Natalie Hershlag (born June 9, 1981), better known by her stage name, Natalie Portman, is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning Israeli-American actress.
As a young child, Portman spent her school holidays attending theatre camps where she developed her love of acting. After some experience in an off-Broadway musical, she was cast in Léon at age twelve. During the mid-1990s, Portman had roles in films such as Heat, Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks!, as well as having a major role in Beautiful Girls.
In the late 1990s, she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She placed a priority on her education and pursued tertiary studies at Harvard University even though it had potential to conflict with her acting career. Recent roles include Garden State, Closer, and V for Vendetta. For Closer, she received a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Early life
Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is an Israeli medical doctor specializing in the research and treatment of human fertility and reproduction (reproductive endocrinology).[1] Her mother, Shelley Stevens, is a Jewish American housewife who now works as her agent (she is an artist[1] by hobby and not profession). Portman's father's family are descendants of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Romania, while her mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Austria and Russia; her paternal grandfather's parents died in Auschwitz and her Romanian-born great-grandmother was a spy for the British during World War II.[2]
Portman's parents met at a Jewish student center 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, her family moved from Israel to her mother's native United States, where her father pursued his medical training. The family lived in Washington, D.C. in 1984 and then Connecticut in 1988, before finally settling down in Syosset, New York in 1990. Portman has said that although she "really love[s] the States", her "heart's in Jerusalem. That's where I feel at home."[2] Portman is an only child and very close to her parents, who are often seen with her at her film premieres; her mother always accompanied pre-adult Portman to filming locations.
13-year-old Portman as Mathilda in Léon (The Professional) (1994).Portman started taking dancing lessons at the age of four, performed in local troupes, and dreamed of dancing on Broadway. At the age of twelve Portman was discovered in a pizza parlor by an agent for Revlon, who offered her an opportunity to model. She asked to be introduced to acting talent scouts, and took "Portman", her grandmother's maiden name, as her professional stage surname.
Starting at age 13, Portman spent her school holidays attending upscale theatre camps Stagedoor Manor and Usdan Camp, where she forged her love for acting, playing roles in the camp productions such as the title character in Anne of Green Gables, Dream Laurey in Oklahoma! and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1993 Portman was handed her first professional role as an understudy for the off-Broadway musical Ruthless!.
Her inaugural experience in professional theatre led her to audition for Luc Besson's 1994 film Léon (aka The Professional). She was initially turned down for the role due to her youth, but further auditioning won her the part. Soon after Portman was given the part, she took Portman as her stage name in the interest of privacy. 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 thirteen. That same year appeared in the short film Developing which aired on television. Natalie Portman
As a young child, Portman spent her school holidays attending theatre camps where she developed her love of acting. After some experience in an off-Broadway musical, she was cast in Léon at age twelve. During the mid-1990s, Portman had roles in films such as Heat, Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks!, as well as having a major role in Beautiful Girls.
In the late 1990s, she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She placed a priority on her education and pursued tertiary studies at Harvard University even though it had potential to conflict with her acting career. Recent roles include Garden State, Closer, and V for Vendetta. For Closer, she received a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award.
Early life
Portman was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is an Israeli medical doctor specializing in the research and treatment of human fertility and reproduction (reproductive endocrinology).[1] Her mother, Shelley Stevens, is a Jewish American housewife who now works as her agent (she is an artist[1] by hobby and not profession). Portman's father's family are descendants of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Romania, while her mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Austria and Russia; her paternal grandfather's parents died in Auschwitz and her Romanian-born great-grandmother was a spy for the British during World War II.[2]
Portman's parents met at a Jewish student center 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, her family moved from Israel to her mother's native United States, where her father pursued his medical training. The family lived in Washington, D.C. in 1984 and then Connecticut in 1988, before finally settling down in Syosset, New York in 1990. Portman has said that although she "really love[s] the States", her "heart's in Jerusalem. That's where I feel at home."[2] Portman is an only child and very close to her parents, who are often seen with her at her film premieres; her mother always accompanied pre-adult Portman to filming locations.
13-year-old Portman as Mathilda in Léon (The Professional) (1994).Portman started taking dancing lessons at the age of four, performed in local troupes, and dreamed of dancing on Broadway. At the age of twelve Portman was discovered in a pizza parlor by an agent for Revlon, who offered her an opportunity to model. She asked to be introduced to acting talent scouts, and took "Portman", her grandmother's maiden name, as her professional stage surname.
Starting at age 13, Portman spent her school holidays attending upscale theatre camps Stagedoor Manor and Usdan Camp, where she forged her love for acting, playing roles in the camp productions such as the title character in Anne of Green Gables, Dream Laurey in Oklahoma! and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1993 Portman was handed her first professional role as an understudy for the off-Broadway musical Ruthless!.
Her inaugural experience in professional theatre led her to audition for Luc Besson's 1994 film Léon (aka The Professional). She was initially turned down for the role due to her youth, but further auditioning won her the part. Soon after Portman was given the part, she took Portman as her stage name in the interest of privacy. 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 thirteen. That same year appeared in the short film Developing which aired on television. Natalie Portman
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