Natalie Portman
Who was Natalie Portman?
Academy Award-winning Israeli-American actress known for roles in films including Black Swan and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She won the Best Actress Oscar in 2011 for her performance in Black Swan.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Natalie Portman (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981, in West Jerusalem, Israel, to parents Shelley Stevens and Avner Hershlag. Her family moved to the United States when she was three. They first settled in Washington, D.C., then moved to Connecticut, and finally to Long Island, New York. She attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and later Syosset High School, excelling academically while also pursuing acting.
Portman's acting career began at 12 when a talent scout discovered her at a pizza restaurant. She made her professional debut in 1994 with Luc Besson's action thriller 'Léon: The Professional,' playing Mathilda, a young girl out for revenge after her family's murder. This role highlighted her ability to handle complex roles. As a teenager, she balanced her education with selective acting gigs, appearing in 'Heat' (1995), 'Beautiful Girls' (1996), and 'Mars Attacks!' (1996).
Despite her growing film career, Portman made her education a priority. She enrolled at Harvard University in 1999 to study psychology but continued acting, especially as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, starting with 'Episode I: The Phantom Menace' (1999). After graduating from Harvard in 2003, she broadened her acting scope with performances in indie films like 'Garden State' (2004) and 'Closer' (2004), earning a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for the latter.
Portman's career soared with her portrayal of Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller 'Black Swan' (2010). She underwent intense ballet training for the role and delivered a powerful performance as a dancer spiraling into madness, winning several awards including the Academy Award for Best Actress, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Beyond acting, she has directed and produced films like 'A Tale of Love and Darkness' (2015) and is an active advocate for various social and political causes. She married French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied in 2012, whom she met while filming 'Black Swan.'
Before Fame
Born into an academic family in Jerusalem, Portman moved to the United States as a young child when her father's medical career brought the family to America. She showed exceptional intelligence early on, learning multiple languages and excelling in school while developing an interest in performing arts. At age 11, while eating pizza with friends on Long Island, a Revlon talent scout discovered her, starting her journey to stardom.
Even though she had early opportunities in modeling, Portman decided to focus on acting. She successfully auditioned for her breakthrough role in 'Léon: The Professional' among hundreds of candidates. Her parents' emphasis on education meant she approached her career carefully, turning down roles that conflicted with her schooling and maintaining high academic standards as she rose to fame.
Key Achievements
- Academy Award for Best Actress for Black Swan (2011)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for Closer (2005)
- Graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2003)
- Directorial debut with A Tale of Love and Darkness, which she also wrote and starred in
- Starred in the Star Wars prequel trilogy as Padmé Amidala
Did You Know?
- 01.She speaks Hebrew, French, German, Arabic, and Japanese in addition to English
- 02.Portman used her real surname Hershlag when publishing scientific papers as a student researcher
- 03.She was a research assistant on two psychology studies that were published in scientific journals
- 04.Her Harvard senior thesis focused on the work of philosopher Maimonides
- 05.She served as the youngest member ever on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 at age 27
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actress | 2011 | — |
| Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | 2005 | — |