Natalie Portman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Natalie Portman
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| נטלי פורטמן | |
Portman in 2023
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Natalie Hershlag
June 9, 1981 West Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Israel
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| Education | Harvard University (AB) |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Natalie Portman (born June 9, 1981) is a famous actress, director, and producer. She was born in Israel and later became an American citizen. Natalie Portman started acting when she was a teenager and has been in many popular movies and independent films. She has won several important awards, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.
Portman began her acting journey at age twelve. Her first big role was in the action film Léon: The Professional (1994). While still in high school, she acted on Broadway in The Diary of a Young Girl (1998). She became known worldwide for playing Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
From 1999 to 2003, Portman studied at Harvard University, where she earned a degree in psychology. Even while in college, she continued to act in the Star Wars prequel movies (2002, 2005). In 2004, she was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the movie Closer.
Her career grew with roles in V for Vendetta (2005) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). In 2010, she starred in the thriller Black Swan, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress for her amazing performance. She also played Jacqueline Kennedy in the movie Jackie (2016), which earned her another Academy Award nomination. Many people also know her as Jane Foster from the Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor movies (2011, 2013, 2022). These roles helped her become one of the highest-paid actresses in the world.
Natalie Portman has also directed films, like the short film Eve (2008) and the drama A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015), where she also acted. In 2021, she started her own production company, MountainA. Through this company, she produced and starred in May December (2023) and the TV series Lady in the Lake (2024).
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Early Life
Natalie Hershlag was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel. Her parents were Jewish. Her mother, Shelley, was an American homemaker who later became Natalie's agent. Her father, Avner Hershlag, was an Israeli gynecologist.
Natalie and her family first lived in Washington, D.C.. They moved to Connecticut in 1988 and then to Long Island, New York, in 1990. While in Washington, Natalie went to the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. Her first language is Hebrew. On Long Island, she attended the Solomon Schechter Day School. She also studied ballet and modern dance and went to a summer camp for arts. Natalie described herself as a "very serious kid" who knew what she wanted and worked hard for it.
When Natalie was ten, a Revlon agent saw her at a pizza restaurant and asked her to be a child model. She said no to modeling but used the chance to find an acting agent. She then auditioned for an off-Broadway play called Ruthless! in 1992. Natalie and Britney Spears were chosen as backup actors for the main role.
Becoming an Actress
First Roles and Big Breaks
Six months after Ruthless! ended, Natalie got a main role in Luc Besson's action drama Léon: The Professional (1994). To keep her private life separate, she started using her paternal grandmother's maiden name, Portman, as her stage name. In the movie, she played Mathilda, a young orphan who becomes friends with a hitman.
After The Professional, Natalie went back to school. During a summer break, she filmed a short movie called Developing. She also acted in a play of Anne of Green Gables at a performing arts camp. Director Michael Mann gave her a small part in the film Heat (1995). Another director, Ted Demme, cast her in the comedy-drama Beautiful Girls (1996). Critics praised her performance, saying she was "scene-stealingly good". In 1996, she also had small roles in Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks!.
Natalie was considered for a role in Romeo + Juliet (1996) but was thought to be too young. She also turned down a part in Lolita. Instead, she decided to star as Anne Frank in a Broadway play called The Diary of Anne Frank (1997–1998). She visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam to prepare for the role. Playing Anne Frank was very emotional for her, as she went to high school during the day and performed at night.
Star Wars and College Life
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Natalie Portman started filming her role as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel movies in 1997. This was her first big-budget film. The first movie, Episode I – The Phantom Menace, came out in 1999, when she was in her last year of high school. She wasn't familiar with Star Wars before being cast, so she watched the original movies. She worked closely with director George Lucas to create her character. The movie was a huge success, making her a global star.
Portman finished high school in 1999. She then decided to go to Harvard University to study psychology. She took fewer acting roles during this time. She studied advanced Hebrew literature and neuroscience. In 2001, she returned to Broadway to perform in the play The Seagull. She also made a small appearance in the comedy Zoolander (2001).
The next Star Wars movie, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, was released in 2002. She filmed it during her summer break from college. Natalie said she didn't care if college "ruined" her acting career, because she would "rather be smart than a movie star." She graduated from Harvard in 2003.
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In 2004, Portman starred in the romantic comedy Garden State. She then played a role in Closer, a romantic drama with other famous actors. Critics praised her "blazing, breakthrough performance" in Closer. She won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for this role.
In 2005, the final Star Wars prequel, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, was released. It was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. She also played a Jewish-American girl in the drama Free Zone. Her last film role in 2005 was as Evey Hammond in the political thriller V for Vendetta. She won an award for her performance in that movie.
Award-Winning Performances
In 2007, Natalie Portman starred in the romantic drama My Blueberry Nights. She also appeared in a short film called Hotel Chevalier and the children's movie Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. She even appeared in Paul McCartney's music video "Dance Tonight".
In 2008, Portman and Scarlett Johansson played rival sisters in The Other Boleyn Girl. Natalie was excited to work with another actress her age. She also became a jury member at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. She started her own production company, handsomecharlie films, and directed her first short film, Eve.
In 2009, Portman starred in the drama Brothers. She played a war widow and spoke with military wives to prepare for the role.
After producing the comedy Hesher (2010), Portman starred in Black Swan. She played a ballerina preparing for Swan Lake. To get ready, she trained for five to eight hours every day for six months and lost weight. Her performance was highly praised. Black Swan was a huge success, and Portman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role.
In 2011, Portman was an executive producer and star in the romantic comedy No Strings Attached. She also appeared in the fantasy film Your Highness. Later that year, she played Jane Foster in the superhero movie Thor. She liked the idea of the director, Kenneth Branagh, making a big-budget film that focused on characters. Thor was a big hit, earning over $449 million worldwide.
In 2012, Forbes magazine named Portman one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. She appeared in another Paul McCartney music video, "My Valentine". In 2013, she returned as Jane Foster in Thor: The Dark World, which also earned a lot of money.
Directing and Producing Films
In 2015, Portman appeared in the experimental drama Knight of Cups. She also directed, produced, and co-wrote A Tale of Love and Darkness. This Hebrew-language film was based on a book set in Jerusalem. Portman had wanted to adapt the book for a long time. She also produced and starred in the western film Jane Got a Gun.
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In 2016, Portman played Jacqueline Kennedy in the movie Jackie. The film was about Kennedy's life after her husband's assassination. Natalie researched Kennedy a lot, watching videos and listening to interviews. She also worked with a coach to learn Kennedy's unique way of speaking. She won an award and was nominated for an Academy Award for this role. She also produced Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and starred in Planetarium.
In 2018, Portman starred in the science fiction film Annihilation. She played a biologist who studies a mysterious area with changing organisms. She was happy to lead a science fiction film with a female main character. She also appeared in The Death & Life of John F. Donovan and Vox Lux, where she played a troubled pop singer. For Vox Lux, she trained with her husband, who choreographed the dances.
In 2019, Portman had a brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame using old footage. She then played an astronaut in the drama Lucy in the Sky. In 2020, she narrated the Disney+ documentary Dolphin Reef and voiced Jane Foster in the animated series What If...?. In 2022, Portman returned as Jane Foster in Thor: Love and Thunder, where her character becomes Mighty Thor. She practiced using the Mjolnir prop for her stunts.
In 2021, Portman and her partner, Sophie Mas, started a production company called MountainA. Their first project was May December (2023), a drama starring Portman and Julianne Moore. Portman played an actress researching a woman married to a much younger man. She was excited to work with the director and play a complex character. Portman received another Golden Globe nomination for her performance. The company also produced the HBO documentary series Angel City, about the soccer team Angel City FC, which Portman helped found.
MountainA's next project was Lady in the Lake (2024), a TV series for Apple TV+. Portman will also star in an upcoming adventure film called Fountain of Youth and a thriller film called The Gallerist.
Helping Others
Animal Rights and Environment
Natalie Portman cares a lot about animal rights. She became a vegetarian at age eight after seeing a demonstration on a chicken. In 2009, she became a vegan after reading a book called Eating Animals. She later produced a documentary with the same title about factory farming. In 2017, she received an award for her work on the film. She avoids wearing animal products and supports animal-friendly brands. In 2007, she started her own brand of animal-friendly shoes. That same year, she traveled to Rwanda to film a documentary about gorillas. Portman has supported environmental causes since she was a child.
Fighting Poverty
Portman has also worked to help people escape poverty. In 2004 and 2005, she visited Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as an Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International. This group helps women in developing countries by giving them small loans to start businesses. She spoke about this work on TV shows and at universities, encouraging students to join the Village Banking Campaign to help families.
Supporting Good Causes
Portman supports the Democratic Party in the United States. She campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election and for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the 2008 election. In 2010, she was nominated for a VH1 award for her activist work. In 2011, she supported same-sex marriage.
In 2011, Portman became an ambassador for WE Charity, which helps educate girls. She hosted a contest to raise money for an all-girls school in Kenya. In 2019, she gave a speech about veganism and feminism at WE Day California. She also visited Kenya again to speak with young girls about education.
In 2006, Portman was a guest speaker at Columbia University for a class on terrorism, where she talked about her film V for Vendetta. In 2015, she and other Harvard alumni asked the university to stop investing in fossil fuel companies. She also spoke at Harvard's Class Day for the graduating class of 2015.
In 2018, she donated money to the Time's Up initiative, which fights against harassment. She also participated in the 2018 Women's March in Los Angeles. In 2023, Portman spoke at a United Nations event to end violence against women and girls.
In 2020, Portman supported the "defund the police" movement. She also worked with JusticeLA to create a public service announcement about the health of people in jails during the COVID-19 pandemic. Later in 2020, Portman helped found Angel City FC, a women's professional soccer team in the U.S.
Personal Life
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Natalie Portman was married to French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied. They met in 2009 while working on Black Swan. They got married in 2012 and have two children. In March 2024, it was announced that they had divorced.
Since 2010, Portman has worked with Dior and appeared in many of their advertisements for perfumes and makeup.
Natalie Portman is a polyglot, meaning she can speak several languages. She speaks English, Hebrew, French, German, Japanese, and Arabic to different levels.
Famous Films and Awards
Some of Natalie Portman's most well-known and successful films include:
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Closer (2004)
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- V for Vendetta (2005)
- Black Swan (2010)
- No Strings Attached (2011)
- Thor (2011)
- Thor: The Dark World (2013)
- Jackie (2016)
- Annihilation (2018)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Portman has won many awards for her acting, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
See also
In Spanish: Natalie Portman para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
- List of Israeli Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of Jewish Academy Award winners and nominees
