Natalie Portman in Garden State: 2004 Credit: Fox Searchlight

Natalie Portman is gorgeous. She is regal as Star Wars' Queen Amadala and was vulnerable as a pregnant teen in Where the Heart Is. The accomplished young actress cut to our hearts in Garden State and as a very young war widow in Cold Mountain. Now, with her bold portrayal of Alice, an ex-stripper in the sexy love quadrangle drama Closer, she comes of age in an impressive, R-rated flash. No one is very nice to anyone in the film, but, according to the actors (Natalie, Jude Law and Clive Owen), off-camera, the group got along like best buds.

We checked in with Natalie recently in L.A.-

TeenHollywood: This film is full of raw, tough relationship moments. Was it still fun for you?

Natalie: It was fun but not always. Some of the [unpleasant] things are hard to do to each other especially because all of us got along well and liked each other a lot. To be really awful to each other was very difficult at times.

TeenHollywood: Was this a conscious effort on your part to break out of any goodie-two-shoes type cast?

Natalie: It was conscious, but I'm just trying to keep it interesting and trying to do different things every time. I hadn't done a role like this before. So it was a good challenge.

TeenHollywood: But do you feel like you are finally a true adult actress with this film?