Natalie Portman biography, husband, age, net worth, height, young, awards 2025

Biography of Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman (eng. Natalie Portman, real name Natalie (or Neta Lee) Hershlag) – American film and theater actress of Israeli origin. She gained widespread recognition for her roles in films like Leon, Closer, V for Vendetta, The Other Boleyn Girl, Black Swan, and the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She's won an Oscar, two Golden Globes, the Genesis Prize, and other prestigious awards. Her net worth is estimated from $60 million to $125 million.

Childhood and family

Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981, to Avner Hershlag, a gynecologist and fertility specialist, and his wife Shelley Stevens, a homemaker.

Shelley comes from a Jewish family of emigrants from the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary; her paternal grandparents immigrated to Israel from Romania and Poland. During World War II, Natalie's great-grandparents died at Auschwitz concentration camp, and another great-grandmother served in British intelligence.

When Natalie was 3 years old, the family moved from Israel to the USA – first to Washington, and then to Long Island (New York state), where her father became a professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Hofstra Medical School. Her parents maintained strong ties to their homeland, and Natalie for a long time attended a Jewish school, so she's fluent in Hebrew. The actress says that, despite her great love for America, Israel will forever remain her homeland.

Education

During her school years, she wasn't just passionate about theater and dancing – she also had a serious interest in natural sciences. In 1998, while attending high school in Syosset, she co-authored the scientific paper "A Visual Method for Demonstrating Enzymatic Hydrogen Production from Sugar" and won a prize in the prestigious "Intel Science Talent Search" competition for high school students.

Natalie Portman's photo in the school yearbook (1995)

She also mastered several foreign languages – French, Japanese, German, and Arabic – and started taking on her first acting roles as a hobby. Despite her growing success in film, Natalie enrolled at Harvard University, graduating in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Education has always been in the first place for the actress

After Harvard, Portman headed to Israel, where she completed a Master's program at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 2004.

First roles Alongside her passion for science and languages, Natalie displayed an artistic temperament from early childhood. She first joined a dance group at age four, then got seriously involved in modern choreography at the "American Theater Dance Workshop" studio on Long Island. She also studied at the "Usdan Center" theater studio, where she learned the fundamentals of acting.

When Portman was 10, cosmetic brand Revlon approached her about modeling, but Natalie turned them down because she was focused on theater. Looking back, she remembered being more ambitious than other kids her age – she knew exactly what she wanted and worked incredibly hard for it.

Natalie Portman and Britney Spears are familiar from childhood

According to Zoomboola.com, in 1992, the 10-year-old actress made her debut in the professional production of the musical "Ruthless!" She was in the second cast alongside future pop star Britney Spears, while Laura Bell Bundy took the lead role.

Natalie Portman's rap (ft. Lonely Island)

The following year, Natalie landed one of the lead roles as Matilda, a troubled young girl, in Luc Besson's acclaimed crime drama "Léon" (1994). A young but fearless actress played in a brilliant duet with Jean Reno, and Gary Oldman was the main villain in the film.

This was when Natalie chose the stage name "Portman" from her grandmother's maiden name to keep her artistic career separate from her family and private life.

"Leon": the first role of Natalie Portman (1994)

The newcomer's performance was hailed as "an amazing debut": despite her young age, Portman delivered a completely professional performance, and the dramatic, touching story of friendship between the killer and teenage girl left audiences deeply moved. Shortly after, the young actress was invited to star in "Lolita" opposite Jeremy Irons, but Natalie's parents turned down the offer – Adrian Lyne's film dealt much more explicitly with the relationship between an adult man and a young girl.

After her role in "Leon," you could say Natalie Portman's film career was destined for greatness. By 1995, she landed a small role in the crime drama "Heat," working alongside such legendary stars as Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, and Val Kilmer.

Casting of Natalie Portman in «Leon»

The following year, another film was released with young Natalie – the musical romantic comedy by Woody Allen called "Everybody Says I Love You". Another notable project for the young Natalie was Tim Burton's sci-fi comedy "Mars Attacks!" (1996).

1995: gifted schoolgirl and a very promising actress

In this film, like the previous two, Natalie was essentially a "kid in grown-up movies," so her roles remained quite small. Things changed with the tragicomedy "Beautiful Girls" (1996), where 13-year-old Natalie held her own alongside established Hollywood actors like Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman.

In "Mars Attacks!" Natalie Portman starred at the age of 15

In 1997, she returned to theater, taking on the role of Anne Frank in a Broadway production based on the famous "Diary of Anne Frank" about life under Nazi occupation in the Netherlands. That same year, 16-year-old Natalie Portman was cast as Padme Amidala, Queen of Naboo, in George Lucas's "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" (1999).

Interestingly, Padme's decoy was played by an even younger Keira Knightley, marking her first major film role. In full makeup and costume, the two looked so alike that even their own mothers had trouble telling them apart.

Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley look very much alike

"The Phantom Menace" earned over a billion dollars at the box office and becoming a beloved entry in George Lucas's space saga. During this period, Natalie juggled demanding film and theater work with her high school studies and science projects. She couldn't even attend the blockbuster's premiere because she was busy preparing for final exams and college applications.

In the photo: Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen (Padme and Anakin Skywalker)

Later in 1999, the drama "Anywhere But Here" was released, with Susan Sarandon playing Natalie's character's mother. Initially, she turned down the role because the script included a sex scene for her character. Susan Sarandon and director Wayne Wang then pushed to change the script to bring Natalie on board.

The performance earned the young actress her first Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Before heading to Harvard, she also starred in the drama "Where the Heart Is" (2000).

Career Peak

In 1999, after enrolling in Harvard's Psychology program, Natalie Portman announced she'd focus on her studies and temporarily put her acting career on hold, except for the next "Star Wars" film. While she didn't completely stop acting, her studies became her top priority.

Work on the new prequel "Star Wars. Episode II: Attack of the Clones" (2002) began for the young actress during summer vacation 2000. Her participation in the high-budget but critically panned film nearly damaged Natalie's acting reputation. Shortly after wrapping with Lucas, she took on Nina Zarechnaya in Chekhov's "The Seagull" at New York's Public Theater in Manhattan, though the serious theater crowd proved more intimidating than welcoming.

Between 2001 and 2004, the actress took on only a handful of small roles – partly due to her tarnished reputation, but also because she was focused on her studies and scientific projects. Her most significant roles during this period were in the low-budget drama "Garden State" and Mike Nichols' drama "Closer," where Portman starred alongside an exceptional cast including Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen. Both films were released after she completed her bachelor's degree in 2003, and "Closer" earned the actress her first Golden Globe Award, plus an Oscar nomination and several other accolades.

"Closer" brought Natalie Portman the first Oscar nomination

In May 2005, the trilogy's finale – "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" hit theaters, becoming the year's highest-grossing film. That same year, Natalie starred in the independent road movie "Free Zone," followed by the acclaimed dystopian thriller "V for Vendetta," based on Alan Moore's graphic novel with a script by the Wachowski siblings. This film and her role as revolutionary partner Evey likely catapulted Portman back to A-list status – finally allowing her to shed the wooden performance style of Princess Padmé.

After appearing in the anthology film "Paris, I Love You" (2006), she landed a lead role in Milos Forman's drama "Goya's Ghosts" (2006), starring opposite acclaimed Spanish actor Javier Bardem, with Stellan Skarsgård playing artist Francisco Goya.

Natalie Portman in films «Goya's Ghosts» and «My Blueberry Nights»

In 2007, Natalie delivered a small but memorable performance as gambler Leslie in Wong Kar-wai's drama "My Blueberry Nights," starring Jude Law and jazz singer Norah Jones. In this film, Portman once again showcased her rebellious streak and natural ease in front of the camera.

Paris, I Love You: «True» by Tom Tykwer featuring Natalie Portman

That same year, she appeared in two distinctive films: the adventure tragicomedy "The Darjeeling Limited" (with Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody) and the family fantasy "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium," where she starred alongside Dustin Hoffman.

The 2008 period drama "The Other Boleyn Girl" chronicled King Henry VIII's reign and the fierce rivalry between two sisters vying for his affections. One of the sisters was played by Natalie Portman and the second one by Scarlett Johansson.

A snapshot from the film "The Other Boleyn Girl"

The following year, Natalie joined the anthology film "New York, I Love You," wearing dual hats as both actress and director.

During this time, the actress took on several passion projects that interested her creatively, though she didn't expect major box office returns. These are the melodrama "Love and Other Impossible Pursuits" (2009, with Lisa Kudrow), the drama "The Brothers" (2009, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire) and "Hesher" (2010, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rainn Wilson).

With age, Natalie Portman becomes only more feminine

One of Natalie Portman's most brilliant and unforgettable performances was her role as the self-destructive and neurotic ballerina Nina Sayers in the psychological thriller by Darren Aronofsky "Black Swan" (2010). This dramatic film, which also starred Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel and Winona Ryder, was a massive success at festivals and theaters worldwide, earning the actress Oscar, Golden Globe, Saturn, and Screen Actors Guild awards for Best Actress.

For this work, Natalie Portman, like her colleague and friend Mila Kunis, had to lose significant weight and spend months learning classical ballet to convincingly portray a professional ballerina.

In contrast to her demanding "Black Swan" role, the following year Natalie starred in two lighter films: the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" (2011, in partnership with Ashton Kutcher) and the fantasy comedy "Your Highness" (2011 ).

