History Trivia / BlackSwan

* CareerResurrection: Provided one for Creator/BarbaraHershey. Her Usefulnotes/{{BAFTA}}-nominated performance as Erica saw her getting more roles, notably ''{{Film/Insidious}}'' and in ''Series/OnceUponATime''.

* CastTheExpert: Creator/NataliePortman recommended Creator/MilaKunis for the role of Lily after discovering that she had casually done ballet as a child.

* HostilityOnTheSet: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. During filming, Creator/DarrenAronofsky would try to pit Creator/NataliePortman and Creator/MilaKunis against each other to make their antagonistic scenes together more authentic. Unfortunately for him, both of them caught on to what he was doing very early and instead sent congrats to each other by phone when Darren told one of them the other was doing great.

* DoingItForTheArt: Creator/NataliePortman got formal ballet training for a year to prepare for the role. And she also paid for it out of her own pocket, as the film had not found investors yet. She hadn't even received an official script when she began the training. Also when she injured herself, the budget couldn't afford a medic — so she told them to get rid of her trailer.

* CareerResurrection: Provided one for Creator/BarbaraHershey. Her BAFTA-nominated performance as Erica saw her getting more roles, notably ''{{Film/Insidious}}'' and in ''Series/OnceUponATime''.

* DyeingForYourArt: Portman and Kunis lost 20 pounds each to play ballet dancers. They also both learned ballet for months prior to shooting, 5 hours a day. This phenomenon, of course, is the entire point of the movie.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Natalie Portman said that Aronofsky tried to create a rivalry between her and Mila Kunis, by keeping them apart and telling each that the other one is doing a better job. [[AvertedTrope This didn't work]]; instead they'd text congratulations to one another when this happened.

* PlayingWithCharacterType: Barbara Hershey as MyBelovedSmother and MamaBear at the same time.

** This was originally going to be the story of ''Film/TheWrestler'' too, with Cassidy being a ballerina. Aronofsky quickly realized the concept was too much for one movie and developed them separately.

* WordOfGod: Creator/DarrenAronofsky confirmed that Nina [[spoiler: does not die at the end, and that her bleeding is merely symbolic of her becoming a woman]]. Natalie Portman agrees with this statement; she had been uncomfortable with the positioning of [[spoiler: the blood around Nina's stab wound, feeling it looked too much like menstrual blood]]. Aronofsky said it was intentional.

* CareerResurrection: Provided one for Barbara Hershey. Her BAFTA-nominated performance as Erica saw her getting more roles, notably ''{{Film/Insidious}}'' and in ''Series/OnceUponATime''.

* DeletedRole: Mark Margolis appeared in the film as a favor to Creator/DarrenAronofsky, but his dialogue was cut.

* HostilityOnTheSet: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]. During filming, Darren Aronofsky would try to pit Creator/NataliePortman and Creator/MilaKunis against each other to make their antagonistic scenes together more authentic. Unfortunately for him, both of them caught on to what he was doing very early and instead sent congrats to each other by phone when Darren told one of them the other was doing great.
* PlayingAgainstType: Mila Kunis is more known for her comedic roles. [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], as many of her scenes are actually either light or outright hilarious.

* EnforcedMethodActing:
** In-story example. Thomas walks a dangerously thin line between sexually harassing and sexually ''assaulting'' Nina in an effort to teach her how to embody the role of the sensual Black Swan. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation Or maybe he's just a pervert.]]
** Natalie Portman said that Aronofsky tried to create a rivalry between her and Mila Kunis, by keeping them apart and telling each that the other one is doing a better job. [[AvertedTrope This didn't work]]; instead they'd text congratulations to one another when this happened.

* ReferencedBy: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwceShXwIyc In a vlog]] by Canadian figure skater Roman Sadovsky, he describes the [[https://www.facebook.com/RyersonUniversityFilmFestival/photos/a.1549891241892009/2037729073108221/?type=3&theater 2018 Canadian short film]] (which would later be titled ''Attainment'') that he stars in as, "[The director] is basically trying to capture all the darkest parts of figure skating. It's like ''Black Swan'', but figure skating."

* DeletedRole: Mark Margolis appeared in the film as a favour to Creator/DarrenAronofsky, but his dialogue was cut.

