Darren Aronofsky Tried to Stoke Rivalry Between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis On ‘Black Swan’ Set: ‘Was All in Good Fun’

“Black Swan” returns to theaters on Aug. 21 and 24, playing in Imax for the first time to celebrate fifteen years since the psychological thriller first hit cinemas. Director Darren Aronofsky recently reunited with stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis to reflect on the film’s milestone anniversary for Vogue, and their discussion revealed that the director had tried and failed to stoke rivalry between the two stars to reflect their on-screen feud.

“My take is that I was trying to be a sneaky director and make them argue,” admitted Aronofsky, “Mila and Natalie both realized very quickly what I was doing and made fun of me, so it quickly became a joke that we all understood. They’re both very clever and were instantly privy to whatever trick I was playing.”

Aronofsky’s method was meant to help the actors get into character, as both play ballerinas in the film, competing for top billing in a prestigious production of “Swan Lake.” The on-screen contention between the two devolves into a fever dream of violence, deception and abuse— both mental and physical.

Behind the scenes, however, Portman and Kunis were too professional and supportive of one another to give in to Aronofsky’s tactics. “I remember being separated from Mila and that we weren’t in the same space a lot when we weren’t shooting,” Portman recalled, but when the director would try bating her with comments about Kunis’ talent and commitment, she responded, “She’s so fucking talented and I love her so much and I’m happy she’s doing a great job!”

Kunis faced similar situations. She said, “Darren would tell me, ‘Nat is working really, really hard. She’s not even taking Saturdays and Sundays off.’ Then I would text Nat and she’d be like, ‘…No, I’m not?’ I think that’s how we figured out what Darren was up to, but it was all in good fun.”

Nevertheless, both actors reflected fondly on their experience working with Aronofsky. “‘Black Swan’ was the first time I felt like I had a mind meld with a director, where each of us always knew exactly what to say. Every time we talked it felt like he gave me a little key that unlocked a scene for me,” said Portman. Kunis added that when journalists would ask her about Aronofsky’s intensity on set, she’d respond, “‘He’s actually a really kind, lovely guy who took us to see ‘Twilight’ one time because we had the day off.’ And journalists were always so disappointed that he wasn’t some tortured soul who treated us like garbage.”

Their collaboration paid off, as “Black Swan” earned $329.4 million at the worldwide box office. Portman took home her first Academy Award for her performance and the film garnered four additional nominations— including best picture and best director for Aronofsky.

Portman summed it up well when reflecting on her first time watching the film, calling it “shocking and exhilarating in a really wonderful way.” Audiences will be able to relive that shock and wonder in Imax next weekend, and Aronofsky’s next film, “Caught Stealing,” will hit theaters Aug. 29.