Jean Reno
Léon
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It stars Jean Reno and Gary Oldman, and features the film debut of Natalie Portman. The plot centers on Léon (Reno), a professional hitman who reluctantly takes in twelve-year-old Mathilda Lando (Portman) after her family are murdered by corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent Norman Stansfield (Oldman).
- Léon
- Luc Besson
- Luc Besson
- Patrice Ledoux
Léon: The Professional: Directed by Luc Besson. With Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello. 12-year-old Mathilda is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered.
- Luc Besson
- 2 min
- Tara Aquino
- 13 sec
- NATALIE PORTMAN’S PARENTS WERE COMPLETELY AGAINST HER PLAYING MATHILDA. It was an extremely complicated role for an 11-year-old: Not only would she have to deal with a broken home and violence, but she’d also have to deal with the unwanted sexualization of a young girl.
- IN THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT, LÉON ACCIDENTALLY WALKS IN ON MATHILDA WHILE SHE'S IN THE SHOWER. Portman’s parents were understandably not comfortable with this scene.
- RENO AND PORTMAN WEREN’T ALLOWED TO REHEARSE THE FILM’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL SCENE, WHERE MATHILDA PUTS ON A DRESS GIVEN TO HER BY LÉON. Up until the moment of the dress scene—which was deleted in the original U.S. theatrical version for its racy content (it would be restored a decade later)—it’s easy to believe that Léon acts as a person stuck between childhood and adult male.
- PORTMAN’S PARENTS ARE THE REASON WHY MATHILDA QUITS SMOKING IN THE FILM. As per the agreement Portman’s parents outlined with Besson, the actress was allowed five fake cigarettes in her hand during the entire film shoot, and she was never allowed to inhale a single one of them.
Natalie Portman plays Mathilda, a 12-year-old girl who seeks revenge for her family's murder by a corrupt DEA agent. She finds refuge and training from Léon, a professional hitman, in this 1994 action thriller.
Mathilda is a young orphan who befriends a hitman, Léon, after her family is killed by corrupt DEA agents. See photos, quotes and trivia from the film that launched Natalie Portman's career.
Rated: 10/10 • Sep 14, 2020. Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is only 12 years old, but is already familiar with the dark side of life: her abusive father stores drugs for corrupt police officers,...
Natalie Portman plays Mathilda, a 12 year old girl who becomes an assassin's apprentice after her family is killed by crooked DEA agents. The film is directed by Luc Besson and features Jean Reno and Gary Oldman in the cast.
