Abaca/AKM-GSIEver since she and husband Benjamin Millepied welcomed their son Aleph in 2011, Natalie Portman has had a whole new perspective on things.
"I love being a mom," she tells The Telegraph during a rare interview. "I'm less judgmental than before I had a kid. The biggest thing I've learned is that parenting is a totally different experience for every person."
She adds, "Everything is cool, there are no rules—I mean, apart from not hurting your kid. Some people breastfeed until their babies are 5, and some don't breastfeed at all. There are no rules about what it means to be a feminist, or a good mother. For some, it's going to be right to go back to work. For others, it's going to be right to stop working completely."
The Oscar winner credits her own mother and father with providing her with strong values.
"My parents were wonderful. They were completely present, completely loving, they allowed me to do what I was passionate about and I understand now how much they protected me. I was lucky to act and have a regular household, lifestyle and friends," she says. "[They] maintained a calm and normal life for me that was far away from movie land."
Speaking of movies, Portman will next be seen in the highly anticipated sequel Thor: The Dark World, due in theaters on Nov. 8.