Role Model says he was ‘f---ing terrified’ to meet Natalie Portman
The musician and Oscar winner costar in Lena Dunham’s Netflix film “Good Sex.”
Role Model says he was ‘f---ing terrified’ to meet Natalie Portman
The musician and Oscar winner costar in Lena Dunham’s Netflix film “Good Sex.”
By Marina Watts
Marina Watts
Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.
EW's editorial guidelines
August 4, 2026 1:15 p.m. ET
Leave a Comment
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/role-model-1-ceaa9244e64346dcb6bb322a2f156d81.jpg)
Role Model at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June 2026. Credit:
Erika Goldring/Getty
- Role Model was a bit nervous to meet Natalie Portman when he did a chemistry read with her for *Good Sex*.
- The singer also brought her out for a 2025 New York concert as his “Sally.”
- Role Model’s upcoming album, *Chuck Timely & The Hourglass*, will be released on Aug. 7.
It’s safe to say Role Model still gets starstruck.
The “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” singer, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, admitted he was nervous about meeting his Oscar-winning *Good Sex** *costar Natalie Portman. “I had to do a chemistry read with her, and I was f---ing terrified,” the musician told NYLON of Portman.
“But as soon as I got there, somehow the nerves went away, and I did a good enough job to get the part.” That part being his first acting role in Lena Dunham’s Netflix film *Good Sex*, which has yet to confirm a release date.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/role-model-2-50fba60e92384793b6d2bdb08d087842.jpg)
Role Model at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June 2026.
Erika Goldring/Getty
The film’s official synopsis reads, “After spending a decade in a failed relationship, pragmatic couples’ therapist Ally Portman) is turning 40 and reluctantly dipping her toe back into the New York dating scene. But she gets more than she bargained for when she meets two men — one in his 20s and one in his 50s — who show her there is no set formula for good sex.”
Also starring in the upcoming film are Tramell Tillman, Rashida Jones, Meg Ryan, and Mark Ruffalo.
Dakota Johnson voice is seemingly featured on Role Model’s new song ‘Love I You’
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/dakota-johnson-role-model-4626-9b1071b9cc244f1d9ac695fdb2328394.jpg)
Natalie Portman says she 'misplaced a rib' while filming 'Black Swan'
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Natalie-Portman-Black-Swan-012726-483b1af92ef04a969a24602e22062218.jpg)
Elsewhere in his interview with NYLON*, *the singer reflected on his viral hit, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,”* saying, *“I think it’s because I love ‘Sally,’ and I’ll be performing that till I’m in a wheelchair, but lyrically, that song could have been written by a 5-year-old, especially the bridge, which is the most famous part.”
“Those are some of my worst lyrics,” Role Model admitted. “So I didn’t feel pressure because, to me, the bar was really low.”
***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***
The band first started bringing out someone to be “Sally”* *for the bridge in February with some last-minute planning with Jake Shane. The spontaneous bit stuck immediately.
“People loved it — like, lost it,” Role Model told Billboard in May. “We were like, ‘Why not do this every night? We don’t need a cameo. It will be fun to do a Justin Bieber “One Less Lonely Girl”-type of moment.’ ”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/role-model-3-d5aed80abe24486595caf785ddb9ab85.jpg)
Natalie Portman and Role Model at Madison Square Garden in New York in July 2025.
The musician brought out Portman as his “Sally” for a July 2025 concert at Madison Square Garden where he opened for Gracie Abrams. Among those featured as Sally are Bowen Yang, Hilary Duff, Robert Irwin, and even The Wiggles.
Role Model’s upcoming album, *Chuck Timely & The Hourglass*, will be released on Aug. 7.
- Celebrities & Creators
- Entertainment Industry Roles
Source: “EW Musicians”