Natalie Portman Biography

Natalie Portman Biography

Natalie Portman
Date of Birth: 9th June, 1981
Born at: Jerusalem, Israel
Height: 5’3”
Claim to Fame: Star Wars series, Cold Mountain, Black Swan

Natalie Hershlag was born in the holy city of Jerusalem, Israel. She uses her maternal grandmother’s name Portman as her stage name. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is a doctor, and her mother, Shelley Stevens, is a homemaker and now, she manages Natalie’s burgeoning career. Her parents moved to America when she was three years old.
Natalie was very artistically inclined from a young age. She started taking dancing lessons at the age of four; she was really good and performed in local dance troupes. During her summer vacations, and other holidays, Natalie enrolled herself into theatre camp. She loved acting so much that, she even turned down a modeling offer from Revlon when she was ten years old.
In 1994, Natalie auditioned for the role of a young girl who develops a friendship with a Hitman. She successfully landed the part, and made her film debut in The Professional. Next, was a small role in the film Heat (1995), but with a cast that had Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, it was highly unlikely anybody noticed her. But still, she took what came her way, and she got a great opportunity to work with Woody Allen in Everyone Says I Love You (1996).
Natalie was considered to be a good actress, and many saw great potential in her. Why else would Wayne Wang and, veteran actress, Susan Sarandon demand a rewrite for the script of Anywhere but Here (1999). Natalie had left the film after learning that it would require her to give a sex scene. The director, Wayne Wang immediately redrafted the script, and Natalie was onboard again. Her major break came in the form of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. She was cast in the part of Padme Amildala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. The movie was the biggest hit of the year, and made Natalie a part of the Star Wars culture forever.One unique thing about Natalie is that from a young age, she was very picky about what she did, and stuck to her guns till the end. She avoided doing any dark stuff as she wanted to be a positive role model for young girls. The result of this was that, she turned down a lot of roles, and was rarely seen in any films other than Star Wars prequels. Another reason for she not doing films was that, she chose to finish her graduation. Syosset High School was from where she finished her high schooling, so dedicated was she, that she even missed the premiere of Star Wars because of an exam she had to prepare for.
Having had the taste of education, college degree was the next target in her crosshairs. Natalie got into Harvard University to pursue a degree in Psychology. She only committed herself to doing the Star Wars prequel trilogy during her time in college. She filmed for the movie during the summer vacations. Education is very important to her, and she has been very vocal about the fact. Once in an interview, Natalie said she would rather be smart and educated than a famous actress. This ‘care a damn’ attitude has endeared her to many fans.
She finished her degree in 2003, and started with her film career again. Immediately, she made an impact with two good performances. The two films she did were Garden State (2004) and Closer (2004). Both were critically acclaimed; Garden State won the best film award at the Sundance Film Festival and for Closer, Natalie was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Oscars, and she took home the Golden Globe Award.
What a comeback she had made, and it was about to get even sweeter. The final part of the Star Wars prequel series Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released. As expected, the film was a blockbuster and Natalie was loved by fans and critics alike. Doing things out of the norm has become her trademark of sorts for Natalie. She stunned everyone by shaving her head for her film V for Vendetta (2006). She also learned to speak in an English accent. ‘Beauty is boring’ is one of her motto and hence did not think twice before shaving her head.
She continued her good work in My Blueberry Nights (2007), her performance as a gambler was a matured performance, and the critics noted that it was the first time she was playing a proper woman. Natalie was growing not only as an actress, but also as an all-round talent. In 2008, Natalie made her directorial debut with Eve (2008); the movie was premiered at the Sundance film festival. The film was about a young girl who is dragged along on a date by her grandmother.
Natalie gave her best performance in the ballet film Black Swan. Many have hailed this as her best work, and the film is special for her personally too. Natalie recently got engaged to the choreographer of the film, Benjamin Millepied. Not only that, she is also pregnant with her first child. The wave of good fortune is in Natalie’s favor, and she continues to ride on it in her own terms.