Natalie Portman launches her first ever online acting class

© MasterClass

Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman has launched her very first online acting course with MasterClass where she is teaching actors her process for creating characters and working with dialect.

In the course, Portman goes in-depth into her own technique to help actors create characters that are both compelling and complex. She also explores the themes of voice, gesture, the psychology of the character and movement. Lessons include a case study for her role in “Black Swan,” how to perform on camera, how to work with directors, improvisation, working with on-set props, acting for green-screen and much more.

Speaking with MasterClass about the launch of her first class, the actress said:

“Acting is a joyful experience. It's the act of empathy and play. You should be free to be creative, try new things and make mistakes. That is how I learned. In this class, I'm excited to share what I've pieced together over 25 years as an actress - things that have worked for me, things that I've seen work well for others, and things I figured out myself."

Natalie Portman also teaches students enrolled in the course how they can design their own creative process where they can draw from real-life situations to help them with their own characters. Included within the digital library of videos in Portman’s course is a downloadable workbook which contains recaps on each lesson and an option for students to upload their own acting reels to the platform. Actors can also get feedback from others in the MasterClass community about their performance and even, potentially from Natalie Portman herself.

The course includes a total of 20 unique lessons that are available for viewing online with a MasterClass subscription.

Portman joins a host of stars and film industry pros already providing courses on MasterClass including Jodie Foster, Spike Lee, Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson and legendary composer Hans Zimmer.