Natalie Portman is an Israeli-born American actress who has won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and many other accolades for her versatile and nuanced performances. Natalie Portman is also a Harvard graduate, a director, a producer, and an activist. She is 42 years old as of 2023 and has a net worth of $90 million.
Here is everything you need to know about her life and career.
Table of Contents
Natalie Portman: Quick Facts
| Name | Natalie Hershlag |
| Birth Date | June 9, 1981 |
| Birth Place | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Nationality | Israeli-American |
| Ethnicity | Jewish |
| Occupation | Actress, director, producer |
| Net Worth | $90 million |
| Height | 5 feet 3 inches or 160 cm |
| Eye Color | Light brown |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Parents | Avner Hershlag and Shelley Stevens |
| Siblings | None |
| Marital Status | Separated |
| Spouse | Benjamin Millepied (m. 2012; sep. 2023) |
| Children | Aleph (b. 2011) and Amalia (b. 2017) |
| Social Media | Instagram(natalieportman) 8.8M Followers |
Biography
Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel as Natalie Hershlag. She is the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli fertility specialist and gynecologist, and Shelley Stevens, an American homemaker who works as Portman’s agent. She moved to the United States with her parents when she was three years old and lived in various places such as Washington D.C., Connecticut, and New York.
Natalie Portman Age
As of 2023, Natalie Portman is 42 years old. She celebrates her birthday on June 9 every year.
Height
Natalie Portman is 5 feet 3 inches or 160 cm tall. She has brown hair and light brown eyes.
Education
Natalie Portman attended a Jewish elementary school in Long Island, New York, and graduated from Syosset High School in 1999. She then enrolled at Harvard University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2003. She also studied Arabic, Hebrew, German, Japanese, and French at various institutions. She has said that she values education and learning more than fame or money.
Natalie Portman Net Worth
Natalie Portman has a net worth of $90 million as of 2023. She makes a minimum of $10 million per year from her Dior brand partnership alone. She also earns millions from her acting roles in blockbuster films such as the Star Wars prequels, the Thor series, Black Swan, Jackie, and Annihilation.
Natalie Portman has also ventured into directing and producing films such as A Tale of Love and Darkness, Eating Animals, and Lucy in the Sky.
Background
Natalie Portman started her acting career at the age of 10 when she was discovered by a Revlon agent at a pizza parlor. She turned down the offer to model and pursued acting instead. She made her film debut in Luc Besson’s action thriller Léon: The Professional (1994), where she played the young protégée of a hitman.
Natalie Portman gained international fame as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005). She balanced her acting career with her academic pursuits and graduated from Harvard in 2003.
Early Life
Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel as Natalie Hershlag. She is the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli fertility specialist and gynecologist, and Shelley Stevens, an American homemaker who works as Portman’s agent. Her parents are both Jewish and have ancestors from Russia, Poland, Romania, Austria, and Israel. Her paternal grandfather was a Holocaust survivor who lost most of his family in Auschwitz.
Natalie Portman moved to the United States with her parents when she was three years old. They lived in Washington D.C., where her father received his medical training. They then moved to Connecticut for two years before settling in Long Island, New York. She attended a Jewish elementary school and learned Hebrew as well as English. She also took dance and acting classes from a young age and developed a passion for performing arts.
Career Beginnings
Natalie Portman started her acting career at the age of 10 when she was discovered by a Revlon agent at a pizza parlor. She turned down the offer to model and pursued acting instead. She auditioned for Luc Besson’s action thriller Léon: The Professional (1994), where she impressed the director with her maturity and talent. She played Mathilda, a young girl who befriends a hitman after her family is killed by corrupt DEA agents. The film was a critical and commercial success and launched Portman’s career.
Natalie Portman followed this by appearing in films such as Heat (1995), Beautiful Girls (1996), and Mars Attacks! (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and The Diary of Anne Frank (1997). She gained international fame as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), where she played the young ruler of Naboo who falls in love with Anakin Skywalker. The films were huge box office hits but received mixed reviews from critics and fans.
Natalie Portman balanced her acting career with her academic pursuits and graduated from Syosset High School in 1999. She then enrolled at Harvard University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2003. She also studied Arabic, Hebrew, German, Japanese, and French at various institutions. She has said that she values education and learning more than fame or money.
Natalie Portman’s Personal Life
Natalie Portman is vocal about the politics of the United States and Israel and is an advocate for animal rights and environmental causes. She became a vegetarian when she was eight years old and later adopted a vegan diet. Natalie Portman also supports various charities and organizations such as FINCA International, Free the Children, OneVoice Movement, and Time’s Up.
Natalie Portman Relationship
Natalie Portman is married to dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied, whom she met on the set of Black Swan in 2009. They got engaged in 2010 and welcomed their first child, Aleph, in 2011. They tied the knot in 2012 and had their second child, Amalia, in 2017. However, they separated in July 2023 after reports of Millepied’s affair with another woman.
Before marrying Millepied, Portman dated several actors and musicians such as Hayden Christensen, Moby, Nathan Bogle, Devendra Banhart, Rodrigo Santoro, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gael García Bernal, Andy Samberg, and Sean Penn.
