes to be a ballerina!!! does she really think that we actually believe that an actress can become a ballerina in a year an half?!?
I'm sorry miss Lane you r the one insulting the audience intelligence!!!!!!
I love Natalie and I think she deserved the Oscar for acting... but the girl has the right to be pissed cuz ballet is hard as f*ck she put so much energy doing the dance scenes and now Natalie is getting the credits of it if I was her I'd be pissed too... and no one can be a balerina in a year... just saying
I think the only one lying is this lady. Strange donta think, that she would speak now and not before when the movie opened. Everyone on the set said the woman was fabricating her role as a double. They gave her credit guess it wasn't enough for her.
WHO CARES?!?
I don't.
The thing is, Sarah Lane must have complete misunderstood how Natalie's work was promoted for the movie. First, Natalie was honest about having a body double and the amount of work that they are praising her for are the amount of time she spent in the gym working out to look like a ballerina and to learn the upper body moves so looks like a dancer in the movie. That's it. There were never claims about Natalie doing the dance moves because it was clear there was a body double. The praises were for Natalie's commitment to losing weight and training to get the ballerina-ish body and to move LIKE she really was a ballerina to make her performance believable. That's it. Whoever is feeding this chick stuff that caused her to misunderstand the whole issue really has something against Natalie Portman.
These people are ridiculous. Of course there was a dance double but I believe Natalie was in most of the movie.
Her OSCAR WAS FOR THE ACTING not dancing. ugggh bitter doubles. Don't sign up if you can't deal with it!!!!
No one f*cking cares if this bitch did all the dancing! The acting and the actress who played the role is what earned the film its acclaim and its awards...she's not defending ballet or the hard work it is. She just wants her 15 minutes and her TV interviews. She should just take her paycheck and shut up already!
LANE NEEDS TO DO A SEQUEL TITLED, "BITCHY SWAN".
29:15 - Anon
EXACTLY! The Oscar was for ACTING - not dancing!
The studio needs to post a memo, "Bitchy body doubles need not apply."
Bitch, move on!
do you know how many years natalie portman had to work to gain her film experience and her fame for you to reap the benefits of her fame by trying to call her out like this - you were luky to work on the project and work with her so shut your mouth
A stunt double is a stunt double regardless of the type of movie. You don't hear of profession stuntman contacting the media for recognition.
I don't understand what this woman wants. A biscuit? Ok. We got it. Portman is not a ballerina. I think she is ok with that though. She should have never been a body double if she couldn't take the fact that Portman will be the face of the movie...if you want fame hunny go take some acting classes.
I love Natalie Portman.Great actress.nice person.Her OSCAR WAS FOR THE ACTING not dancing.
who cares? everyone uses body doubles.
Sarah is the Rosa Parks of the ballet industry.
Stand up and SPEAK! Don't sit quietly at the back of the bus, and be insulted.
She's friends with Portman's partner's ex. Enough said.
Of course she is trying to make him look bad.
This movie was about Portman's acting, not dancing. Her Academy Award was for acting, not dancing.
Ms. Lane is just upset that she and her agent or attorney FAILED to get on screen credit in a prominent, visible manner. Portman FAILED to give Ms. Lane credit her due when accepting the Academy Award. Had she thanked Ms. Lane and made special note of her contribution, this would be even more of a non issue than it is.
Ms lane: next time (i doubt you'll dance again in a film) but next time make sure you have a competent and professional agent looking out for you.
You are simply trying to extend your "15 minutes of fame" to half an hour.
she is portman's double so what does she expect? to be the next big star? doubles dont show up and steal the scene. that's y they are just doubles..biotch
BECAUSE THEY LIE!
I DONT BLAME HER... SHE WORKED HARDER
OMG you are a fucking stunt double! GET OVER IT
Sweetheart, not only will Hollywood NEVER use you again, but you're an idiot... you were hired to be a double for a movie. You knew what it entailed, and now you want the spotlight? You aren't a star, nor were you hired to be one.. Natalie Portman far outshines you in every single way.. Talent, beauty, and brains.
ok.... girl you're a double, and yes you are an amazing ballet dancer!! but in this movie you're jus a double jus that! you can't win an oscar for that!! an Natalie is amazing and she did a great job with that movie!! forgive me for my mistakes I don't speak english!!
I really don't think Natalie won the Oscar for the dancing scenes she won because of her acting skills that's what the oscar is about., acting
Im glad she wont shut up about it..she shouldn't.
An audience is only interested in the story and what makes the action believable. I don't think it matters who did what as it doesn't detract from what is happening in the film, and as long as the film is well-made, I don't care. These squabbles are for industry people, but the film industry is not above using trickery or clever marketing to sell things. When Titanic came out, James Cameron went on record to overstate the use of footage from the wreck of the luxury liner. Most of the shots were from detailed models of the wreck. It is actually quite obvious. In truth, film-makers, often exaggerate what they did, especially during award season because the audience only knows as much as the studios reveal so no one questions them. In order to get awards, you must show you did a lot more than the job required and got more on camera than anyone had the right to expect or demand.