Today’s star of the week was suggested by Kelli on Facebook.
It’s Natalie Portman.
I remember seeing Léon (1994) for the first time and thinking “who is this kid?” She was so good in that movie it was pretty obvious that she was destined for big things.
Born in Jerusalem to Jewish parents, Natalie Portman (her Hebrew birth name, Neta-Lee Hershlag) is the only child of her American mother (also her agent) and Israeli father.
To protect her privacy she adopted her grandmother’s maiden name, Portman.
As a child she studied ballet and modern dance and had an interest in foreign languages, studying French, German, Japanese and Arabic (I find English hard enough and it’s my native tongue!) 😳
At 10 years old she was spotted by a Revlon agent at a pizza restaurant who asked her to become a child model. She turned down the offer but used the opportunity to get an acting agent. This led to work on stage, and eventually on the big screen playing Mathilda in Luc Besson’s action/crime/drama, Léon (1994), her first film credit.
Portman’s performance in Léon gained her a lot attention, and before long she was appearing in big movies such as Heat (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996) and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) and all before she was 19!
Not content with all the fame and success she’d achieved since the tender age of 12, Natalie Portman attended Harvard University for three years, getting a bachelor’s degree in psychology while at the same time continuing to act, both in movies and on stage in major theatres!
Away from being a successful actor, director and writer Natalie is married with two children.
She’s a vegan and an advocate for animal rights, a supporter of anti-poverty activities and in 2018 she showed support for the #METOO movement at the Golden Globes, speaking out about the sexual trauma she faced as a young teen following the release of Léon.
She’s one of today’s most respected female actors and was featured on Forbes’ list of the highest paid actresses of 2013. 💰💰
Kelli’s top 5 Natalie Portman movies are:
Black Swan (2010)
V for Vendetta (2005)
Jackie (2016)
Garden State (2004)
Annihilation (2018)
What are yours? 🤔
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