LOS ANGELES-Natalie Portman thinks famous musicians have a more difficult time than Hollywood stars.

The 37-year-old actress - who plays fictional pop star Celeste in new movie 'Vox Lux' - has insisted being in the public eye is easier for people playing a role on the big screen because they don't give as much of their real selves to fans.

Speaking to USA Today, she explained: ''People who succeed in music, their fandom is much larger than any actor, and it's them as themselves whereas actors are in character. There's a difference in expectation.''

Music has always been important to Natalie - who got her first major breakthrough as Padme Amidala in 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace' 19 years ago - and she credits 'Like A Prayer' singer Madonna with being a big influence on her.

She added: ''I felt really lucky to have her as a little kid, because I saw someone who was brazen and disobedient and provocative and trying to mess with people and always changing - I thought it was a great thing to see in a woman growing up.''

However, the star admitted she has struggled with the contrast seen in the music industry and what it was trying to tell its audience. She said: ''I remember being a teenager, and there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine saying 'I'm a virgin' while wearing a bikini, and I was confused. Like, I don't know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl.''

Meanwhile, Natalie recently opened up about the Time's Up and #MeToo movements, and how they have allowed her to make real friends in the movie industry for the first time in 25 years. She previously revealed: ''I've been working for 25 years - I've never had friendships in my industry until now. You're usually the [only] girl in the movie. [Time's Up] made us come together.

''We're actively gathering. Just the power of us getting to know other women in our own industry and sharing information that can help us be safer, more productive, more successful.''