Natalie Portman (has birthname Natalie Hershlag) was born in Jerusalem, Israel at 9 June 1981. She is an Israeli and American actress. She is the only child of Shelley (née Stevens), an American homemaker who works as Portman’s agent, and Israeli citizen Avner Hershlag, a fertility specialist and gynecologist. When she was a toddler, Portman’s parents immigrated to the United States. Initially they resided in Washington D.C., and finally settled in Long Island, New York, where Natalie attended Syosset High School.
Natalie Portman Biography
Name: Natalie Portman
Born: 9 June 1981 (Age: 29)
Where: Jerusalem, Israel
Height: 5′ 3″
Awards: Won 1 Golden Globe, nominated for 1 Oscar and 1 BAFTA
Career
She was discovered by an agent in a pizza parlor at the age of 11. She was pushed towards a career in modeling but she decided that she would rather pursue a career in acting. She made her powerful film debut in the movie Leon: The Professional (1994) (aka “Léon”). Following this role Natalie won roles in such films as Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996). She was the first choice to play Juliet in William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, but producers felt her age wasn’t suitable. In 1997, Portman played the role of Anne Frank in a Broadway adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank.
She returned to film in 1999, gaining international recognition with the release of George Lucas’s eagerly anticipated prequel Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. Later that same year, she was cast opposite Susan Sarandon in the film version of Mona Simpson’s novel Anwhere But Here. 2000’s Where the Heart Is featured Portman in a more mature role, in which her character ages five years during the course of the film.
In July 2001, Portman opened in New York City’s Public Theater production of Chekhov’s The Seagull, directed by Mike Nichols; she played the role of Nina alongside Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The play opened at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. That same year, she was one of many celebrities who made cameo appearances in the 2001 comedy Zoolander. 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 earned her a Supporting Actress Golden Globe as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. 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 with an English accent, and she famously had her head shaved.
In late 2006, Portman filmed The Other Boleyn Girl, a historical drama in which she plays Anne Boleyn; Eric Bana and Scarlett Johansson co-starred. She was named one of the hottest women of film and TV by Blender Magazine. In May 2008, Portman served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury, and in 2009, she starred opposite Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal in the drama film Brothers, a remake of the 2004 Danish film of the same name.
Portman played a veteran ballerina in Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 film Black Swan, a role of which critic Kurt Loder wrote: “Portman gives one of her most compelling performances in this film, which is saying something.” To prepare for the role, she went through five to eight hours of dance training each day for six months and lost 20 lb. In 2011, she won both the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for best lead actress. Portman’s next film was No Strings Attached, which was released on January 21, 2011. She has also played the role of Jane Foster in Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming film adaptation of Thor.
Natalie Portman’s Dates :
Moby (2000)
Hayden Christensen (2000 – 2001)
Lukas Haas (2001)
Adam Levine (2002)
Gael Garcia Bernal (2003)
Jude Law (2004 – 2006)
Javier Bardem (2005)
Kai Jurgensen (2006)
Nathan Rothschild (2006)
Andy Samberg (2007)
Nathan Bogle (2007 – now)