The Black Swan. Dancing on the glass

Another box office hit featuring Portman was the fantasy blockbuster "Thor" (2011) and its sequel, "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) by Marvel comics, where Natalie played Jane Foster, the mortal astrophysicist and love interest of the Norse god (portrayed by Chris Hemsworth). Despite the films' financial success, Portman declined to participate in the third installment and exited her contract with the studio.

Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth in Thor

She later starred in the experimental drama "Knight of Cups" (2015) and the western "Jane Got a Gun" (2016). The biographical drama "Jackie" (2016) garnered particular acclaim, with Portman delivering a brilliant portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy. Her portrayal of the iconic first lady earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. In recent years, Natalie starred in the drama "Planetarium" (2016) with Lily-Rose Melody Depp and musical melodrama "Song to Song" (2017) featuring Ryan Gosling.

Natalie Portman and her first Oscar (and probably not the last one)

In addition, in 2015, Portman made her debut as director of the feature film "A Tale of Love and Darkness", which tells the story of the family of the famous writer Amos Oz. Natalie Portman is a dedicated animal rights advocate and vegan. During pregnancy, Portman temporarily returned to eating eggs and dairy products.

She later made the documentary film "A Tale of Love and Darkness", which explored the dark side of industrial cattle farming. For this work, Natalie received a 2017 Environmental Media Association award.

Natalie also does not wear clothes and shoes made with the use of leather, fur, and feathers, and in 2007 she launched her own line of footwear made without the use of animal materials.

Despite being hands-on with her children, the actress continues to star in films. For example, 2018 saw the release of the drama "The Death and Life of John F. Donovan," starring Kit Harington, Jessica Chastain, Kathy Bates, and Susan Sarandon alongside Portman, as well as the sci-fi film "Annihilation", in which she takes the lead role.

In 2017, the actress was awarded the Genesis Prize, often called the Jewish Nobel, but soon after the announcement Portman declined the invitation to the ceremony, refusing to accept the award. Natalie was to be honored "for her commitment to the Jewish people and Jewish values" and planned to donate half of the prize money ($1 million) to support women worldwide.

Personal life of Natalie Portman

For a long time, Natalie Portman preferred to keep her personal life out of the press. Tabloid reports periodically linked her to actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Jake Gyllenhaal, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, or even multibillionaire heir Nat Rothschild – but whether any of this was true remains unknown.

Portman was credited with a love affair with Jake Gyllenhaal

In 2006, the actress shared her vision for her future family: "I'd definitely prefer to raise my children in the Jewish tradition, but most importantly, I want to be with a good man and true partner."

Natalie Portman in Dior commercial

From 2007-2008, Natalie dated Venezuelan folk singer Devendra Banhart, and in 2009 she met New York City Ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied, a French-Jewish choreographer who worked on the dance sequences in "Black Swan." The couple kept their relationship private for a long time, but on December 27, 2010, they officially announced their engagement and pregnancy.

Natalie Portman's husband – choreographer Benjamin Millepied

Their son Aleph Portman-Millepied was born on June 14, 2011, and Natalie was pleased to plunge into motherhood. "If I'm not on set, I spend almost all my time with my family," she says. "So my life revolves around preschool, cooking meals, kids' parties, and putting the baby to bed."

She also admits that motherhood has taught her to be more resilient under stress, which helps her even when working on a film. On August 4, 2012, Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied officially married in a modest Jewish ceremony in California, and on February 22, 2017, their daughter Amalia was born.

Natalie Portman Now

In 2022, Natalie Portman returned as Jane Foster in 'Thor: Love and Thunder' (the fourth Thor film). She also starred as the lead in HBO's 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves' miniseries.

Natalie Portman: latest news and articles

7 Books That Stars Recommend Reading Right Now: A List from Reese Witherspoon and Emma Roberts

9 Jun 2025

Mark Ruffalo and Natalie Portman will become lovers in a new romantic comedy

21 May 2025

`May December`: Critics are puzzled - why did Portman and Moore not receive Oscar nominations?

1 Apr 2025

Christine Romero

There are some women who looks very harmoniously in every outfit and Natalie Portman is that kind of woman.

2021-03-24 13:43:08
Clifford Smith

With age Natalie Portman became even more beautiful. Facial features became more feminine and after giving a birth her body looks better.

2021-03-13 21:25:14
Alan Day

I adore all the movies with Natalie Portman. In my opinion every movie with her is destined for success, she will work 100% on the movie set.

2021-03-12 08:05:28
Heather Nelson

Natalie Portman is not only a beautiful woman and talented actress but also very educated person who knows a few languages :) Good job!

2021-02-20 09:46:16
Nicholas Diaz

Incredibly beautiful woman! She is good in every role: and ballerina and a world`s savior.

2021-02-02 21:45:53

Photos: Natalie Portman