Natalie Portman asked Cate Blanchett for parenting advice.

The 'Black Swan' star admires the way the Australian actress juggles caring for sons Dashiell, 13, Roman, 10, and seven-year-old Ignatius and baby daughter Edith - her kids with husband Andrew Upton - with her busy career so sought tips when she and spouse Benjamin Millepied welcomed their son Aleph into the world four years ago.

She said: ''Very early on, I asked [Cate] about being a parent. I said, 'How do you do it? You're a mom. You're the best at what you do.' She said, 'You just do. Stressing about it doesn't help.' ''

The 34-year-old actress also insisted the question of creating a balance between work and home life is one which should also be asked of male stars as men find it a tough problem to tackle too.

She added: ''Most men I know are dealing with the same issues.

''They say they feel like if they work too hard they won't have enough time with their families. Maybe those questions need to be asked of men, too. Maybe the men need better questions.''

Though the 'Tale of Love and Darkness' star enjoys living in Paris with her family, there are some aspects of American life she misses.

She told the new issue of America's Harper's Bazaar magazine: ''It's magical. But the cultures are different in ways you don't even realise.

''And there's stuff you don't know you'll miss until you're away -- like indoor gyms where kids can just run around and jump. They don't have those there.

''[In Paris], if you're running around on the playground chasing your kid and playing a game, people think you're nuts.''