Natalie Portman Looked to Cate Blanchett For Parenting Advice: 'How Do You Do It?'

Natalie Portman, mom of four-year-old son Aleph, is juggling motherhood and her career. The "Black Swan" star is not slowing down when it comes to being  a mom to Aleph and pursuing her acting career. Despite being occupied, Portman recognizes Cate Blanchett's professionalism to work and exemplary motherhood. In fact, she seeks Blantchett's parental advice.

In the August issue of Harper's Bazaar, Portman revealed, "Very early on, I asked [Cate] about being a parent."  Her question to Blanchett, "How do you do it? You're a mom. You're the best at what you do." To which Lady Tremaine from the "Cinderella" movie replied, "You just do. Stressing about it doesn't help," People has learned.

Portman, 34, and her husband, Benjamin Millepied, 38, a dancer and choreographer, are both very active and committed to their career. However, despite the demands of their professions, the couple remained as committed and dedicated to their family.

Portman has been living in Paris with her family for the past two years. The "A Tale of Love and Darkness" shares the differences of the lifestyle she experienced after moving from the United States to the City of Lights. "It's magical. But the cultures are different in ways you don't even realize," Portman said.

The actress sighted some examples and further explained, "And there's stuff you don't know you'll miss until you're away - like indoor gyms where kids can just run around and jump. They don't have those there. [In Paris], if you're running around on the playground chasing your kid and playing a game, people think you're nuts."

The recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2011 also shared that in Paris, its normal to debate over dinner. In fact, if one attends a dinner without a debate, it will prompt one to suspect that something is wrong. One French friend of Portman, who is in Los Angeles, told her that he missed serious conversation during dinner time. Portman, a psychology major in Harvard, added that she just like happy talk. Her French is good, but when her friends discuss books and philosophy, the actress playfully said that such type of conversation challenges her linguistically and intellectually, Harper's Bazaar reports.

Portman, who has been away from the spotlight for a few years now, will be back with a pair of movies set to premiere in the coming months. "Jane Got a Gun," is a Western action-drama movie about a woman from a gang, who is already living a new life with her family. However, her past haunts her and she has no choice but ask the help of her ex-lover to save her family. Portman stars and produces the film.

Her second movie, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," is an adaptation of the novel of the same title written by an Israeli author, Amos Oz. She starred and directed the movie that debuted at Cannes in May, Harper's Bazaar has learned.