Natalie Portman’s Animated Triumph: Why Arco Stole the Show

After steering clear of animation for most of her career, Natalie Portman surprised everyone in 2025 by jumping into not one, but two animated features. One of these was a take on Roald Dahl’s The Twits, where she voiced Mary Muggle-Wump, a character caught up in the chaos caused by the infamous couple. The cast boasted names like Margo Martindale, Alan Tudyk, and Johnny Vegas (yes, that Johnny Vegas), but despite the star power, the film’s reviews were less than flattering—let’s just say the critics weren’t shy about taking the mickey.

Fortunately for Portman, she had another project up her sleeve: Arco. This film follows a young lad from a distant future who ends up stranded in 2075. While trying to get back to his own time, he befriends a girl named Iris and ends up on the radar of a group of conspiracy theorists keen to nab him. Critics were quick to call it the standout animated film of the year, with a swag of awards already under its belt and a strong shot at the ‘Best Motion Picture – Animated’ gong at the 2026 Golden Globes. There’s every chance it’ll get a look-in at the Oscars too.

Portman’s Role and Creative Involvement

While out doing promo for the film, Portman—who also produced the project—spoke about her character, a ‘nanny droid’ tasked with looking after Iris while her parents are away. Spending so much time surrounded by robots brought back memories of another sci-fi universe that helped kick off her career.

“It was a dream come true,”

she said.

“Finally, I got to be the droid instead of just acting opposite the droid! It makes sense that if you have a nanny bot, you would want it to embody the best of the mother and father.”

The droid, Mikki, is a blend of both Iris’ mum and dad. To nail that effect, Portman’s voice was mixed with Mark Ruffalo’s. Oddly enough, Ruffalo doesn’t actually play Iris’ dad—Chris Hemsworth does. Maybe Portman just wanted to give her other Avengers mate a bit of work. In the original French version, the mother is voiced by Alma Jodorowsky, who happens to be the granddaughter of the legendary (and slightly eccentric) director Alejandro Jodorowsky.

Links to Sci-Fi Legacy

Portman’s comment about acting “opposite the droid” is a clear nod to her time in the Star Wars prequels, where she played Padmé Amidala, a senator who could handle herself in a scrap. She famously died giving birth to Luke and Leia after falling for Anakin Skywalker—hard to blame her, really, given Hayden Christensen’s energy. Despite the prequels copping a fair bit of flak, Portman has hinted she might return, and maybe this robotic role is a subtle wink to that past.

Even if she never heads back to that galaxy, Portman’s shown she’s got a knack for science fiction. Between Arco, Alex Garland’s Annihilation, and her Marvel work, she’s left her mark on the genre. Now that she’s cracked animation as well, it looks like she’s set for a bright future, no matter where she turns up next.