In Luc Besson’s 1994 film Léon: The Professional, Natalie Portman made her unforgettable feature film debut as Mathilda Lando. Portman was 11 years old when she was cast and 12 when the movie was filmed.
Mathilda is a 12-year-old girl who forms an unlikely and complex bond with a professional hitman, Léon (Jean Reno), after her family is brutally murdered by corrupt DEA agents led by the unhinged Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman). Mathilda seeks refuge with Léon and eventually persuades him to teach her the “cleaner” trade so she can avenge her younger brother’s death.
Portman’s performance as Mathilda was widely praised by critics, showcasing remarkable emotional depth and maturity for a young actress. It launched her career and is still considered one of her most iconic roles.
However, the film and Portman’s portrayal have also been the subject of controversy, particularly in recent years. Some viewers and critics have found the sexualization of Mathilda, a child character, to be unsettling and inappropriate, especially with certain scenes and the ambiguous nature of her relationship with Léon. Portman herself has spoken about having “complicated” and “cringey” feelings about the film in hindsight, stating that being sexualized as a child made her feel the need to be “prudish” and “conservative” in her later career choices.
Léon: The Professional was released in France on September 14, 1994. The film was a commercial success, sold 18,662,979 tickets worldwide. It grossed 26.8 million French francs ($5.1 million) in its opening week in France and was number one for three weeks. In France, it sold 3,623,153 tickets in total.
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