Natalie Portman on sexism in Hollywood: 'Movies are all about white men'

Natalie Portman believes that Hollywood is more sexist now than it was back in the 1960s, with modern films 'all about white men' dominating the screens. The Black Swan actress, who plays the role of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in a forthcoming biopic, said that in order to combat the lack of gender diversity, more strong female roles needed to be created.

Speaking to Vulture, the 35-year-old star revealed that her recent career break was spurred by a conscious desire to distance herself from Hollywood, because it was doing women a grave injustice.

"There are not great female roles that are just flourishing," she said, adding that while women were subjected to occasional sexism back in the 50s and 60s, they "still have a central woman character who has a personality ... Now I feel like movies are all about white men and then you get a couple that happen to be about women."

Portman's new role — as one of the most iconic women in American history — may explain the nostalgia. The film is set in the aftermath of JK Kennedy's death, and follows the icon as she fights through the grief of her husband's assassination to regain her faith and define the late president's legacy.

She previously revealed that she considered the role as one of the most challenging of her career, telling Variety: "Everyone knows what she looked like, sounded like and has kind of an idea of her."

Elsewhere in the candid interview, Portman reiterated the importance of female roles in film, revealing that the Ruth Bader Ginsberg biopic On the Basis of Sex was put on hold until the right female director was enlisted for the job. The mother-of-one, who plays the younger associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States said: "With the issues of gender discrimination in Hollywood right now, how could we not do that?"