Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis Recall 'Black Swan' Sacrifices At Premiere

There they were on Monday night — Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Darren Aronofsky — sweeping down the red carpet outside Wall Street's Cipriani for the Gotham Independent Film Awards. And look, they came back again the next night, this time to a glittering red carpet outside the Ziegfeld Theatre in Midtown.

Why? Because it's awards season, and the trio's film — the dark and trippy drama "Black Swan" — is a front-runner to nab all sorts of nominations and trophies in the weeks and months ahead. And so we found ourselves at the Ziegfeld with a distinct sense of déjà vu but no lack of enthusiasm — just like Aronofsky, though perhaps that was because this would be his last carpet for a while.

"This is it, baby," he laughed. "I'm done. This is the Ziegfeld — we have arrived."

And arrive they did. First came Kunis, in a flowing beige dress and with a broad smile on her face. Life is easier for her now that she's not on the strict diet she endured during "Black Swan." Kunis and Portman play ballerinas, and both women were forced to drop oodles of weight. As soon as production wrapped, she proceeded to happily stuff her face. Where?

"Panda Express at JFK!" she told us. "I'm a classy broad."

So, too, was Portman, in a black gown and her hair spilling over her shoulders. She trained for 10 months to convincingly portray a world-class dancer and admitted that she doesn't miss the days of slipping into the ballet slippers and attempting to stand on her tippy-toes. Another art form she'd love to master, however, would be tickling the ivories.

"If I could have any talent, I'd play piano," she said. "I would go for classical, but I'm no pianist for now."

So did Aronofsky pick up any ballet moves from observing all the hard work of his two co-stars? Apparently not. "It's way too hard. It's amazing what these people can do with their bodies. What Natalie Portman did is just very impressive," he said, adding that if he attempted a plié, "I might not stand back up!"

Check out everything we've got on "Black Swan."

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