JourneywomanNatalie Portman
May 24th 2008 03:36
Golden Globe-winning actress Natalie Portman is not only beautiful and talented, she's accomplished too - she speaks four languages fluently and has a psychology degree from Harvard University. "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star," she once said. Nevertheless, she has become a movie star, and a big one at that.
Born Natalie Hershlag in 1981, Portman began dancing lessons at the age of four and later became involved in theatre productions. Her first major film was Luc Besson's Leon (aka The Professional), but it wasn't until she was in Beautiful Girls that audiences really sat up and took notice. She initially turned down the lead role in Anywhere But Here after learning that it would involve a sex scene, but her fellow actress Susan Sarandon demanded a rewrite to allow Portman to be involved in the movie. The film opened in late 1999 and earned Portman a Golden Globe nomination for her role.
In 2004, Portman appeared in the independent films Garden State and Closer, and it was the latter for which she received a Supporting Actress Golden Globe and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. In 2005 she was cast as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and in 2006 shaved her head for her role in V for Vendetta. On this brave new hairstyle, Portman says "Making a dramatic change that isn't reversible is always a worthy experience, and that sort of gave me the courage to do it."
Portman is a strict vegetarian and a campaigner for animal rights, and doesn't believe in the afterlife: says she, "I don't believe in that. I believe this is it, and I believe it's the best way to live."
In 2006, Portman filmed Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium, The Darjeeling Limited, My Blueberry Nights and The Other Boleyn Girl, and in 2007 shot her first nude scene in the Wes Anderson short film Hotel Chevalier. We'll next be seeing her on the big screen in the drama film Brothers, opposite Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Despite her numerous awards and critical acclaim, Portman claims that she gets the biggest buzz out of just doing her job. "Awards are so unnecessary, because I think we get so much out of our work just by doing it. The work is a reward in itself."
Born Natalie Hershlag in 1981, Portman began dancing lessons at the age of four and later became involved in theatre productions. Her first major film was Luc Besson's Leon (aka The Professional), but it wasn't until she was in Beautiful Girls that audiences really sat up and took notice. She initially turned down the lead role in Anywhere But Here after learning that it would involve a sex scene, but her fellow actress Susan Sarandon demanded a rewrite to allow Portman to be involved in the movie. The film opened in late 1999 and earned Portman a Golden Globe nomination for her role.
In 2004, Portman appeared in the independent films Garden State and Closer, and it was the latter for which she received a Supporting Actress Golden Globe and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. In 2005 she was cast as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and in 2006 shaved her head for her role in V for Vendetta. On this brave new hairstyle, Portman says "Making a dramatic change that isn't reversible is always a worthy experience, and that sort of gave me the courage to do it."
Portman is a strict vegetarian and a campaigner for animal rights, and doesn't believe in the afterlife: says she, "I don't believe in that. I believe this is it, and I believe it's the best way to live."
In 2006, Portman filmed Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium, The Darjeeling Limited, My Blueberry Nights and The Other Boleyn Girl, and in 2007 shot her first nude scene in the Wes Anderson short film Hotel Chevalier. We'll next be seeing her on the big screen in the drama film Brothers, opposite Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Despite her numerous awards and critical acclaim, Portman claims that she gets the biggest buzz out of just doing her job. "Awards are so unnecessary, because I think we get so much out of our work just by doing it. The work is a reward in itself."
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