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Natalie Portman looks completely unrecognizable as NASA astronaut: 'That's Natalie?'


Natalie Portman is officially out of this world.

The actress shared a first look at herself in character as fictional NASA astronaut Lucy Cola for the film Pale Blue Dot. In it, she’s sporting a short brunette wig and a blue jumpsuit. Portman’s hands-on-hips pose shows some personality.

In character as Lucy Cola. 📷: @hilstills #sneakpeek

A post shared by Natalie Portman (@natalieportman) on Jul 25, 2018 at 9:23am PDT

Portman shared the sneak peek of her next character on Instagram, and commenters barely recognize the Oscar-winning star. “That’s Natalie?” one wrote. Another added, “Couldn’t even tell it was you.” Someone even said she looks just like Stranger Things’ Noah Schnapp (who is 13), while others tagged Jennifer Garner, calling out the actresses’ likeness.

The movie, directed by Noah Hawley, who created FX’s Fargo, is about an astronaut who, after returning home from a successful mission in space, struggles to adjust and starts to unravel. At the center of the story is an affair with a fellow astronaut. The film looks at the idea that astronauts suffer post-traumatic stress disorder after being in space for an extended period of time.

Natalie Portman, pictured in New York City in June, will play an astronaut with a lot of problems readjusting to society in <em>Pale Blue Dot</em>. (Photo: Getty Images)
Natalie Portman, pictured in New York City in June, will play an astronaut with a lot of problems readjusting to society in Pale Blue Dot. (Photo: Getty Images)

While the storyline is fictional, the movie is loosely based on the so-called “astronaut love triangle” in 2007, when NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak had an affair with fellow astronaut Bill Oefelein. When he broke things off and moved on, Nowak drove more than 900 miles from Houston to Orlando with a knife, a BB gun, pepper spray, rubber gloves, and garbage bags to find her ex’s new partner. (She was also said to be wearing an adult diaper, but that has since been disputed.) Nowak was arrested on several charges — attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, and destruction of evidence — but later made a plea deal and avoided a long prison stint.

Portman’s co-stars in the film are Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, who plays her astronaut lover, Mark Goodwin, and Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, who plays Lucy’s husband. (Both men worked with Hawley on the show Legion.) Ellen Burstyn and Zazie Beetz also have roles.

Funnily enough, while Portman looks like a natural sporting the retro look, another actress almost played the role; Reese Witherspoon was attached to the project in 2015.

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