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Early Life

Natalie Portman was born Natalie Hershlag on June 9^th, 1981 in Jerusalem, Israel. Her Israeli father, Avner, is a doctor specializing in fertility and her American mother, Shelley is a former housewife who now works as her agent. 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 Long Island, New York, in 1990. There she attended the Solomon Schechter Day School in Glen Cove and later the Syosset High School.

Throughout her school years Natalie spent her holidays attending theatre camps and taking dance lessons including 3 years at the famous Stagedoor Manor in Loch Sheldrake, New York. In 1994, she made her film debut at the age of 13 in Léon. Soon after getting the part, she took her grandmother's maiden name "Portman" as her stage name although she is credited as Natalie Hershlag on the directors cut DVD release.

Natalie was originally turned down at her audition for Luc Besson’s Léon by the casting director who felt she was too young. However she returned for a second audition where Besson was so impressed that he gave her the role of Mathilda. Portman received widespread critical praise for her portrayal of the 12 year old who befriends a middle-aged hit-man, played by Jean Reno, to revenge the murder of her own family. The film has gathered a strong fan base since its release and is ranked 35th on IMDB's Top 250(as of Sep 2008).

During the mid-1990s, Portman had minor roles in the films Heat, Everyone Says I Love You, and Mars Attacks!, as well as a major role in Beautiful Girls. In 1998 she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, opened in early 1999, and the huge popularity of the film brought Portman to the attention of millions worldwide. Later the same year she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ann August in Wayne Wang’s drama Anywhere but Here. Shortly after she stated that with the exception of the Star Wars prequels, she would not act for the next four years in order to concentrate on studying psychology at Harvard. During the summer break, from June to September 2000, Portman flew to Australia to film Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

Her next big hit came in 2004. Portman starred alongside Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen in Mike Nichol’s Closer. She received a Oscar and BAFTA nomination and a Golden Globe win(Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture) for her role as Alice Ayres.

2005 saw the worldwide release of the final Star Wars prequel, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The film was the highest grossing movie of the year, and was voted Favourite Motion Picture at the People's Choice Awards. Later the same year Portman began filming the big screen adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta. She played the role of Evey Hammond which meant she had to shave her head halfway through filming a look that was first seen by the public at the world premiere for Revenge of the Sith. V for Vendetta earned Portman a Saturn Award and went on to gross over $130,000,000 worldwide.

In 2008 she starred in the British drama film The Other Boleyn Girl. The movie accounts the lives of 16th-century aristocrats Mary Boleyn(Scarlett Johansson), one-time mistress of King Henry VIII(Eric Bana), and her sister Anne(Portman), who became the monarch's ill-fated second wife.

1994 - Léon (aka The Professional) - Mathilda

1995 - Heat - Lauren Gustafson

1996 - Beautiful Girls - Marty

1996 - Mars Attacks! - Taffy Dale

1996 - Everyone Says I Love You - Laura Dandridge

1999 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Padmé Amidala

1999 - Anywhere But Here - Ann August

2000 - Where the Heart Is - Novalee Nation

2001 - Zoolander - Herself (cameo role)

2002 - Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Padmé Amidala

2003 - Cold Mountain - Sara

2004 - Garden State - Samantha

2005 - Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Padmé Amidala

2006 - V for Vendetta - Evey Hammond

2006 - Paris, je t'aime - Francine

2006 - Goya's Ghosts - Ines Bilbatua & Alicia

2007 - My Blueberry Nights - Leslie

2007 - The Darjeeling Limited - Jack's Ex-Girlfriend

2007 - Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - Molly Mahoney

2008 - The Other Boleyn Girl - Anne Boleyn

• In June 2003, Portman graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in psychology.
• The makeup brand Stila has a lip gloss named after her.
• In 1996 she was the first choice to play Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, but the producers felt she was too young.
• She appears in Paul McCartney's music video "Dance Tonight" from his 2007 album Memory Almost Full.
• During the royal premiere of the Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, she met Prince Charles. The prince asked her whether she had also been in the original Star Wars(1977), which had been released four years before her birth.
• She was named #2 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars (2007).
• She has been a vegetarian since the age of 8 an was voted PETA's Sexiest Female in 2002.
• Portman had a small role in the 18th season of The Simpsons as the voice of Bart Simpson's first girlfriend, Darcy.

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