Natalie Portman Did Extreme Dieting For Black Swan!

In the midst of all this Size Zero drama, it's fitting that Natalie Portman has said she thought she would die while filming her new movie Black Swan.

The actress is currently up for a Golden Globe for best actress for her role and there is some serious Oscar buzz too, but Natalie has said that slimming down for her role as a ballerina was frightening:

"There were some nights that I thought I literally was going to die. It was the first time I understood how you could get so wrapped up in a role that it could sort of take you down."

It's not the first time the actress has gone too far for a role though. Remember she shaved off all her hair for her role in V For Vendetta? She's obviously very serious about her work.

Although Natalie has put back on the weight and is expecting her first child, dancer-turned-celebrity fitness guru Robert Brace said that the actress was doing the same regime as real ballerina's:

"It's extreme competition, and if you don't do it—the dieting, the dancing to the extreme—someone else will. In preparing for the role she faced similar competition, pressure. For her to do that role it would have had to consume her. The psychological effect had to carry over into real life. But if you want it that bad, you do it."

Brace continued saying most ballerina's live a life of bad health and go to the extreme to get the best roles:

"It's very extreme. The diets are not healthy. There are a lot of food and calorie restrictions, lots of coffee and cigarettes to keep the weight down. The body is restricting calories, the pressure of competition is intense. All day she trained."

Natalie herself said that she was barely eating and worked 16 hours a day. Fitness guru Brace admitted that most girls don't eat properly and Natalie wasn't any different:

"Some will not eat breakfast, then a small salad for lunch, a small amount of nuts, fruit and nothing in the evening. If you desire it enough, you'll make it work. It's extremely common in that world and if she got wrapped up in the role, that's the body image they have to portray. After a while it's going to take it's toll psychologically."

Wow that is seriously extreme. Let's hope she wins an oscar after all her hard work.

Glad she's healthy again!