Natalie Portman biography & trivia

*    Natalie Portman was born on 9th June 1981 in Jerusalem, Israel to Shelley, a homemaker and Avner Hershlag, a gynecologist.

*    She has a dual citizenship of America & Israel.

*    She attended “Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School”, “Solomon Schechter Day School” and “Syosset High School”.

*    She had great interest in learning foreign languages and during her school days itself she learned Hebrew, French, Japanese, German, Arabic and English.

*    She enrolled at Harvard University in 1999 and completed her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2003. She took her studies so seriously that she had to skip the premiere of “Star Wars Episode I”.

*    After her studies she also worked as a guest lecturer at a ‘Columbia University’ in 2006.

*    She took dancing lessons when she was just four years old during school holidays she attended local troupes and theater camps.

*    She auditioned for film Léon: The Professional in 1994 and was selected for the role of the child who tries to avenge the murder of her younger brother, it was her debut film.

*    In 1990 decade her worked for successful films like Heat in 1995 alongside Al Pacino, Val Kilmer and Robert De Niro, Everyone Says I Love You in 1996 opposite Alan Alda, Drew Barrymore and Woody Allen, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 1999 with Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor and Jake Lloyd.

*    In 2000 decade Portman appeared in commercially successful films like Where the Heart Is in 2000, Zoolander in 2001, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in 2002 with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, Cold Mountain in 2003 with Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, Garden State in 2004, Closer in 2004 with Julia Roberts and Jude Law, Star Wars Episode III in 2005 opposite Hayden Christensen and Ian McDiarmid, V for Vendetta in 2005, My Blueberry Nights in 2007, The Darjeeling Limited in 2007, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium in 2007, The Other Boleyn Girl in 2008 with Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana, Brothers in 2009.

*    In 2010 decade Natalie Portman worked for commercial hits like Black Swan in 2010 with Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis, No Strings Attached in 2011 alongside Ashton Kutcher and Cary Elwes, Thor in 2011 opposite Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgård

*    Portman is a vegetarian since her childhood and actively involves in animal rights causes, she does not use any animal products like fur, feathers, leather etc.

*    She is also involved in antipoverty campaigns including that of FINCA International.

*    Portman supported same-sex marriage and signed the petition sent to President Obama in 2011.

*    She started dating Benjamin Millepied,a ballet dancer in 2009 and the couple have a son Aleph Portman-Millepied born in June 2011. The couple married on 4th August 2012 in Big Sur, California in a private ceremony.

Natalie Portman interview excerpts

“I was 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.”

“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.”

“The biggest challenge for all actors is that you see yourself on a screen outside of your body and have to reenter your body to look at the world through your own eyes instead of at yourself.”

“It is a matter of context. In Hollywood, they consider me a smart woman, but in other circles, I’m probably seen as a silly actress (laughs). In America, they see me as European. In Europe, some see me as maybe a stupid American.”

Natalie Portman all movies list and latest films 2012 201