Natalie Portman gives her notable opinion when asked about the strength of traditional films in the age of social media.
The Oscar-winning actress recently sat in a conversation with Vanity Fair about the changes she has seen in Hollywood throughout the years.
“The striking thing has been the decline of film as a primary form of entertainment,” she said. “It feels much more niche now. If you ask someone my kids’ age about movie stars, they don’t know anyone compared to YouTube stars or whatever.”
The Hollywood fraternity continuously has been the part of debate about social media’s impact with the rise of the media industry in the 21st century, apparently sidelining traditional films.
Ana de Armas said last year that she feels the “concept of a movie star” has been destructed because the “mystery is gone,” while Jennifer Anniston earlier responded to a “mass-fame phenomenon” comment, saying, “It’s dying. There are no more movie stars. There’s no more glamour.”
But as far as Portman is concerned, the actress doesn’t count the shift as a bad thing, comparing it to a “two-sided coin.”
“There’s a liberation to it, in having your art not be a popular art,” the May December actress admitted. “You can really explore what’s interesting to you. It becomes much more about passion than about commerce. And interesting, too, to beware of it becoming something elitist. I think all of these art forms, when they become less popularized, you have to start being like, ‘OK, who are we making this for anymore?'”
Additionally, she believes that social media has made the entertainment industry more inclusive and accessible to everyone, not just those who work in Hollywood.
“And then amazing, too, because there’s also been this democratization of creativity, where gatekeepers have been demoted and everyone can make things and incredible talents come up. And the accessibility is incredible,” Portman added. “If you lived in a small town, you might not have been able to access great art cinema when I was growing up. Now, it feels like if you’ve got an internet connection, you can get access to anything. It’s pretty wild that you also feel like at the same time, more people than ever might see your weird art film because of his extraordinary access.”