Mila Kunis has opened up about the gruelling preparation for her role in the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan, admitting that it involved 'a lot of dancing and very little eating.' Speaking to Vogue magazine for the film's 15th anniversary, the actress said: 'My prep was a lot of dancing and very little eating — which I know you're not supposed to say, but it's the truth. I drank a lot of broth and danced for 12 hours a day.'
Kunis, who played the free-spirited ballerina Lily, also recalled the physical toll of the role. 'We would shoot those dancing scenes for hours, and I had bruises all over my ribs just from being lifted over and over again,' she said. The actress originally had only three months to prepare, but a delay in financing extended that to six months, much to her relief.
Natalie Portman, who starred as Nina, revealed that she suggested Kunis for the part after learning about her ballet background. 'We had been friends for years, and I remember being at the Rose Bowl Flea Market with her, talking about this ballet movie I was making with Darren,' Portman recalled. 'Mila said, “I remember when I would take off my pointe shoes…” and I was like, “Wait, you did ballet?” I immediately called Darren and said there was this amazing actress with ballet experience who would be perfect for Lily.'
Director Darren Aronofsky admitted trying to stoke a rivalry between the two actors to mirror their on-screen feud. 'My take is that I was trying to be a sneaky director and make them argue,' he said. 'Mila and Natalie both realised very quickly what I was doing and made fun of me, so it quickly became a joke that we all understood.'
Black Swan returns to Imax cinemas on 21 and 24 August to mark its 15th anniversary. The full interview is available on Vogue's website.
