Natalie Portman's chuckle trouble

Dec 2, 2007, 11:30 GMT

10/04/2007 - Natalie Portman - The Darjeeling Limited - Beverly Hills Movie Premiere - Arrivals - Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences - Beverly Hills, CA, USA © Focus Hollywood / PR Photos

Natalie Portman struggles to laugh.

The 26-year-old actress - who stars in children's Christmas movie 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium' - has difficulty making a laugh sound real on camera.

Natalie told the New York Times Style Magazine: It's much harder to laugh than cry. I find it so hard to fake laughing. I have no laugh except my own, and that laugh is very particular, very modern. It's hard to make any other laugh sound real. It's like sneezing: you really only have one sneeze."

The 'Star Wars' actress would much rather die onscreen.

She said: "I've died many times. I died in 'Closer', but they changed the ending and, miraculously, I lived. I also died in 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith' and in 'Cold Mountain'.

"Death scenes are not more difficult than other scenes."

The star - who shot to fame aged just 12 in 'Leon' - is concerned she will forever be 11-years-old in the eyes of the movie industry, as that was when she was discovered by a talent agent in a pizza restaurant and "became who she is".

She fretted: "I was once told that the age you are is the age you were when you became who you are. Does that mean I am perpetually 11?

"I'm not sure I want to have that strict an image. In the movie business, there is such a temptation to stick with a particular persona. There is a kind of artistic branding."

(C) BANG Media International