Natalie Portman Biography

Although only in her mid-twenties, this Israeli actress has been appearing on film and developing her talents for over a decade. In addition to her multitude of starring roles and appearances, Natalie Portman holds a bachelor of psychology degree from the prestigious Harvard University.

Natalie Hershlag, better known as Natalie Portman, was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel. Developing her skills early at summer theater camps, she made her first professional stage appearance in the 1993 musical Ruthless! Her first film appearance was in the film Leon, produced when Portman was only twelve years old. Audiences were impressed with her talents, and more roles followed. The mid-90s saw Portman taking on small parts in the films Heat, boasting big names like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. 

Natalie also appeared in Mars Attacks, and in a substantial role in the film Beautiful Girls. During this time Portman was approached to play Queen Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. Although she hesitated at first, Portman eventually signed on for the three films which were shot over ten years. The first of the trilogy, The Phantom Menace, was the highest grossing film of the year and made Natalie a superstar.

While making movie appearances and attending high school, she also played the lead in Broadway’s The Diary of Anne Frank, and would receive a Tony nomination for her efforts. To finish off the decade, Portman appeared in Anywhere But Here and Where the Heart Is, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

After high school, the studious Natalie attended Harvard University, but continued her work as an actress, appearing in the theater production The Seagull and filming the second installment of Star Wars. Her other films since high school include a small role in Cold Mountain, also starring Nicole Kidman, as well as starring roles in the independently produced Garden State and Closer. Once again, the appearances impressed critics and audiences. Garden State was a selection at the Sundance Film Festival and won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, while Closer earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as an Oscar nomination in the same category.

In 2005, the final Star Wars film was released and proved once again to be a massive success as the highest grossing film of the year, as well as the People’s Choice Award recipient for Favorite Motion Picture. Portman’s recent release, V For Vendatta, with its controversial themes of terrorism and totalitarian government control, had Portman shave her head for the part. Since then, the busy Natialie has hosted SNL and has several films slated for release, including Goya’s Ghosts and The Other Boleyn Girl. Portman, the loyal student, also continues her academic pursuits. With so many accomplishments and recognitions, it is likely that Natalie will be a Hollywood favorite for many years to come. 

Although Portman attempts to keep her personal life out of the public eye, rumors about her romantic interests are still frequent. There was gossip of romantic links between Portman and actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Star Wars co-star Hayden Christensen. There was also talk of a romance with Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5, but she claims they are just friends. Portman’s other personal friends, as revealed in Vogue magazine, include Moby and Lukas Haas.

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