Think of some of Hollywood’s most versatile actresses and Natalie Portman’s name would definitely come to mind. Natalie Portman movies are known to touch upon a wide range of issues and genres.
Over time, Portman has transformed into one of Hollywood’s biggest style icons as well. Movies with Natalie Portman have grossed more than US$ $3,549,441,434 at the box office. You cannot miss out on the movies starring her if you love psychological and dystopian thrillers.
Having made her screen debut at the age of 12, Portman has gone on to star in some of the biggest commercial successes, including ‘V for Vendetta’ (2005), ‘Thor’ (2011) and ‘Black Swan’ (2010).
After having starred in a wide range of roles during the course of her illustrious career, she has established herself as one of the most loved (and the highest paid) contemporary actresses in the world.
Natalie Portman’s Beliefs and Interests
Portman identifies herself as a Jew, even though she has been living in the United States of America for a while. Natalie Portman’s religion at birth was Christianity (as she was raised a Catholic). However, she began practicing Judaism in 2013. During the shoot of ‘No Strings Attached’, she met Ashton Kutcher and learned a lot about Jewish beliefs from him.
Portman is known for supporting the Democrats, and came out in support of Barack Obama during the 2008 American Presidential Elections. She has also been vocal about ‘Sexual Terrorism’ and spoke of it during the 2018 Women’s March (Los Angeles).
Also, her association with several charities and Non-profit organizations has transformed her into a popular social media figure. Natalie has been a vegan for past three decades.
Natalie Portman’s Early Life
Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem. She was born to Jewish Parents. Shelley, her mother, has worked as her agent while Avner Hershlag, her father, is a gynecologist from Israel.
Portman came to the US as a child with her parents and lived in Washington D.C. She, along with her family, made her way to Connecticut in 1988, and eventually settled down in Long Island (1990).
She attended the Jewish Day School in Maryland during her childhood. It was here that she learned Hebrew and began using it as a part of her daily life. Moreover, her birth name is Neta-lee Hershlag, but she chose to use her grand mum’s maiden name, i.e., Portman, in order to preserve and protect her privacy.
Her paternal great grandparents were killed during WWII at Auschwitz. She began taking lessons in dance when she was just 4 years old.
She attended the Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County as a youngster. Natalie describes herself as a ‘serious’ and ‘focused’ individual. During numerous interviews, she has claimed that ‘she always knew what she wanted’.
Also, she has been vocal about her inclination towards foreign languages. At present, she can speak, Hebrew, English, Japanese, Arabic, French and German. Natalie became a child model as a 10-year-old after an agent saw her at a restaurant.
Natalie Portman’s Career in Movies
‘Leon the Professional’, an action-thriller movie directed and written by Luc Besson, was Natalie Portman’s first film as an actor. Initially, her parents were reluctant to see her playing a part in the movie, primarily because of its violent subject matter, but agreed after Besson chopped off the violent scenes featuring Portman.
Natalie Portman in ‘Heat’ (1995) ended up garnering a lot of eyeballs. She played Al Pacino’s character’s stepdaughter in the movie and was noticed for portraying a person with suicidal thoughts. Several critics noted that she looked ‘real’ and played her part to perfection.
Over the next few years, she starred in numerous projects while also concentrating on her education. These projects included the likes of ‘Beautiful Girls’ (1996). Consequently, a string of movies high on sexual content were offered to her after she had starred in ‘Beautiful Girls’. It is something that she has bemoaned later.
‘Star Wars’ and Career as a Grown Up
Natalie Portman’s Star Wars became a huge success with the audiences. During an interview, she stated that she wasn’t familiar with the franchise and had to watch the original movies.
She remained close to George Lucas, the director of the Sci-Fi trilogy and invested a decent amount of time getting acquainted to the mannerisms and accent that she was expected to portray in front of camera.
In 2005, she was cast opposite Hugo Weaving in ‘V for Vendetta’, a dystopian-thriller based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore. Natalie Portman in ‘V for Vendetta’ was praised by one and all for her portrayal of Eve Hammond. She showcased a wide range of emotions like insecurity, aggression and disappointment, and ended up keeping the audiences glued to their seats.
Natalie Portman’s Marvel debut happened in 2011 after she was cast as Jane Foster in ‘Thor’ (2011). Natalie Portman in Thor plays a novice researcher who gets to meet ‘Thor’, the Norse God of Thunder and Lightning.
She is all set to replenish her role as Foster in the upcoming Thor movie ‘Love and Thunder’. In 2011, she won the Best Actress Award at the 83rd Academy Awards for her performance in ‘Black Swan’ (2010).
Natalie Portman’s Personal Life, Marriage and Other Relationships
Natalie Portman began dating Benjamin Millepied, a French Danseur (a ballet dancer) in 2009 after meeting him on the sets of ‘Black Swan’. Millepied is also a choreographer and dancer. He and Portman have two kids, a son named Aleph and a daughter named Amalia.
While raising her kids, Portman stated that it was a priority for her to raise her children as ‘Jewish’. However, she also states that it was equally important for both her children to come out as good human beings.
In 2014, Millepied, Natalie Portman’s husband, said that he too wanted to convert to Judaism
Natalie Portman’s Commercial Interests
In February 2020, Natalie Portman, along with Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling, invested US$ 45 million in Maven, a woman and family health company. The company was founded by Katherine Ryder in 2014 with a goal to provide women and parents with personalized health services.
Natalie Portman’s investments have also been used for the welfare of National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She is expected to invest in a team from Los Angeles. The team, known as ‘Angel City’ will begin playing in 2022.
Natalie Portman’s Net Worth
Natalie Portman’s net worth is estimated at US$62 million, thanks in part to her film roles and investments. She has been the face of Dior for a long time, which has definitely added to her bank balance. Although in 2012, an advertisement for Dior was banned for ‘Airbrushing’ Portman. At 39, she has numerous projects in her kitty. This means her net worth is expected to grow further in the time to come.