Apart from being an award winning actress and an upcoming director, Natalie Portman graduated from the prestigious Harvard University in 2003 with a degree in psychology. Years following her departure from the academic institution, the 'Black Swan' star is back in school as the commencement speaker for the graduating batch of 2015, according to E! Online.
Portman began her speech by apologizing that her address "won't be very funny" as she failed to hire a ghost writer, referring to an email exchange between her and Harvard officials regarding the event which was leaked at the height of the Sony hacking scandal.
"I have to admit, primarily because I can't deny it-as it was leaked in the Wikileaks release of the Sony hack-that when I was invited I replied, and I directly quote my own email, 'Wow, this is so nice! I'm going to need some funny ghost writers. Any ideas?'" the actress said. "This initial response, now blessedly public, was from the knowledge that at my Class Day, we were lucky enough to have Will Ferrell as Class Day speaker, and that many of us, hungover or even freshly high, mainly wanted to laugh," she revealed.
On a more serious note, Portman encouraged the graduating class to take risks and not be encumbered by their limitations - which may either be imposed on them by themselves or by society. Citing her award winning role in 'Black Swan,' the actress said that she was "oblivious to my own limitations" despite people telling her that the project required high "artistic risk" and committing herself to such film "didn't feel like courage or daring to do it."
"The point is, if I had known my own limitations, I never would have taken the risk. And the risk led to one of my greatest personal and professional achievements," Portman said.
"Make use of the fact that you don't doubt yourself too much right now because, as we get older, we get more realistic," the actress continued to say. She added, "Accept your lack of knowledge and use it as your asset."
Meanwhile, Portman also disclosed some of her fears and hesitations during her freshman year in Harvard. She shared that she was afraid people would not take her seriously because she is an actress, citing the differences between her high school and college experiences.
"I went to a public high school on Long Island. The girls I went to school with had Prada bags and flat-ironed hair. People didn't pay much attention to the fact that I was an actress. I was known for having a backpack bigger than I was, and always having whiteout on my hands," Portman recalled, according to People. When she got in to Harvard, however, she felt that the other students might look down on her especially since her freshman year coincided with the time 'Star Wars: Episode 1' was released. Her doubts were soon discarded as she went on to excel in college.
While initially dismissing acting as a "frivolous" part of her life, Portman later on returned to hone her skill in the said craft. "I admitted to myself I couldn't wait to go back and make more films," revealed the star. "I had reclaimed my reason."
