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Favorite Movies:
Dirty Dancing, Schindler's List
Favorite TV-Shows:
Friends, Ellen, Dawson's Creek
Favorite Artists:
Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Bjork, Portishead,
Moby, Otis Redding
Favorite Actors:
Ben Kingsley, Patrick Swayze, John Turturro,
Audrey Hepburn, Jennifer Grey, Susan Sarandon,
Julia Roberts
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Born
on June 9, 1981 in Jerusalem, Israel. While she was a toddler,
Portman’s parents immigrated to the United States. Initially
they resided in Washington D.C., and finally settled in Long
Island, New York, where Natalie attended Syosset High School.
While
at a local pizza parlor, Portman was discovered by a representative
of Revlon cosmetics, who encouraged the 11-year-old to pursue
a modeling career. However, Portman found modeling mundane,
and decided to direct her efforts toward acting. Shortly after,
she began working with the Usdan Theatre Arts Camp, where
she appeared in a number of local productions.
Portman
made her film debut in Luc Besson’s memorable 1994 feature,
The Professional. The demanding
role, which featured her as hitman’s apprentice, caught
the attention of critics and audiences. The following year,
she sustained her popularity with a brief but captivating
performance as Al Pacino’s troubled daughter in Heat
(1995).
In
her next projects, Portman held her own alongside Hollywood’s
A-list actors and directors. Ted Demme’s heartwarming
film Beautiful Girls (1996) featured her in a pivotal role
as a coming-of-age pre-teen. She was noted for her charming
performance, opposite an impressive cast, including Matt Dillon,
Timothy Hutton, Uma Thurman, and Lauren Holly. Later that
year, she took on lighter parts in Woody Allen’s musical
Everyone Says I Love You, with Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts;
and in Tim Burton’s sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks!, with
Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close.
After
turning down the controversial role of Lolita, Portman took
a brief sabbatical from the big screen. In 1997, she spent
a year on Broadway in the title role of The Diary of Anne
Frank. The play was a critical success, and Portman was credited
with delivering a fresh interpretation of Frank’s character.
She returned to film in 1999, gaining international recognition
with the release of George Lucas’s eagerly anticipated
prequel Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. Later that same year,
she was cast opposite Susan Sarandon in the film version of
Mona Simpson’s novel Anwhere But Here. 2000’s
Where the Heart Is featured Portman in a more mature role,
in which her character ages five years during the course of
the film.
Most
recently, Portman completed production on the second film
in the Star Wars series, which was released in May of 2002.
She is also contracted to reprise her role as Queen Amidala
in Star Wars: Episode III, which will premiere in 2005. She
has also signed on to star in The Smoker, playing a private
school student who pines for her English teacher.
In spite of her burgeoning film career, Portman remains adamant
about continuing her education, and is currently enrolled
at an undisclosed Ivy League university.
© 2003 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.
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