Natalie Portman Controversy
Natalie Portman has faced some controversy over her career choices and statements. Some of them are:
- In 2018, Natalie Portman declined to accept the Genesis Prize, a prestigious award given to individuals who inspire others through their dedication to the Jewish community and Jewish values. She cited her disagreement with the policies of the Israeli government as the reason for her refusal.
- In 2020, she wore a cape with the names of snubbed female directors at the Oscars to protest the lack of diversity in the nominations. However, she was criticized by some for not working with more female directors throughout her career. She responded by saying that she has tried to do so but faced many challenges and obstacles.
- In 2021, Natalie Portman faced backlash from some fans for taking on the role of Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. Some accused her of being unworthy of wielding Mjolnir or replacing Chris Hemsworth as the God of Thunder.
5 Most Interesting Facts about Natalie Portman
- Natalie Portman was born on the same day as Johnny Depp, June 9.
- She is a dual citizen of Israel and the United States and also holds French citizenship through her husband.
- Natalie Portman has an Erdős–Bacon number of 7, which is the sum of one’s degrees of separation from mathematician Paul Erdős and actor Kevin Bacon. She co-authored a scientific paper on memory in 2002, which gives her an Erdős number of 6, and she appeared in New York, I Love You (2008) with Kevin Bacon, which gives her a Bacon number of 1.
- She shaved her head for her role in V for Vendetta (2005) and donated her hair to a wig-making charity for cancer patients.
- Natalie Portman rapped on Saturday Night Live in 2006 and 2018, parodying her image as a serious and refined actress.
Impact and Legacy
Natalie Portman is an award-winning actress, director, producer, and activist who has influenced and inspired many people with her work and causes. She has been praised for her versatile and nuanced performances in various films, such as Black Swan, Jackie, and Thor: Love and Thunder. Natalie Portman has also been honored for her contributions to the art and culture of both Israel and the United States and has advocated for animal rights and environmental issues. She is one of the most influential and beautiful people in the world.
Natalie Portman Contributions
| Contribution | Description |
|---|---|
| Film | Natalie Portman has starred in over 50 films of various genres and styles, and directed and produced several films of her vision and interests. Some of her notable films are Léon: The Professional, Star Wars, Black Swan, and Thor: Love and Thunder. |
| Academia | She graduated from Harvard with a degree in psychology, studied multiple languages, co-authored a scientific paper on memory, and lectured at various universities on neuroscience, film, and feminism. |
| Activism | Natalie Portman is vocal about the politics of the US and Israel, and an advocate for animal rights and environmental causes. She is a vegan and supports various charities and organizations. She declined the Genesis Prize in 2018 and wore a cape with snubbed female directors’ names at the Oscars in 2020. |
Natalie Portman Achievements
| Achievement | Description |
|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actress | Natalie Portman won this award for her performance as a troubled ballerina in Black Swan (2010). |
| Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | She won this award for her performance as a troubled ballerina in Black Swan (2010). |
| BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role | Natalie Portman won this award twice, for her roles in Black Swan (2010) and Jackie (2016). |
| Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role | She won this award for her role in Black Swan (2010) and was nominated for her role in Jackie (2016). |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | She won this award for her role in Black Swan (2010) and was nominated for her role in Jackie (2016). |
| Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Natalie Portman was nominated for this award for her role as a mysterious stripper in Closer (2004). |
| BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role | She was nominated for this award twice, for her roles in Closer (2004) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). |
| Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | She was nominated for this award twice, for her roles in Closer (2004) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Natalie Portman related to Mira Sorvino?
A: No, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino are not related. They are both actresses who have won Oscars, but they have no familial connection.
Q: Is Natalie Portman vegan?
A: Yes, Natalie Portman is vegan. She became a vegetarian when she was eight years old and later adopted a vegan diet. She is also an animal rights activist and has produced and narrated a documentary called Eating Animals, based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s book of the same name.
Q: What is Natalie Portman’s real name?
A: Natalie Portman’s real name is Natalie Hershlag. She was born in Jerusalem, Israel as Natalie Hershlag. She adopted her grandmother’s maiden name, Portman, as her stage name when she started acting.
Q: What languages does Natalie Portman speak?
A: Natalie Portman speaks several languages fluently or conversationally. She speaks Hebrew as her native language, as well as English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Arabic.
Q: What is Natalie Portman’s IQ?
A: Natalie Portman’s IQ is not publicly known, but she is widely regarded as one of the smartest celebrities in Hollywood. She graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2003. She also co-authored a scientific paper on memory in 2002 that was published in a peer-reviewed journal. She has also studied Arabic, Hebrew, German, Japanese, and French at various institutions.
Conclusion
Natalie Portman is one of the most talented and accomplished actresses in Hollywood. She has starred in over 50 films across different genres and styles. She has also directed and produced several films that reflect her vision and interests. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her performances, including an Oscar, two Golden Globes, and a BAFTA.
Natalie Portman has also been recognized as one of the most influential and beautiful people in the world by various magazines and organizations. She has inspired many young girls and women to pursue their dreams and passions and has used her platform to raise awareness and advocate for various causes. She has also contributed to the art and culture of both Israel and the United States and has been honored with several honorary degrees and citizenship. She is Natalie Portman, and she is amazing
