Natalie Portman Recalls Her First Time on the Red Carpet

Natalie Portman is a red-carpet regular these days, but she'll never forget her first time on the step and repeat.

"I was 13. It was for The Professional," Portman told reporters backstage at the Golden Globe awards Sunday after winning best actress - drama for Black Swan.

"I remember I wore a Betsey Johnson dress I'd worn to a bar mitzvah a few weeks earlier. I thought it was really beautiful," she went on. "I thought I was the most glamourous person in the world!"

Portman, 29, who is pregnant, wore a silk pink gown with a sparkly red flower designed by Viktor & Rolf Sunday night. Photos: See what everyone wore on the red carpet.

When asked what she learned from her role as uptight ballerina Nina, Portman said, "How much I could work. I learned the extent of my discipline and put it to the test every day. The rigors of the art form."

Still, she had "no idea" how the film would turn out.

"[Director] Darren [Aronofsky] is a true master," she said. "I had no idea what he was doing. I was focusing on this character, so I had no idea of the tone of the film."

She's flattered by all the Oscar buzz surrounding her performance.

"It's obviously an incredible honor because of the people they talk about in the same category," said Portman. "To be mentioned  with these women, it’s the greatest honor to go up to the people I’ve admired and tell them how much I’ve admired their work."