In a world where even the good guys are bad, 'street smart' doesn't even begin to describe thirteen-year-old Natalie Portman's character in The Professional, the savage new thriller from La Femme Nikita's Luc Besson. We sat down over lunch on a rainy afternoon in New York to talk about her young life and work in the film.

Venice: Was acting something that you always wanted to do?

Natalie Portman: When I was little, I always said I wanted to be an actress when I grow up, and I have been taking dance lessons since I was four. I was the youngest person in this modern dance troupe in Washington, D.C. I was always on stage and singing and dancing, at school, at camp, at home. I used to use mixers as microphones and direct shows with my cousins. I was this really bossy five -year-old, and I would be like, "You stand here, and you stand here, and you sing," or, "I'll sing and you just lip it." [She throws her head back and laughs.] I was a really bossy kid, you know.

V: What channel did you go through to get your first audition for The Professional?

NP: I have an agent because somebody in a pizza parlor wanted me to model for Revlon and when they hooked me up with modelling agents, I told them that I didn't want to model, but that I wanted to act. So then I got an acting agent. About two years ago, I went out on the first audition for The Professional and the casting director said, "No, you're too young; go home." So I went home, and I didn't feel bad about it because I mean auditions are like that, if you're not right, I mean, what can you do? So, I totally forgot about it and two weeks later they called me back in and said that the director wanted it younger, and then I had to go back again and read on camera.

V: What scene did you read?

NP: The "piggy scene", where I say, "I've seen better days." And then I read for Luc, and I think it was one of the best auditions I did in my life. He said, "See ya soon." So I went home and I was like, "I got it!" I was really excited; I was jumping off the walls. Except for understudying in an off-Broadway play, this was my first real job.

V: For your first movie, it's pretty violent; do you think the violence is justified?

NP: I guess for some people it could be a little bloody, but I don't think that anyone, after seeing the full movie, will say that it's just a gore movie.

V: The relationship between Mathilda and Leon is important enough to overshadown the action?

NP: Yes, it is. The Professional is definitely not about explosions and blood and blowing people up.

V: I think of it as a love story.

NP: Yes, and it's such a special love story; there's never been one like it before.

V: How close are you to the character of Mathilda, or did you just totally create her?

NP: I don't know. I think every actor has to form their character somewhat parallel to themselves because most people can't play the complete opposite of themselves. So even though my life is nothing like Mathilda's, there are a lot of things we have in common because obviously we're the same person.

V: There are several really powerful scenes in the movie--the one in the hallway where your father slaps you, and the one where you find out your whole family has been murdered and you have to go knock on Leon's door for help--how did you prepare for those scenes?

NP: I didn't. [She laughs.] I can totally separate between my life and my character's. So, I'll be myself and when Luc says action, I go, and when he says cut, I'm Natalie and I'll start laughing again. I can be on the set and cry and when he says cut, start laughing again. That's just the type of person I am; I have to be able to laugh or else it's too real.

V: Even though the nature of the film is so violent, when you finished at the end of the day, you didn't take any of that home with you?

NP: No, I just go back to my own life and I don't think about it any more. You can't carry the burden of a fictional character. The best part about me is that I can be doing something and totally believe that I'm in the place, and after 'cut,' I'm like, OK, I'm Natalie. It's kind of like hypnosis, you're in one place, and then it's over and you're in another and you don't even remember. I can do that you know.

V: So none of the scenes were hard for you to do?

NP: Well, some of the sexy scenes were hard because I'm not that kind of person. I'm not the kind of person that would say, "He's my lover." That was so hard for me, especially when everyone was standing around watching and my mom's there.

V: It must have been somewhat easier since you were working with talented actors like Jean Reno and Gary Oldman. What did you learn from them about acting?

NP: Jean taught me that when you do a scene, even if the camera isn't on you, you still have to be acting for your partner. When we first started, I wasn't doing that. I was just sitting there saying the lines and giving him eye-contact and not acting at all. He was really great because for a first time actress, I didn't know anything, so he just had to let me learn by osmosis.

V: How were you first introduced to Jean?

NP: Luc invited us both to his suite at the Essex House, and Luc cooked for us. He made us spaghetti.

V: Had you ever seen any of Jean's movies before?

NP: No, I had no idea who he was. Most teenagers don't know any French actors. He was very nice, but he was getting into the character of Leon, so he didn't talk much. Jean is the type who gets into character and stays in character, and he was already working on it. The three of us went to Central Park, and Jean would walk off to the side by himself, just because he gets into his character. He is so different from Leon that he really has to start living like his character to get into it. Luc brought nuts from the room, and we fed the squirrels and then he put me on the merry-go-round, but I didn't really get to know Jean too much. We didn't want our relationship off the set to get involved with our relationship on the set. But we had a lot of fun, and now we can talk.

V: Gary Oldman's character is frightening on screen. Was he intimidating in person?

NP: He's amazing because you don't even have to act with him. You just get so caught up in watching him, and he totally transforms. He's such a nice guy and funny, and he changes into this scary character. He just goes to get into character for five minutes and then when it's 'action', he's there.

V: In the press kit it mentions that you like to read and write. Do you think that as an artist it's important to involve yourself in other mediums of art?

NP: Absolutely. If you only do acting, you lose sight of the world, and that's scary because...

V: An actor portrays the world.

NP: Exactly.

V: Do you think that acting is going to take precedence over your schoolwork?

NP: It can't because if it does, I'm not allowed to do it any more. And I wouldn't want to. As of now, I'm not planning to be an actress as an adult--I'm planning other things for my future.

V: How are you planning for your future?

NP: I'm interested in being a vet. I love animals so much.

V: How do you see life changing from here?

NP: People are interested in me now. I hope my life doesn't change too much because I like my life, it's fun.

V: So you're not buying a ticket to Hollywood and devoting your life to your career?

NP: No, I'm going to stay in school and stay home and have a normal life for as long as I can.