Natalie Portman

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Natalie Portman
Portman at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival, presenting V for Vendetta.
Born	Natalie Hershlag (Hebrew: נטלי הרשלג) June 9, 1981 (1981-06-09) Jerusalem, Israel
Years active	1994 - present
Awards won Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture 2005 Closer Other Awards NBR Award for Best Cast 2004 Closer Saturn Award for Best Actress (film) 2007 V for Vendetta

Natalie Portman (Hebrew: נטלי פורטמן‎; born June 9, 1981) is a Golden Globe-winning, Academy Award-nominated Israeli-American actress.

Biography

Early life

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 centre at Ohio State University where Portman's mother was selling tickets. Portman's father returned to Israel, but the two corresponded and were married when Portman's mother visited Israel a few years later. When Portman was three years old, the family moved from Israel to the United States, where her father pursued his medical training. The family lived in Washington, D.C. in 1984 where she attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, 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". Portman is an only child and very close to her parents, who are often seen with her at her film premieres.

Education

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.

Career

Early career

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 favour 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 theatre 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. Starting at age thirteen, Portman spent her school holidays attending upscale theatre camps Stagedoor Manor and Usdan Camp, where she fell in love with acting, playing roles in camp productions such as the title character in Anne of Green Gables, Dream Laurey in Oklahoma!, and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

1995–1999

During the mid- 1990s, Portman had roles in the films Heat, Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks!, as well as a major role in Beautiful Girls. In 1997, Portman played the role of Anne Frank in a Broadway adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. She initially turned down the lead role in the film Anywhere But Here, after learning it would involve a sex scene. Director Wayne Wang and actress Susan Sarandon demanded a rewrite of the script. Portman was shown a new draft, and she joined the project. The film opened in late 1999; she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ann August. Critic Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon commented on Portman's performance:

"Sarandon is good, but Portman is astonishing. Unlike any number of actresses her age, she's neither too maudlin nor too plucky. Her Ann is both a petulant wet blanket and a thoughtful, painfully lonely girl fumbling to find herself. Portman knows her character is the soul of the story, and she isn't overreaching about it. She portrays Ann's angst quietly, using her wide, expressive face to convey little ripples of frustration and exasperation. She's the counterpoint to Sarandon's bravado, and she keeps the film from becoming a hammy, anything-you-can-cry-I-can-cry-harder diva fest."

In the late 1990s, Portman was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and in early 1999, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace opened and became the highest grossing film of the year and the second highest grossing film out of the Star Wars series. Its massive audience and mainstream appeal made Portman an instant star. Portman then signed on to play the lead role of a persevering teenaged mother in Where the Heart Is.

2000–2005

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 Theatre 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 Theatre 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. During the filming of Goya's Ghosts, she partied in Madrid with co-star Javier Bardem, but was largely unrecognized due to her mohawk.

2006–present

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).

Portman promoting V for Vendetta at Comic Con 2005.

V 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 in 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.

Filmed and screened in 2006 was Wong Kar-wai's road movie My Blueberry Nights. Portman won acclaim for her role as gambler Leslie:

It's not until Portman shows up that you'll find the sort of sizzle and sympathy Wong cooks up with ease in his best films. Natalie Portman — Best Actress? Yup. For once she's not playing a waif or a child princess but a mature, full-bodied woman, probably a decade older than Portman is (25). She looks great, in a blond rinse and come-hither outfits, but she's not coasting on her looks; they are only accoutrements to Leslie's natural salesmanship. She uses her appeal to simultaneously flirt with and taunt the gambler across the table....But the memory we'll cherish is that of Portman's vibrancy, grittiness and ache, all performed with a virtuosa's easy assurance. She, not Jones, is the savory dish of movie magic in a mostly bland Blueberry Nights.

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.

Activism

Animal rights

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.

Public image

A number of songs and albums have been named in her honour, by artists such as Intel One, Team Sleep, Sage Francis, and Ozma. The make-up brand Stila has a lip colour 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 is among a very small number of professional actors with a defined Erdős–Bacon number.

Personal life

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."

Beliefs

Portman has been an advocate of environmental causes since the age of twelve, when she joined an environmental song and dance troupe. She has been a vegetarian since the age of eight, and at some point went further and became vegan.

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 April 29th, 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".

Controversy

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 DuBois’ 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' behaviour 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?"

Filmography

Film/Television

Theatre

• Ruthless!! (1994)
• The Diary of Anne Frank (1999)
• The Seagull (2001)

Awards

Won

• 2002 - Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Drama/Action Adventure: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• 2005 - Golden Globe Awards, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Closer
• 2005 - National Board of Review Awards, Best Acting by an Ensemble: Closer (shared with Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, and Jude Law)
• 2005 - San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
• 2007 - The Constellation Awards, Best Female Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Film, TV Movie, or Mini-Series: V for Vendetta
• 2007 - Saturn Awards, Best Actress: V for Vendetta

Nominations

• 2000 - Golden Globe Awards, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Anywhere But Here
• 2000 - Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Where the Heart Is
• 2000 - Saturn Awards, Best Young Actress: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
• 2003 - Saturn Awards, Best Actress: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
• 2005 - Academy Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
• 2005 - BAFTA Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer
• 2005 - Satellite Awards, Best Supporting Actress, Drama: Closer
• 2005 - Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Drama: Closer, Garden State; Choice Movie Actress: Action/Adventure: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; Choice Movie Liar, Garden State; Choice Movie Liplock: Garden State; Choice Movie Love Scene: Garden State
• 2005 - MTV Movie Awards, Best Female Performance: Garden State; Best Kiss: Garden State
• 2005 - Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Closer; Best Acting Ensemble: Closer
• 2006 - Teen Choice Awards, Choice Movie Actress: Drama/Action Adventure: V for Vendetta
• 2007 - Saturn Awards, Best Actress: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith