In this review, we’ll see if the Natalie Portman MasterClass lives up to its promises and delivers a course worthy of your investment.
Natalie Portman MasterClass Summary
- What you’ll learn: In this MasterClass, the Academy Award Winning actress Natalie Portman delivers a deep dive into the working life of a career actor. She guides you through the process of working on set with professional directors and producers and pulls from her own extensive and diverse filmography.
- Run time: 2 hours 27 minutes
- Recommendation: 9/10. This class gives you a first hand look of what the life of a professional, modern day actor encompasses. She teaches you everything from how to embody your character to common set courtesy. Even if you don’t have aspirations to become an actor, this class is a fascinating dive into the art of filmmaking and gives you a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite films.
MasterClass offers a wide variety of lessons from famous actors, directors, and writers like James Cameron, Ron Howard, Steve Martin, and more.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Natalie Portman’s MasterClass, but once I got started, she blew me away!
In this class, Natalie Portman talks a lot about movies and actors that have inspired her. You get to see clips and scenes that have stuck with her, which is great for helping understand her lessons.
What’s interesting is she sometimes brings in experts from her life in the classes. For example, she brings in her own dialect coach for the lecture on dialects. This gives you a great idea of how someone like Natalie Portman makes her career so great.
In this Natalie Portman MasterClass review, I’ll answer a few key questions, summarize what I liked and disliked about the course, and give you my honest recommendation. I aim to give you as much information as you need to decide: Is the Natalie Portman MasterClass on Acting worth it?
Let’s get started.
In this MasterClass review, you’ll learn:
- What does this MasterClass promise?
- How much does Natalie Portman’s MasterClass cost?
- What’s included in the Natalie Portman MasterClass?
- About the structure of the class
- Key things I learned after taking the Natalie Portman MasterClass
- Things I liked and didn’t like about the Natalie Portman MasterClass
- Is Natalie Portman’s MasterClass worth the money?
Quick Q and A
Yes, you need a MasterClass subscription to access Natalie Portman’s MasterClass. The subscription unlocks hundreds of classes taught by experts in their respective fields. Jump to the pricing section to know more.
The Natalie Portman MasterClass on acting is 2 hours and 27 minutes over 20 lessons.
Yes. MasterClass has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you’re unhappy with the subscription and cancel within the first 30 days, you can request a full refund.
Yes, absolutely.
About Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is an Israeli-born American actress. She started her career incredibly young at the age of twelve. Her first film was Léon: The Professional, which became a huge success and still remains a cult classic.
She attended Harvard University and graduated with a degree in psychology. During this time, she also starred in the blockbuster Star Wars prequel films.
In 2004, she earned her first Golden Globe playing the enigmatic dancer in the film Closer. She continued to star in influential films such as V for Vendetta and The Other Boleyn Girl.
She earned her Academy Award for Best Actress with her starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Black Swan, where she played a troubled ballet dancer.
She has built a riveting and diverse career and, now at 42 years old, is one of the leading actresses of her generation.
Acting is unlike other arts because you’re not sitting alone painting in a room, you’re not playing an instrument by yourself. You are working with an orchestra.
What Does this MasterClass Promise?
So, did Natalie Portman’s MasterClass on Acting live up to her promises? Did she meet my expectations?
I’ll cover that at the end of the review (skip ahead if you want to find out). But first, let’s talk about what’s probably on your mind: what separates this MasterClass from other acting courses?
In MasterClass, you’ll often get lectures from people who break down the steps the way an expert would.
Natalie Portman’s MasterClass is much more immersive.
Rather than explaining acting the way an acting teacher might, she brings you into her own personal experiences. You get to understand what the process of being a professional actress looks like for someone like Natalie Portman.
In this way, this MasterClass is truly a great, step-by-step guide into the behaviors and techniques you need to use in order to carry yourself the way an award-winning actor would.
What’s great about this class is she doesn’t present herself as a coach or an expert. She really breaks down her own personal experiences from being on set and working with professional actors, directors, and producers.
This is a great insight into what it’s like to be Natalie Portman, which is an interesting way to learn how to act.
How Much Does Natalie Portman’s MasterClass Cost?
MasterClass doesn’t offer single-course memberships. To access Natalie Portman’s MasterClass (and 180+ others), you need to subscribe to an annual plan that costs between $120 to $240, depending on the chosen plan.
Here’s a breakdown of MasterClass’s prices, billed annually:
- Individual: $120 per year ($10 per month)
- Duo (two devices): $180 per year ($15 per month)
- Family (six devices): $240 per year ($20 per month)
You get access to all of MasterClass’s offerings regardless of the plan you choose.
This means that you’re not only paying $120 for a three-hour course; you’re paying $120 to access more than 180 top-tier lessons from well-known professionals across various fields.
Among these experts include Kris Jenner, Mellody Hobson, and Noam Chomsky. I’ve written reviews for each of their MasterClasses, so check them out if you’re interested!
The only difference between the Individual, Duo, and Family plans is the number of people who can use and access the account simultaneously.
The Individual Plan lets a single user watch, learn, and explore the entirety of MasterClass’s extensive library of courses.
With the Duo Plan, two people can access the platform simultaneously, making it ideal for learning alongside a partner, friend, or family member.
The Family Plan extends this accessibility to up to six people, accommodating the needs of large groups or families.
When subscribing to MasterClass, keep an eye out for seasonal or holiday discounts. MasterClass often gives out two-for-the-price-of-one deals, so you can gift a friend or family member a complimentary subscription when you subscribe.
What is Included in the Natalie Portman MasterClass?
Here’s a rundown of what you’re getting with Natalie Portman’s MasterClass:
| Runtime: | 2 hours and 27 minutes |
| Reviews: | 4.7 out of 5 ⭐️ |
| Lessons: | 20 video lessons |
| Materials: | 1 workbook |
Runtime
The runtime clocks in at nearly 2 and a half hours, but at no point does the class ever feel like it’s dragging. I found myself immersed in her process. As well, there are “breaks” in between the class where she gives acting demos, which add variety to the material. You’ll find yourself finishing this MasterClass in a day because you simply can’t put it down.
Supplemental material
Natalie Portman’s MasterClass comes with a comprehensive workbook.
The supplemental workbook is 60 pages long and you can follow along with it and fill it out as you take the class, or you can use it for extra material once you’re finished with the class.
It breaks down each lesson and gives thought-provoking assignments to provide you with your own, unique learning tools.
Community Access
Like any MasterClass course, you can join a community of learners enrolled in Natalie Portman’s classes. You can connect with fellow students, discuss session materials, and exchange ideas.
About the Structure of the Class
Natalie Portman’s MasterClass is divided up into 20 lessons with an average run time of 10-15 minutes per lesson. However, the video playback buttons offer you the ability to watch the course at 1.5x and 2x speed.
Lesson plan:
1. Introduction
2. Getting to Know Your Character
3. Developing Your Character Through Research
4. Developing Your Character’s Physicality
5. Scene Studies: Physical Gesture
6. Case Study: “Black Swan”
7. Dialect Coaching: Research and Practice
8. Dialect Coaching in “Jackie”
9. Working on Set
10. Performing on Camera
11. Working With Directors
12. Successful Collaborations With Directors
13. Case Study: Working With Terrence Malick
14. Playing a Real Character
15. Assignments in Developing Performance
16. Improvisation
17. Demo: Working With the Set, Props, and Camera
18. Green-Screen Acting
19. Advice for Actors
20. Active Empathy
Lesson summary:
Natalie Portman’s MasterClass is an essential guide for anyone who wants to take their acting career to the next level.
At the start of the class, she breaks down some of the nuts and bolts of acting. She guides you through the process of getting into the physicality of your character. Plus, she provides examples that inspired her – snippets of her favorite films and actors that she drew from to improve her own skills.
What I love about this MasterClass is that Natalie Portman doesn’t do it alone. There are multiple people required to make an actor successful, and she allows you into the experience of all the different levels of talent it takes to reach her level of success.
For example, in one of her lessons about dialects, she brings in her personal dialect coach. You get to see the way they interact and how the coach provides her with invaluable knowledge to improve her craft.
If you don’t have the funds for your own personal coach, don’t worry! She also gives plenty of practical advice on how to study dialects and languages from your home using free tools and resources online.
Natalie Portman has worked with brilliant minds and she pulls from that experience during the class. In one of her lessons, she gives a breakdown of what it was like to work with the director Terrence Malick and how certain directors want to run their sets.
Finally, Natalie Portman has done so many films in her career. More than that, she has a huge variety of films to pick from. She explains what it’s like to do different types of film, such as biographical pieces. She also talks about what it’s like to use a green screen for technologically-complex pieces. No matter what kind of film you want to learn, she has advice for you.
It’s truly a fascinating study on the professional life of a world-renowned actress.
My Fast-Track Lesson Plan
Each episode is really worth a watch, as Natalie Portman packs a lot of information into a short amount of time. However, for those who have taken a lot of MasterClass courses, there are some sections that are unique to this class because of Natalie Portman’s wide array of experiences.
Course Reviewers 60-Minute Lesson Plan
2. Getting to Know Your Character | 07m28s
3. Developing Your Character Through Research | 07m44s
5. Scene Studies: Physical Gesture | 06m51s
8. Dialect Coaching in “Jackie” | 09m23s
9. Working on Set | 10m50s
11. Working With Directors | 06m41s
15. Assignments in Developing Performance | 3m45s
17. Demo: Working With the Set, Props, and Camera | 05m49s
Total runtime = 1 hour
Key Things I Learned
I found Natalie Portman’s class fascinating – even if only from the point of view from someone who is interested in the process of filmmaking.
