Natalie Portman turned down a role because of her celibacy

Actors turn down roles for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's personal reasons, sometimes it's because of professional obligations, while there are also those who don't accept roles because they don't fit into the story or character they're offered.

In Natalie Portman's case, the decision to turn down a role was tied to a very specific and unusual reason, which later gained additional weight when the film became a huge success and won multiple Oscar nominations.

The film is “Doubt” by director John Patrick Shanley, based on his stage play of the same name. The film deals with difficult themes such as child abuse, guilt, truth and moral dilemmas within a Catholic school in New York in the 1960s. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Father Flynn, a priest facing allegations of abuse, while Meryl Streep and Amy Adams play nuns trying to determine the truth.

The role of Sister James, which was ultimately played by Addams, was originally offered to Natalie Portman. However, the actress turned down the role due to, reportedly, a misunderstanding of one aspect of the character's lifestyle.

"We asked Portman and she was very interested, but she kept saying she had a problem. Eventually we realized it was that she didn't understand celibacy," Shanley said.

Celibacy was a key point that made Portman unable to connect with the character of a nun, so she decided not to accept the role.