Natalie Portman Says Playing Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is 'Extremely Intimidating'

“She’s a hero to so many of us," Portman said.

ByABC News
January 27, 2016, 10:04 AM

— -- Natalie Portman is no stranger to playing strong female roles.

The Oscar-winner plays the female hero in a new western called “Jane Got a Gun,” which opens Friday. She is also currently working on “Jackie,” where she portrays First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

Portman said she is honored to play Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in an upcoming film.

“She’s a hero to so many of us. We haven’t started yet, but hopefully we’ll start soon,” Portman, 34, said on “Good Morning America” today of the upcoming film, “On the Basis of Sex.”

The actress spoke to Ginsburg about taking on part.

“It’s extremely inspiring and intimidating,” said Portman. “She’s such an incredible woman and she’s done so much in an environment that was certainly not encouraging to women when she was coming through the ranks as a lawyer and then a professor and then as a civil rights and women’s rights activist. It’s pretty amazing to see what she was able to accomplish without ever getting angry about the situation.”

Portman even insisted on having a female director work on the film chronicling the Supreme Court justice’s accomplished life.