Date of Birth
9 June 1981, Jerusalem, Israel
Birth Name
Natalie Hershlag
Nickname
Nat
Height
5' 3" (1.60 m)
Mini Biography
Natalie Portman was
born in Jerusalem, the only child of a doctor father (from Israel) and an
artist mother (from Cincinnati, Ohio), who also acts as Natalie's agent. She
left Israel for Washington, D.C., when she was still very young. After a few
more moves, her family finally settled in New York, where she still lives to
this day. She graduated with honors, and her academic achievements allowed her
to attend Harvard.
She was discovered by an agent in a pizza parlor at the age of 11. She was pushed towards a career in modeling but she decided that she would rather pursue a career in acting. She was featured in many live performances, but she made her powerful film debut in the movie Leon: The Professional (1994) (aka "Léon"). Following this role Natalie won roles in such films as Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996).
It wasn't until 1999 that Natalie received worldwide fame as Queen Amidala in the highly anticipated US$431 million-grossing prequel Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). She then she starred in two critically acclaimed comedy dramas, Anywhere But Here (1999) and Where the Heart Is (2000), followed by Closer (2004/I), for which she received an Oscar nomination.
She was discovered by an agent in a pizza parlor at the age of 11. She was pushed towards a career in modeling but she decided that she would rather pursue a career in acting. She was featured in many live performances, but she made her powerful film debut in the movie Leon: The Professional (1994) (aka "Léon"). Following this role Natalie won roles in such films as Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996).
It wasn't until 1999 that Natalie received worldwide fame as Queen Amidala in the highly anticipated US$431 million-grossing prequel Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). She then she starred in two critically acclaimed comedy dramas, Anywhere But Here (1999) and Where the Heart Is (2000), followed by Closer (2004/I), for which she received an Oscar nomination.
Trade Mark
Often portrays
characters that are rather smart, mature, and grown up for their age.
Trivia
Turned down a role
in The Horse Whisperer (1998) to act in "The Diary of
Anne Frank" on Broadway.
Was a
resident of Lowell House during her first year at Harvard University.
Did not have a Bat
Mitzvah due to her parents being more secular than religious Jews. She attended
a Conservative Jewish day school through seventh grade more to preserve her
sense of Israel and her Hebrew than a religious motivation.
Is a dual citizen of
the United States and Israel.
Was voted "Most
Likely to be on Jeopardy" in the senior superlatives at Syosset High
School.
In January 2011, she
became the new face of Dior in the Miss Dior Cherie ad campaign. On February
27, 2011, a video of top Dior designer,John Galliano, going on an anti-Semitic
rant in Paris surfaced online. Portman released a statement condemning
Galliano's actions, specifying she was "shocked and disgusted," and
as a proud Jewish woman refused to associate herself with him from that point
on. Since the Miss Dior Cherie ad campaign was set to officially launch two
days after the video surfaced, Dior was forced to take legal action to work out
a settlement in order to keep Portman as a spokesperson. Galliano was fired on
March 1, 2011 and the ad campaign launched as originally planned.
Paid for all of her
own ballet training to prepare for the role of Nina in Black Swan (2010).
Has naturally curly,
dark brown hair.
Where the Heart Is (2000) contains her first on-screen
love scene.
One month before
filming began for The Other
Boleyn Girl (2008), Portman began
taking daily classes to master the English accent under dialect coach Jill McCullough.
Was in consideration
for the role of Ryan in Gravity (2012/I) but Sandra Bullock was cast instead.
Was ranked #8 on
Maxim magazine's Hot 100 of 2011 list.
Is a spokeswoman for
FINCA, a financial charity who gives and recycles small loans to women in
poverty stricken countries so they can start small businesses. FINCA's
president Rupert Scofield has spoken about feeling lucky to have Portman as a
celebrity spokeswoman because she is, "extremely intelligent and
committed." Portman has traveled to several countries as a FINCA
ambassador and worked with many of the women FINCA's donations have helped.
Was the one who led
her Brothers (2009/I) co-star Bailee Madison to Guillermo
del Toro for a role in Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010). Portman spoke about her young
co-star with Alfonso Cuarón, who
is a good friend of Guillermo del Toro, and then recommended Madison for a
role. She ultimately was cast as a lead character, Sally Hirst. In July 2011,
Guillermo del Toro spoke in an interview about how Bailee Madison was "a
miracle" and that they had Portman to thank for it.
Was one of the first
actresses offered the role of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) along with Carey Mulligan and Ellen
Page, but Portman declined due to exhaustion. The role ultimately went to Rooney Mara.
Gave birth to her
first child at age 30, son Aleph Portman-Millepied on June 14, 2011. Child's
father is her boyfriend, Benjamin
Millepied.
In September 2011
she traveled to Paris, France with fiancé Benjamin
Millepied and their son Aleph to
celebrate Millepied's retrieval of an award from the French Minister of
Culture. Millepied was awarded the "Chevalier des Arts et des
Lettres".
Owns and operates
her own film production company, Handsomecharlie Films, with Annette Savitch. As of 2011, every
film produced by the company (except for the short film "Eve", which
Portman wrote and directed) has featured Natalie in a lead or supporting role.
As well as acting in the films produced by Handsomecharlie Films, she is also
credited as an executive producer.
Huge fan of
professional wrestling.