** Creator/SummerGlau revealed at Emerald City Comicon 2012, that she had auditioned for a supporting role in this movie, but during the pre-production stages, the character was cut from the story.
** This was originally going to be the story of ''Film/TheWrestler'' too, with Cassidy being a ballerina. Aronofsky quickly realised the concept was too much for one movie and developed them separately.

* DevelopmentHell: The script was in development for ten years before it got made.

* ReferencedBy: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwceShXwIyc In a vlog]] by Canadian figure skater Roman Sadovsky, he describes the [[https://www.ryersonuniversityfilmfestival.ca/attainment/ 2018 Canadian short film]] (which would later be titled ''Attainment'') that he stars in as, "[The director] is basically trying to capture all the darkest parts of figure skating. It's like ''Black Swan'', but figure skating."

* ReferencedBy: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwceShXwIyc In a vlog]] by Canadian figure skater Roman Sadovsky, he describes the [[https://www.ryersonuniversityfilmfestival.ca/attainment/ 2018 Canadian short film]] that he stars in as, "[The director] is basically trying to capture all the darkest parts of figure skating. It's like ''Black Swan'', but figure skating."

* CastTheExpert: Natalie Portman recommended Mila Kunis for the role of Lily after discovering that she had casually done ballet as a child.

* DeletedRole: Mark Margolis appeared in the film as a favour to Darren Aronofsky, but his dialogue was cut.

* DoingItForTheArt: Natalie Portman got formal ballet training for a year to prepare for the role. And she also paid for it out of her own pocket, as the film had not found investors yet. She hadn't even received an official script when she began the training. Also when she injured herself, the budget couldn't afford a medic — so she told them to get rid of her trailer.

** Rachel Weisz, Parker Posey and Jennifer Connelly were all considered for the role of Beth — before it went to Winona Ryder.

* DoingItForTheArt: Natalie Portman got formal ballet training for a year to prepare for the role. And she also paid for it out of her own pocket, as the film had not found investors yet. She hadn't even received an official script when she began the training. Also when she injured herself, the budget couldn't afford a medic - so she told them to get rid of her trailer.

* HostilityOnTheSet: During filming, Darren Aronofsky would try to pit Creator/NataliePortman and Creator/MilaKunis against each other to make their antagonistic scenes together more authentic. Unfortunately for him, both of them caught on to what he was doing very early and instead sent congrats to each other by phone when Darren told one of them the other was doing great.
* PlayingAgainstType: Mila Kunis is more known for her comedic roles.

* RealLifeRelative: Mr. and Mrs. Stein are played by Abraham and Charlotte Aronofsky - Darren Aronofsky's parents.

* StarMakingRole: While both Kunis and Portman were already renowned actresses before the film came out- the latter probably more so than the former- the film has almost certainly increased both their credentials as "serious" thespians. Portman even won an Oscar for her performance. Contrast this role with others that Portman shot before it but which were released after, such as ''Film/YourHighness'', for a marked illustration of this effect.

** Rachel Weisz, Parker Posey and Jennifer Connelly were all considered for the role of Beth - before it went to Winona Ryder.

** Natalie Portman said that Aronofsky tried to create a rivalry between her and Mila Kunis, by keeping them apart and telling each that the other one is doing a better job.

* RomanceOnTheSet: Creator/NataliePortman and the film's choreographer Benjamin Millepied. They're now married and have a child together. It became HilariousInHindsight as Benjamin Millepied is the guy Thomas asks if he would do Nina, Natalie's character. He answers no. Portman, heavily pregnant during her thank you speech at the Golden Globes, said: "He's the best actor! It's not true! He totally wants to sleep with me!"

* CareerResurrection: Provided one for Barbara Hershey. Her Oscar nominated performance as Erica saw her getting more roles, notably ''{{Film/Insidious}}'' and in ''Series/OnceUponATime''.

* AdvertisedExtra: Winona Ryder was prominently advertised for the movie. Beth has about four minutes of screen time.

* RomanceOnTheSet: NataliePortman and the film's choreographer Benjamin Millepied. They're now married and have a child together. It became HilariousInHindsight as Benjamin Millepied is the guy Thomas asks if he would do Nina, Natalie's character. He answers no. Portman, heavily pregnant during her thank you speech at the Golden Globes, said: "He's the best actor! It's not true! He totally wants to sleep with me!"