Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman

Sponsored Links:

Birth name: Natalie Hershlag
Date of birth: 9 June 1981
Place of birth: Jerusalem, Israel
Nickname: Nat
Height: 5′ 4″ (1.63 m) 

Famous Quote: “I don’t know if acting is what I want to do for the rest of my life, it’s just what I’ve, you know, ended up doing when I was little, and I’ve kinda grown up with it. There’s so much else to do in the world. To just be interested in doing films would limit my life.”

Contact Address and Autograph: Addresses and fan mail information

Natalie Portman
ID Public Relations
8409 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA 

Biography: Natalie Portman (born June 9, 1981) is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning Israeli-American actress. Portman began her career in the early 1990s, turning down the opportunity to become a child model in favor of acting. Her first role came in the 1994 independent film Leon: The Professional, however her breakout role did not come until she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Portman was born Natalie Hershlag (Hebrew: נטלי הרשלג‎) in Jerusalem, Israel. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is an Israeli doctor specializing in fertility and reproduction (reproductive endocrinology). Her mother, Shelley Stevens, is an American homemaker who now works as her agent. Portman’s maternal ancestors were Jews from Austria and Russia and her paternal ancestors were Jews who immigrated to Israel from Poland and Romania. Her grandfather’s parents died in Auschwitz and her Romanian-born great-grandmother was a spy for the British during World War II.

Portman’s parents met at a Jewish student center at Ohio State University where her mother was selling tickets. Her father returned to Israel, but the two corresponded and were married when her mother visited Israel a few years later. In 1984, when Portman was three years old, the family moved from Israel to the United States, where her father pursued his medical training. The family first lived in Washington, D.C., where she attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, but relocated to Connecticut in 1988, and then settled permanently in Syosset, New York, in 1990. Portman has said that although she “really love[s] the States… my heart’s in Jerusalem. That’s where I feel at home.” She is an only child and very close to her parents, who are often seen with her at her film premieres.

From her first film, Luc Besson’s “The Professional” (1994), the slim, dark, olive-skinned and somewhat exotic looking Natalie Portman was tagged with star quality, and as she matured the actress proved her potential both as an Oscar-nominated dramatic actress and as a pop movie icon with her role as the regal Padme Amidala in the “Star Wars” prequels. 

She played an orphan apprenticed to a “cleaner” or hit man (Jean Reno) who serves as her mentor, and she as his savior. “The Professional” proved an auspicious debut, winning Portman attention and positive notices, her performance particularly applauded, even by those who found the movie itself shocking. The young actress followed with a turn as Al Pacino’s stepdaughter, suffering the rejection of her real father, in Michael Mann’s “Heat” (1995). A smaller, less expository role than her previous effort, “Heat” showcased Portman’s natural ability, the actress capably evincing her character’s desperate dysfunction with very little dialogue or screen time. Next she had a scene-stealing turn as a wise-beyond-her-years young girl who establishes a tender and honest friendship with Timothy Hutton’s conflicted pianist in Ted Demme’s “Beautiful Girls” (1996). Again Portman received rave reviews which in turn led to increased opportunities. She had two memorable but less pivotal roles that same year, appearing in Woody Allen’s odd musical “Everyone Says I Love You” and as the bright and collected daughter of the besieged United States president (Jack Nicholson) in Tim Burton’s wacky “Mars Attacks!”

While the type of roles the actress has taken on (generally tough but sensitive old souls) reflected her own grounded maturity, perhaps even more telling are the parts she has declined. At age 14, Portman was approached for the starring role in Adrian Lyne’s controversial remake “Lolita”, but reluctant to agree to the required nudity and heeding her father’s advice to avoid doing things on screen she had not yet experienced in real life, opted to pass on the role. Later she reportedly dropped out of Robert Redford’s “The Horse Whisperer” (1998), a film in which she was to play a 13-year-old, because she could no longer relate to the young character. Instead she headed to Broadway to star in the revised version of “The Diary of Anne Frank”, lending a refreshing humanism to the historical legend, portraying her as a somewhat disagreeable, silly and vain young girl, a much more interesting characterization than her saintly reputation. Portman received positive notices for her Broadway debut, critics noting her grace as well as her unfettered talent and youthful exuberance.

Portman was a straight-A student. “I’d rather be smart than be a movie star,” she told an interviewer. Although she says her family was not religious, she attended a Jewish elementary school, the Solomon Schechter Day School of Glen Cove, New York. She graduated from a public high school, Syosset High School. Portman reportedly skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I so she could study for her high school final exams.

