From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Natalie Portman made an impact.
Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag) is a dual Israeli-American actress, producer, and director. Rising to prominence early in her career, Portman has starred in both blockbuster and independent films. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, solidifying her status as a versatile and accomplished figure in the film industry.
Natalie Portman is possibly returning to Star Wars in Ahsoka Season 2, promoting Miss Dior Essence, and facing AI actress controversy.
In 1992, at the age of ten, Natalie Portman auditioned for the off-Broadway musical "Ruthless!" after being spotted by a Revlon agent, eventually becoming an understudy alongside Britney Spears.
In 1994, Natalie Portman secured a leading role in Luc Besson's action drama "Léon: The Professional", adopting her paternal grandmother's maiden name, Portman, as her stage name for the film.
In 1994, during summer break, Natalie Portman filmed a part in Marya Cohn's short film, Developing, where she played a young girl coping with her mother's cancer.
In 1996, Natalie Portman had brief roles in Woody Allen's musical Everyone Says I Love You and Tim Burton's comic science fiction film Mars Attacks!
In 1996, Natalie Portman was cast as a precocious teenager in the ensemble comedy-drama Beautiful Girls, directed by Ted Demme, following his impression of her performance in The Professional.
In 1996, Natalie Portman was cast in Romeo + Juliet but dropped out due to her age. She was also offered the lead role in Lolita, but turned it down due to its sexual content.
In December 1997, Natalie Portman starred as Anne Frank in a Broadway revival of "The Diary of Anne Frank" at the Music Box Theatre, running until May 1998. She prepared by visiting the Anne Frank House and interacting with Miep Gies.
In 1997, Natalie Portman began filming the part of Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, marking her first big-budget production.
In May 1998, Natalie Portman finished her run as Anne Frank in a Broadway revival of "The Diary of Anne Frank" at the Music Box Theatre, after starting December 1997. She prepared by visiting the Anne Frank House and interacting with Miep Gies.
In 1999, after initially declining the role due to a sex scene, Natalie Portman accepted the lead role in Anywhere but Here, following a rewrite of the script.
In 1999, during her senior year of high school, Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released, establishing Natalie Portman as a global star, with earnings of $924 million worldwide.
Also in 2001, Natalie Portman made a cameo appearance in the comedy Zoolander, alongside other celebrities.
In the summer of 2001, Natalie Portman returned to Broadway to perform in Chekhov's drama "The Seagull", directed by Mike Nichols and co-starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
In 2002, during her summer break, Natalie Portman reprised her role of Amidala in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, which she filmed in Sydney and London.
In 2003, Natalie Portman's sole screen appearance was in the brief part of a young mother in the war film Cold Mountain, after begging for the role.
In 2004, Natalie Portman campaigned for Senator John Kerry during the presidential election.
In 2004, Natalie Portman starred in the romantic comedy Garden State, playing a spirited young girl with epilepsy. Later that year, she also played a stripper in Closer, a romantic drama where she performed her first nude scenes (which were later cut). Closer grossed over $115 million worldwide and Portman won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination for her performance.
In 2004, Natalie Portman traveled to Uganda as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, promoting micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses.
Natalie Portman starred in the drama film 'Brothers', a remake of the 2004 Danish film of the same name.
In 2005, Natalie Portman played Evey Hammond in the political thriller 'V for Vendetta'. She worked with a dialect coach for an English accent and shaved her head on camera for a torture scene. She was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her performance.
In 2006, Natalie Portman hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live. Later that year, she starred in Miloš Forman's film 'Goya's Ghosts'.
In 2006, Natalie Portman served as a guest lecturer at Columbia University for a course in terrorism and counterterrorism, discussing her film "V for Vendetta".
In April 2007, Natalie Portman discussed her work with FINCA International and how it can benefit women and children in Third World countries on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos".
In 2007, Natalie Portman launched her own brand of animal-friendly footwear and traveled to Rwanda to film the documentary "Gorillas on the Brink".
In 2007, Natalie Portman replaced Jodie Foster in the film 'My Blueberry Nights' and trained with a poker coach for her role as a gambler. She also appeared in 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium', a children's film, and in Paul McCartney's music video 'Dance Tonight'.
In 2008, Natalie Portman starred in 'The Other Boleyn Girl'. She also served as a jury member at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and launched her production company, handsomecharlie films. Her directorial debut, the short film 'Eve', opened at the Venice International Film Festival.
In 2008, Natalie Portman supported Senator Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries before campaigning for Senator Barack Obama.
In 2009, Natalie Portman starred in 'The Other Woman', a faux perfume commercial called 'Greed', and in 'New York, I Love You', where she also directed a segment. She also appeared in the drama film 'Brothers'.
In 2009, Natalie Portman's sketch 'Natalie's Rap' from her 2006 Saturday Night Live appearance was released on The Lonely Island's album, 'Incredibad'.
In 2010, Natalie Portman became an ambassador for Dior, starring in multiple advertising campaigns for the brand.
In 2010, Natalie Portman starred in 'Black Swan' as a ballerina. She trained for five to eight hours daily for six months and lost 20 pounds (9 kg) for the role. Her performance was acclaimed, and she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Controversy arose later regarding the percentage of on-screen dancing she performed.
In 2010, Natalie Portman's activist work and popularity with young people earned her a nomination for VH1's Do Something Awards.
In January 2011, Natalie Portman was appointed an ambassador of WE Charity, spearheading their Power of a Girl campaign.
In March 2011, Natalie Portman began voluntarily promoting a fundraising campaign for Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem to raise funds for the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower.
In 2011, Natalie Portman and her then-fiancé Benjamin Millepied signed a petition to President Obama in support of same-sex marriage.
In 2011, Natalie Portman served as an executive producer and starred in 'No Strings Attached', a romantic comedy. She also played Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film 'Thor'.
In May 2012, Natalie Portman worked with watch designer Richard Mille to develop a limited-edition timepiece with proceeds supporting WE Charity.
In 2012, Natalie Portman supported Barack Obama's re-election campaign.
In 2013, Natalie Portman reprised her role as Jane Foster in 'Thor: The Dark World', which became the 10th highest-grossing film of the year.
In February 2015, Natalie Portman, along with other Harvard University alumni, signed an open letter to the school demanding it divest its $35,900,000,000 endowment from coal, gas, and oil companies.
In 2015, Natalie Portman appeared in 'Knight of Cups' and also released her directorial venture, 'A Tale of Love and Darkness', based on Amos Oz's novel. She starred in, produced, and co-wrote the Hebrew-language film, which received generally positive reviews.
In 2016, Natalie Portman portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy in the biopic 'Jackie', earning the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and an Academy Award nomination. She also produced 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' and starred in 'Planetarium'.
In September 2017, Natalie Portman was recognized for her work on the film "Eating Animals" by the Environmental Media Association Awards with the Ongoing Commitment Award.
In 2017, Natalie Portman's second collaboration with Terrence Malick was the experimental romance 'Song to Song'. Also that year, Portman revealed she has experienced sexual harassment or discrimination in almost every project she has worked on.
In January 2018, Natalie Portman donated $50,000 to the Time's Up initiative.
In 2018, Natalie Portman criticized the passing of the Nation-State Bill, describing the law as racist.
In 2018, Natalie Portman starred in the science fiction film "Annihilation", Xavier Dolan's drama "The Death & Life of John F. Donovan", and played a troubled pop singer in "Vox Lux", exploring themes of fame and transformation.
In December 2019, Natalie Portman visited Kenya a second time with WE Charity and spoke with young girls about the importance of education.
In 2019, Natalie Portman had a brief appearance in "Avengers: Endgame" using unused footage, and she starred in "Lucy in the Sky" as a psychologically troubled astronaut.
In July 2020, Natalie Portman became one of the leaders in the creation of NWSL soccer team Angel City FC and also became one of the team's owners.
In 2020, Natalie Portman endorsed the "defund the police" movement and co-founded and invested in Angel City FC, a National Women's Soccer League team.
In 2021, Natalie Portman and Sophie Mas founded the production company MountainA and signed a first-look television deal with Apple TV+.
In 2022, Angel City FC, the National Women's Soccer League team co-founded by Natalie Portman, began play.
In 2022, Natalie Portman reprised her role as Jane Foster in "Thor: Love and Thunder", where her character becomes Mighty Thor. Her performance earned her a Critics' Choice Super Award nomination and she was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time by Empire magazine.
In September 2023, Natalie Portman spoke at an event for the United Nations Spotlight Initiative, urging member states to reinvest in the Initiative and end gender-based violence.
On October 18, 2023, Natalie Portman called for the release of hostages held by Hamas and condemned their actions. She also advocated for Israeli children who have been kidnapped and publicized information about Dror Israel on Instagram to raise funds for children near the Gaza border.
On November 12, 2023, Natalie Portman participated in the March for the Republic and Against Antisemitism in Paris in response to the rise in antisemitism since the start of the Gaza war.
In 2023, MountainA's first project, "May December", starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and Portman received another Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
In 2024, Natalie Portman starred in "Lady in the Lake", an Apple TV+ miniseries adaptation of Laura Lippman's thriller novel, playing a 1960s housewife turned investigative journalist.
Britney Spears dubbed the Princess of Pop is a highly...
California is a U S state on the Pacific Coast...
Big Sur a mountainous region on California's Central Coast is...
Saturday Night Live SNL is a late-night live sketch comedy...
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole by...
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is an American politician lawyer and...
1 day ago Amanda Anisimova defeats Linda Noskova to win the China Open title.
1 hour ago Louis Tomlinson remembers Liam Payne, expressing grief and criticizing pre-death negativity.
1 hour ago Turkey's Gas Shift Impacts Russia and Iran's Energy Market; BOTA? LNG Deal
1 hour ago White House Suggests Furloughed Workers May Not Receive Back Pay After Shutdown Ends.
2 months ago Qatar Airways and Accenture partner for AI-driven aviation excellence, creating 'AI Skyways'.
2 hours ago Zohran Mamdani's October 7 statement sparks controversy in NYC mayoral race, Israel responds.
Charlie Kirk is an American right-wing political activist entrepreneur and...
Candace Owens is an American political commentator and author known...
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish climate activist who gained international...
Turning Point USA TPUSA is a conservative nonprofit organization founded...
Chuck Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New...
Michael Jordan or MJ is an American businessman and former...