I personally get a huge kick out of it when actors play actors on screen. The line that separates a performer from their actual existence blurs all the more in these scenarios, sometimes giving us unparalleled insight into who these actors are. Todd Haynes’ May December, one of the best movies on Netflix at the moment, offers up a prime example. Natalie Portman stars in the film as Elizabeth, a successful television actress who is studying for a new role, in which she’ll play a character based on Gracie (Julianne Moore), a former teacher who fell in love with one of her much younger students. The premise packs all the expected melodrama of a Haynes movie, as well as the dark humor. And one of those jokes, according to Portman, was a behind-the-scenes revelation.
You can watch May December right now with a Netflix subscription, and you really should if you haven’t yet. Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, shock, are incredible in it. Maybe it will even break Portman’s streak about never appearing in a Best Picture winner. Throughout the movie, we learn as much about Portman’s actress character, Elizabeth, as she learns about Gracie. One note that stands out is the name of Elizabeth’s hit TV show, Norah’s Ark. But as Portman tells CinemaBlend during an exclusive interview, that wasn’t supposed to be the name of the show.
At the beginning of our conversation, I jokingly asked her which awards she assumes Elizabeth won for her work as “Gracie.” She got a good laugh out of that and answered, “Daytime Emmy, maybe?” Her co-star, Julianne Moore, countered, “People’s Choice.” After which Portman elaborated:
My favorite thing was that, originally, the TV show that she was on was called Animal Hospital. And then the night before we shot the scene where Julianne’s character Gracie’s daughter says, ‘Oh, I love Animal Hospital,’ the name didn’t get cleared. And they had to come up with a new name. There was a brainstorming session for 24 hours, And then they came up with Norah’s Ark, which is so good! So much better than the original. Still makes me happy: Norah’s Ark.
The only thing better than learning about the title Animal Hospital is if we learned that Natalie Portman and Todd Haynes had filmed some footage of it, to include as a bonus on the eventual May December DVD release. Forget Portman returning to the Star Wars universe, or even agreeing to stay in the MCU following Thor: Love and Thunder. I need three seasons on Norah’s Ark on Netflix by 2024.
Have you watched the May December trailer yet? It hints at the gold that’s waiting for you in the movie.
This year is drawing to a close, but the Hollywood calendar rolls on. Keep track of all the anticipated upcoming 2024 movies that we are keeping an eye on, and use our guide to plan out your movie weekends in the months to come.