In June 2003, Portman graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and pursued graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the spring of 2004. At Harvard, Portman was Alan Dershowitz’s research assistant (he thanks her in The Case for Israel). She was also a research assistant in a psychology lab, and in March 2006, appeared as a guest lecturer at a Columbia University course in terrorism and counterterrorism, where she spoke about her film V for Vendetta. In addition to being bilingual in Hebrew and English, Portman has studied French, Japanese, German and Arabic.

As a student, Portman co-authored two research papers which were published in professional scientific journals. Her 1998 high school paper on the “Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen” was entered in the Intel Science Talent Search. In 2002, she contributed to a study on memory called “Frontal Lobe Activation During Object Permanence” during her psychology studies at Harvard.

Portman started dancing lessons at the age of four. She performed in local troupes, and dreamed of dancing on Broadway. At the age of ten, Portman was discovered in a Long Island pizza parlor by an agent for Revlon, who offered her an opportunity to model. She turned down the opportunity in favor of acting. In a magazine interview, Portman said: “I was definitely different from the other kids. I was more ambitious, I knew what I liked and what I wanted, and I worked very hard. I was a very serious kid.”

As a child, Portman spent her school holidays attending theater camps. When she was ten, she auditioned for Ruthless! about a girl who is prepared to commit murder to get the lead in a school play. She was chosen as the understudy for Britney Spears. In 1994, she auditioned for Luc Besson’s film Léon (aka The Professional). She was initially turned down, but through further auditioning won the part. Soon after getting the part, she took “Portman”, her grandmother’s maiden name, as her stage name, in the interest of privacy; in the Director’s Cut of the film found on DVD she is credited as Natalie Hershlag. In the film, Portman plays an orphaned girl who befriends a much older assassin. Léon opened on November 18, 1994, and marked her feature film debut at age 13. That same year she appeared in the short film Developing, which aired on television.

Next up for the actress was the role that would make her an international star, that of Queen Amidala in the much-hyped prequel “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999). Portman joined the legendary saga as this wise and responsible teenaged leader, the future mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. She was also signed to reprise the role in the two subsequent prequels set for release in 2002 (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”) and 2005, a weighty decision for any young girl, especially considering Portman’s focus on education and her admission that acting may not be where her future lies. Also in 1999, she starred opposite Susan Sarandon in the Wayne Wang adaptation of Mona Simpson’s novel “Anywhere But Here”, a culture shock tale tracing the ups and downs of a mother and daughter who move from small town Michigan to Beverly Hills, California.

Although the provocative nature of some of her earlier roles (including the questionable relationships her character has with much older men in both “The Professional” and “Beautiful Girls”) has caused some to ask what kind of parents this actress has, the reality is that the well-spoken and charming Portman and her family have apparently made every effort to keep her from being exploited on screen and off. “Portman” is a stage name; the real family name has been shielded from the press. Wayne Wang reportedly cut some of her character’s more explicitly sexual scenes from the script of “Anywhere But Here” at the request of the family. In an attempt to keep her childhood and education as normal as possible, Portman commuted to her Long Island high school to Broadway while performing in “The Diary of Anne Frank”. After filming her newly mature and romantic turn as Amidala–paired opposite future Darth Vader Hayden Christensen in a surprisingly chemistry-impaired match-up—in the second “Star Wars” prequel, she took a lengthy break before returning to screen again in director Anthony Minghella’s “Cold Mountain” (2003) in a haunting supporting turn as a young Civil War widow with an infant child encountered by Jude Law who bears her own deep psychological scars from her loss in the conflict.

She delivered her most charming adult performance yet as the open-hearted, free-spirited Sam, the love interest in writer/director/star Zach Braff’s winning indie “Garden State” (2004)—indeed, approached as Braff’s first choice to play the character, it was Portman’s interest in the project that earned it funding. Playing a darker variation on the “Garden State” character, Portman continued her move in more mature roles in Mike Nichols’ oft-brutal battle-of-the-sexes “Closer” (2004), playing a stripper who become involved in a messy, flip-flopping quadrangle involving two couples (Portman, Jude Law, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen). In a much-buzzed-about incident, Portman allowed Nichols to film a brief nude scene with her character, but after finding the nudity distracting, Nichols replaced the scene with a more discreetly filmed version at her request. The actress’ compelling performance earned her a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. Hot off her Golden Globe win, Portman earned a spot at the Academy Awards with a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. 

Returning to the familiar galaxy far, far away for “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith” (2005) Portman provided tragic closure for the prequel trilogy even though she and her character were not particularly well-served by George Lucas’ script. 

In the late 1990s, Portman was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The first part, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, opened in early 1999, and its massive audience and mainstream appeal made Portman an instant star. She then signed on to play the lead role of a persevering teenaged mother in Where the Heart Is.

After filming Where the Heart Is, Portman moved into the dorms of Harvard University to pursue her bachelor’s degree in psychology. She said in a 1999 interview that, with the exception of the Star Wars prequels, she would not act for the next four years in order to concentrate on studying.

During the summer break, from June to September 2000, Portman filmed Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in Sydney, including additional production in London. In July 2001, Portman opened in New York City’s Public Theater production of Chekhov’s The Seagull, directed by Mike Nichols, playing the role of Nina alongside Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The play opened at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. That same year, she was one of many celebrities who made cameo appearances in the comedy Zoolander. In 2002, the film opened around the world. Portman was cast in a small role in the film Cold Mountain alongside Jude Law and Nicole Kidman.

In 2004, Portman appeared in the independent movies Garden State and Closer. Garden State was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival, and won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards. Her performance as Alice in Closer saw Portman win a Supporting Actress Golden Globe as well as a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

2005 saw the worldwide release of the final Star Wars prequel, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on May 19. The film was the highest grossing film of the year, and was voted Favorite Motion Picture at the People’s Choice Awards. Shortly before the film’s opening, Portman shaved her head for her role in the film adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel V for Vendetta, released in March 2006. Her shaved head was first seen publicly at the Revenge of the Sith premieres. “Making a dramatic change that isn’t reversible is always a worthy experience”, she said of the drastically different hairstyle, “and that sort of gave me the courage to do it.” She kept her hair short for most of 2005, had a fauxhawk, and briefly sported a full mohawk in late August, saying that it was “kind of wonderful to throw vanity away for a bit”. Also in 2005, Portman filmed Free Zone and legendary director Milos Forman’s Goya’s Ghosts. Forman hadn’t seen any of her work, but thought she looked like a Goya painting so he requested a meeting.

Portman appeared on Saturday Night Live on March 4, 2006, hosting the show with musical guest Fall Out Boy and special guest star Dennis Haysbert. In a now-famous SNL Digital Short, she portrays herself as an angry gangsta rapper (with Andy Samberg as her Flava Flav-esque partner in Viking garb) during a faux-interview with Chris Parnell, saying she cheated at Harvard University while high on pot and cocaine. In another sketch, she portrays a student named Rebecca Hershlag (her actual surname) attending a Bar Mitzvah, and in an installment of the recurring sketch The Needlers (also known as Sally and Dan, The Couple That Should Be Divorced), plays a fertility specialist (her father’s profession).

for Vendetta opened in early 2006. Portman portrayed Evey Hammond, a young woman who is saved from the secret police by the main character, V. Portman worked with a voice coach for the role, learning to speak with an English accent, and had her head shaved. Maxim magazine named Portman #33 on its annual Hot 100 list, citing her V for Vendetta hairstyle as a huge accomplishment proving “you don’t need hair to be hot.”

Portman has commented on V for Vendetta’s political relevance, and mentioned that her character, who joins an underground anti-government group, is “often bad and does things that you don’t like” and that “Being from Israel was a reason I wanted to do this because terrorism and violence are such a daily part of my conversations since I was little.” She said the film “doesn’t make clear good or bad statements. It respects the audience enough to take away their own opinion”. Both Goya’s Ghosts and Free Zone received limited releases in 2006. Portman starred in the children’s film Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, which began filming in April 2006 and was released in November 2007; she has said that she was “excited to do a kids’ movie.” In late 2006, Portman filmed The Other Boleyn Girl, a historical drama in which she plays Anne Boleyn; Eric Bana and Scarlett Johansson will co-star in the film. She was also named one of the hottest women of film and TV by Blender Magazine.

Portman had a small role in the 18th season of The Simpsons as the voice of Bart Simpson’s love interest, Darcy, from a neighboring town. She also appears in Paul McCartney’s music video “Dance Tonight” from his 2007 album “Memory Almost Full” directed by Michel Gondry.

Portman also has a cameo in the Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited opposite Jason Schwartzman, and will star opposite Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal in the drama film Brothers, a remake of the 2004 Danish film of the same name.

Portman has been a vegetarian since childhood and is an advocate for animal rights. She does not eat animal products or wear fur, feathers or leather. “All of my shoes are from Target and Stella McCartney”, she says. In 2007, Natalie Portman traveled to Rwanda with Jack Hanna, to film a documentary titled Gorillas on the Brink. Later at a naming ceremony, Portman named a baby gorilla Gukina, which means ‘to play’. In 2007, she launched her own brand of vegan footwear.

A number of songs and albums have been named in her honor, by artists such as Intel One, Team Sleep, Sage Francis, and Ozma. The make-up brand Stila has a lip color named after her (a sheer plum titled “Natalie”), fashion designer Zac Posen has referred to her as his “muse” and writer Kia Abdullah names Portman as the woman she would like to be.

Portman has had romantic links with actors including Gael Garcia Bernal and Jake Gyllenhaal. In the May 2002 issue of Vogue Portman called actor/musician Lukas Haas and musician Moby her close friends. She was linked to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, but he claims they are friends. She reportedly dated Nat Rothschild, of the famous multi-billionaire banking family. Recently, she was spotted with former male model Nathan Bogle at the U.S. Open on September 5, 2007.

When asked in a June 2002 Rolling Stone interview whether she “ever wondered, growing up, whether [she was] gay”, she said: “Sure. I’ve never dated a woman or anything like that. But … I think it’s much more the person that you fall in love with — and why would you close yourself off to fifty percent of the people? … I think my personality is more compatible with men than women.”

Portman has been an advocate of environmental causes since the age of twelve, when she joined an environmental song and dance troupe. She is also a vegetarian. Portman has spent some of her free time involved in causes such as the Democrats’ 2004 U.S. presidential campaign and ending poverty. In 2004 and 2005 she traveled to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in poor countries. 

In an interview conducted backstage at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia and appearing on the PBS program Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria she discussed microfinance. Host Fareed Zakaria said that he was “generally wary of celebrities with fashionable causes”, but included the segment with Portman because “she really knew her stuff”. In the “Voices” segment of the 29 April 2007, episode of the ABC Sunday Morning Program This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Portman discussed her work with FINCA and how it can benefit women and their children in third world countries. 

In the Fall of 2007, Portman visited several university campuses, including Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, New York University, and Columbia, to inspire students with the power of microfinance and to encourage them to join the Village Banking Campaign to help families and communities lift themselves out of poverty.

On the concept of the afterlife, she comments “I don’t believe in that. I believe this is it, and I believe it’s the best way to live.” She has said that she feels more Jewish in the Holy Land and that she would like to raise her children in the Jewish religion: “A priority for me is definitely that I’d like to raise my kids Jewish, but the ultimate thing is to have someone who is a good person and who is a partner… I get much more Jewish in Israel”.

Portman, who had read W. E. B. Du Bois, was interviewed for the August 2004 issue of Allure magazine where she was quoted as saying, “Oh my God! I’m not black, but I know what it feels like!” She then wrote a letter to their editor, in which she wrote: “The ‘it’ I was referring to when I said, ‘I know what it feels like,’ was not intended to signify that I know ‘how black people feel,’ but rather that I know what Du Bois’ concept of double-consciousness feels like, in variation. Had my quote included what I actually said preceding that statement, perhaps my meaning would have been clearer.”

Portman also made headlines when she was moved away by Israeli Police on February 23, 2005, from Jerusalem’s Western Wall after protests by religious Jews who were praying at the holy site. She and Israeli actor Aki Avni were filming a kissing scene near the Western Wall for the movie Free Zone. This was deemed to be “immodest” and men who were praying heckled the pair until police stepped in and suggested they return later. The site is under the authority of Orthodox Judaism, and Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, who is responsible for the site, said the actors’ behavior violated the code of conduct.

It was reported that on July 8, 2005, Portman was pulled over by the NYPD while driving in a transit tunnel underneath New York City for looking unusual and having an expired registration. She had a shaven head from playing her role in V for Vendetta, and had just arrived back in the United States from Israel and film shooting in Berlin. The policeman told her not to drive in the tunnel, but to take the bridge instead. “I’ve never had that happen to me before”, Portman said. “It’s supposedly random… I didn’t understand that logic. If you’re a suspect, don’t take the tunnel, take the bridge?”

Related People: