Although in The life of M, the new book by Rachel Cusk, Natalie Portman is not mentioned in any passage, many English and American media outlets have made evident, coinciding with the publication of the novel, the numerous commonalities between the protagonist and the actress. According to the British newspaper The Telegraph, Cusk explains "the author's literary murder of her character". The New York TimesAfter offering a radical dissection of the art world in Parade (2024; in Catalan by Les Hores), Cusk now tackles the day-to-day life of a film star through the main character. Actress M, who has befriended a writer in the European city where they both live, agrees to have the latter write her autobiography. The character shares with Portman that she made a very successful debut thanks to a film shot when she was still a child and that initially included sex scenes with the main male character, although they ended up being eliminated thanks to her mother's pressure. The story coincides with what happened with Léon: The Professional, by Luc Besson (1994), which Portman filmed when she was only 12 years old. The Life of M also explains that the protagonist actress is the well-known face of a prestigious brand, as is the case with Portman with Dior, and that she has had great impact playing a tortured ballerina: Portman won an Oscar for the lead role in Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky, 2010). Like Cusk and Portman, M lives in a European city, which, although not specified, could be Paris. The friendship between the author and the actress has been known since 2022 when Portman invited Cusk to her Instagram literary club, where they talked about the novel The Other House (2021; in Catalan by Les Hores).

Actress Natalie Portman, 44, told the magazine The actress's father is a gynecologist specializing in fertility, which is why Portman says she is very aware of the ordeal of having problems conceiving. "I grew up hearing about how difficult it is to get pregnant – she says –. I have so many people I love who have gone through so much that I also want to be respectful of this issue. It's a very beautiful and joyful thing, and it's not easy either." The actress adds that, for this reason, she knows how lucky she is to have become pregnant. "I am very aware of it and very grateful for it. I feel deep appreciation and gratitude," she emphasizes.