Why is Natalie Portman one of the most polished and precious jewels in the entertainment business out there? Is it because of her passion for her art and her privacy? Is it because of her grace and unbelievable beauty? Is it her overwhelming talent that even makes that of Meryl Streep's look shabby? Probably all mentioned above.
Born on the 9th of June, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel, Natalie is an only child. Her father is a doctor, her mother an artist. Natalie prefers to call her mother an artist as being called a homemaker sounds as if her mother "is married to a house". "Portman" is not Natalie's real last name, rather it is her grandmother's maiden name, and Natalie took it as a stage name in order to protect her privacy. Only a few people, those slightly closer to Nat, know her real last name, and it is only right that we protect her privacy and respect her rights. Natalie has a dog that she calls Noodles and has been a strict vegetarian since she was 8, after she saw her father kill a chicken at his medical conference.
She has been mistaken for Rachael Leigh Cook and vice-versa, but Natalie carries a graceful stance so defined that you can't mistake her for anyone else. Her acting stands out, she's been compared to the sophisticated Audrey Hepburn and Harpers and Queen magazine has stated that Nat has "more acting ability in her little toe than Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston combined". Natalie had done several stage plays including "Annie Get Your Gun" before her screen debut in The Professional, playing young orphan Mathilda opposite Gary Oldman and Jean Reno. Of course, she caught numerous eyes and soon, was playing roles in Beautiful Girls, Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks!
The 5'3" actress will most probably be known for playing Queen Amidala in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, and certainly for her innate grace and her irresistible talent and charisma. Movieline claims that "the spirit of Audrey Hepburn" is in Natalie and it is "alive and well and headed towards the millennium". Way to go, Nat! Her upcoming films include a collaboration with fellow great actress Susan Sarandon in Anywhere But Here as well as Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3. You'll be seeing lots of Natalie... she's practically inevitable. Nat loves listening to Bjork and enjoys dance, by the way. She is also a smart girlie, scoring more than 1400 for her SATs and Harvard as well as Yale universities have deferred her for admission, but she is keeping her choice personal.