She breaks down the different people and tools you need to surround yourself with as a professional actor. From vocal coaches and more, you really get the grasp of the multiple people that go into making Natalie Portman “Natalie Portman.”
It goes without saying that each new director she works with has a different system they use. It was interesting to hear her talk about the different styles and then explain how she found the style that worked personally best for her. She learned how to advocate for herself on set, how to set boundaries with other actors, and how to create a safe space. This is invaluable knowledge, especially for budding actors and actresses.
Natalie Portman really gives you complete access to her inner process. At one point, she takes us through a demo of what it’s like when she starts a scene. She communicates with the director and the set designer to go over boundaries in advance. She asks questions like “which props are breakable? Which props are edible? Which parts of the set are operational and which aren’t?”
These are things you might not even think to ask, but can really change the way you might improvise in a scene or how you interact with the set around you.
Natalie Portman gives you the tools to set a foundation as a professional actor so that, the second you step on set, people enjoy working with you and want to work with you again.
Below are a few key learnings that stood out during the MasterClass:
- Use the resources available to you. If you have a vocal coach, great! If not, study videos online or watch movies set in the region that you’re studying.
- Know which questions to ask on set. This will allow you to have freedom during your scenes and instill trust between you and the crew.
- The way you move and look as a character will greatly impact your performance. Pay attention to the way people treat you when you move or look a certain way. This will inform your ideas about your character.
- Break up a script so you only focus on your character’s scenes. Remember that the character can’t know the scenes they’re not in, so try to contain your performance to your own scenes.
Things I Liked About Natalie Portman’s MasterClass
Natalie Portman is–unsurprisingly–an engaging teacher.
She’s made a career out of being a captivating actor, so it shouldn’t come to a shock that she delivers her lessons in a way that really draws you in and keeps you inspired.
I like that her class feels very much like a conversation rather than a lecture. You get the feeling that you’re sitting across from her in a personal class setting. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that she gives very personal experiences from her own acting journey.
For example, at one point, she breaks down an intimate scene she did with one of her coworkers. She describes how awkward it was at first, but how they learned each other’s boundaries and how she set the scene to keep it safe for her but still give her room to play and have fun with the character.
These slices of life from her career are inspirational and great tools to take with you. After all, if it worked for Natalie Portman, why can’t it work for you?
My Favorite Quotes from Natalie Portman’s MasterClass
- “Making mistakes is okay. The whole point is to try things.”
- “The way you move with your body is such an important part of expressing a character’s emotion.”
- “The worst thing you can be in film is be self-conscious.”
- “You’re making a movie influenced by life.”
- “When you finally get to set, you’ve done all the work—so the important thing is to relax, be confident, and just try and be as fearless as possible.”
- “The more you give, I’ve always found, the more you receive back. There’s this real excitement in getting to play together.”
Things I Didn’t Like About the Natalie Portman MasterClass
Honestly, the only thing I didn’t like was that there wasn’t more of it!
I enjoyed her hands-on demos so much, I found myself wishing there were more of them. There are about three or four videos where you really just get to peek behind the scenes and witness her process.
For example, the video lesson in which she takes you on set and goes through the process of setting up the scene with the crew is incredibly interesting to watch.
She also provides some great movie clips as examples of what she’s teaching during her lessons – so, if anything, I would’ve enjoyed more of these, but I imagine they may have run into issues licensing certain clips.
Does the Class Keep its promises?
Absolutely!
Not only does Natalie Portman teach you how to be a better actor, but at the end of the day, she teaches you how to be a better person. Her final class about empathy encourages you to live in the world as an empathetic human – not only for your craft, but also for a better understanding of the world around you.
Is Natalie Portman’s MasterClass Worth the Money?
Yes if you…
- Are learning the craft of becoming an actor
- Are a professional actor who wants to level up their career
- Want to understand how to build better relationships on set
- Are a film-enthusiast and want to learn the behind-the-scenes lessons
- Are a fan of Natalie Portman’s work and want to understand the process behind her movies
No if you…
- Are not interested in what goes into making a film
- Are not interested in demos for actors and movie makers
- Don’t want to “lift the veil” between enjoying a movie and making a movie
Conclusion
Taking everything into consideration, I really enjoyed Natalie Portman’s acting class. Even if you aren’t interested in pursuing a career in acting, she proves some really interesting insights into the world of movie making.
Natalie Portman’s class is not only informational, it’s also inspiring. The lessons she provides give you a greater understanding of people in general and help you live a life as an empathetic and understanding individual.
If you’re interested in learning more, here is a trailer for the class:
