Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman, born Natalie Hershlag, is an Israeli-American actress, film director, and producer. Beginning her acting career as a teenager, she has built a wide-ranging filmography encompassing major studio blockbusters and independent productions. She is widely recognized for her performances in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Black Swan, Closer, Jackie, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Throughout her career, she has earned numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award.

Portman was born in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981, to an artist mother and a gynecologist father. Her family moved to the United States when she was three years old, eventually settling in Long Island, New York. Growing up bilingual in Hebrew and English, she attended Jewish day schools, studied modern dance and ballet, and spent summers at creative arts camps. At ten years old, a modeling scout spotted her in a restaurant, an encounter she used to secure an acting agent. Shortly after, she served as an understudy in an off-Broadway musical production.

Adopting her grandmother's maiden name as her professional moniker, Portman made her film acting debut in Léon: The Professional (1994). She balanced her high school education with supporting roles in films such as Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996). In 1997, she made her Broadway debut portraying Anne Frank in a revival of The Diary of Anne Frank. She achieved worldwide prominent recognition after starring as Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).

From 1999 to 2003, Portman attended Harvard University, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology while co-authoring scientific research papers and serving as a research assistant. She reduced her acting commitments during her studies, though she performed in a theatrical production of The Seagull (2001) and reprised her role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002). After graduating, she earned critical acclaim for her performance in Closer (2004), which earned her a Golden Globe Award and her first Academy Award nomination.

Portman continued her screen success with roles in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), V for Vendetta (2005), and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). In 2010, her performance as a tormented dancer in Black Swan won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She subsequently starred in the romantic comedy No Strings Attached (2011) and gained a third Oscar nomination for depicting Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie (2016). She also expanded her commercial reach by playing Jane Foster in the Thor films (2011, 2013, 2022).

In addition to acting, Portman directed the short film Eve (2008) and the feature-length drama A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015). In 2021, she co-founded the production outfit MountainA, through which she produced and starred in May December (2023) and the miniseries Lady in the Lake (2024). Outside of the entertainment industry, she is an advocate for animal rights, environmental concerns, and women's rights, supporting organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute and the Human Rights Foundation.