Why Natalie Portman Is Now Super Insecure About Her Iconic 'Garden State' Role

By
Fox Searchlight

Natalie Portman has been a little unsure of herself about Garden State lately.

The 34-year-old actress admitted at a Toronto Film Festival panel that a joke on the Comedy Central show, Broad City, about her 2004 movie left her feeling more than a little self-conscious.

MORE: 11 Reasons Why We Want a Best Friend Like Abbi and Ilana on 'Broad City'

"I've been insecure about [Garden State] recently because of Broad City. Does anyone here watch Broad City?” she asked, via Vulture. "Best show. If you haven’t watched it, watch it. And on the show there's a really dorky character who’s a gym instructor, like an Equinox guy or something, and he’s the worst. And he's like, 'Oh my God, I love Garden State! I donated all my money to Zach Braff’s Kickstarter.' And I’m like..." Natalie trailed off before acting super embarrassed.

"'Oh my God.' So now, because the people I think are the coolest think it’s really lame I’m kind of insecure about it," she added.

WATCH: Kelly Ripa Gets Drunk and High in Totally Unexpected, Hilarious ‘Broad City’ Cameo

And it’s not just Broad City that has Natalie rethinking her Garden State role. In the indie comedy, Natalie plays Sam, an adorably quirky girl with epilepsy who likes hip music and saves Braff’s character with her undeniable charm. The role became the quintessential “manic pixie dream girl.”

“When I read it I was like, ‘Oh, this is a character that’s wacky and interesting, and no one’s ever given me a chance to play something like this. It’s this sort of unusual girl,’” Natalie explained. “So that was my incentive to make it. But of course I see that trope and I think it’s a good thing to recognize the way those female characters are used. I mean, I appreciate that people are writing characters that are interesting and unusual, rather than some bland female character as the girlfriend in a movie, but when the point of the character in this movie is to, like, help the guy have his arc, that’s sort of the problem, and that’s why it’s good that they’re talking about it, because it certainly is a troubling trope.”

There's no love loss over at Broad City, however. After hearing about the news, the TV show threw love for Natalie up on its Facebook page, writing, "luv u nat," plus a heart emoji.

If anything, this just makes the possibility of a guest starring role all the more likely!

WATCH: Natalie Portman Reveals Her Wilder Days Pre-Social Media: 'I Got Drunk and No One Knew'

In the September issue of Marie Claire U.K., Natalie addresses her wilder days, back before social media.

"I was in that lucky window: there was no Twitter, Facebook or Instagram," Natalie said. "I went out and got drunk with my friends and no one knew."

Watch below.