Natalie Portman Reflects on the Unusual Coincidence of Co-Starring in Similar Films with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
In a recent revelation, Natalie Portman openly acknowledged the “totally weird” situation that arose when she and Ashton Kutcher found themselves starring in what seemed like the same movie as Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The year 2011 witnessed the release of two strikingly similar romantic comedies: “Friends with Benefits,” featuring Kunis and Timberlake, and “No Strings Attached,” starring Kutcher and Portman.
In “Friends with Benefits,” the story revolves around Jamie (played by Kunis), a headhunter based in New York, who persuades Dylan (played by Timberlake) to accept a job at GQ magazine. As their friendship grows, complications ensue when they decide to add a sexual component to their relationship.
Meanwhile, “No Strings Attached” follows lifelong friends Emma (played by Portman) and Adam (played by Kutcher) as they venture into uncharted territory by engaging in a sexual relationship, which inevitably leads to complicated circumstances.
Sound familiar? It certainly struck a chord with Portman as well.
During a video segment with GQ where she delved into the realm of social media, Portman came across a thought-provoking question from a fan on Twitter. The tweet pondered the peculiarity of Kutcher, who is married to Kunis, starring alongside Portman in “No Strings Attached” while Kunis herself appeared in “Friends with Benefits” alongside Timberlake, both films having an eerily similar premise. The fan wondered how this situation wasn’t considered bizarre.
To this, the 41-year-old actress candidly responded, “It’s weird. It’s totally weird. Correct.”
This is not the first instance where Portman has acknowledged the striking resemblance between the two films. In 2022, while participating in Kutcher’s Peloton training series, “Our Future Selves,” the two actors finally addressed the uncanny similarities between their respective projects. During a joint jogging session, Kutcher expressed his surprise at their unexpected reunion, stating, “I think the first time we really started hanging out is when we shot ‘No Strings’ together.”
Portman playfully retorted, “Who would’ve thought 20 years later, we’d be on a Peloton together?”
Kutcher then pointed out the additional oddity that his wife, Kunis, had also been shooting a film with a remarkably similar premise, titled “Friends with Benefits.”
Both “No Strings Attached” and “Friends with Benefits” achieved considerable success, raking in $149 million each worldwide. Furthermore, Kutcher and Kunis eventually tied the knot in real life, having previously portrayed an on-screen couple in “That ’70s Show.”
Interestingly enough, the interconnectedness of the situation did not end there. Portman reminded Kutcher that she and Kunis had recently completed filming “Black Swan” together, a movie characterized by intricate sexual tensions between their respective characters.
“Yes, and Mila and I had just shot ‘Black Swan’ together right before,” Portman added with a hint of amusement. “So we were all making out with each other.”
Well, that’s certainly one way to put it.
