Biography for Natalie Portman

Turned down a role in The Horse Whisperer (1998) to act in "The Diary of Anne Frank" on Broadway.

Graduated from Syosset High School, Syosset, New York. [29 June 1999]

Has been a strict vegetarian since the age of 8.

Has taken dance lessons since the age of 4.

Says that maths was her favorite subject in school because, "There's always an answer."

Stated in a TV interview that with the exception of the Star Wars prequels, she will not act for the next four years in order to concentrate on studying at Harvard University. [1999]

Can speak fluent Hebrew, and studied French and Japanese.

Originally turned down the role of Ann August in the film Anywhere But Here (1999) because of the love scene between herself and Corbin Allred which required nudity. Susan Sarandon who had co-star approval, said she couldn't continue the movie without Portman, so the script was re-written without the scene and sent to Natalie, and she accepted.

Was a member of the environmental song and dance troupe The World Patrol Kids under her real name, Natalie Hershlag.

Her mother is an artist, and her father a doctor. She is an only child.

She went to Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp in 1994 and 1995 where she was Anne in "Anne of Green Gables" in 1994 and "Tapestry" in 1995.

Was the first choice to play Juliet in Romeo + Juliet (1996) movie but turned it down because of the scenes, and the age difference, between her and Leonardo DiCaprio.

She was discovered in a pizza parlor and was originally turned down for the role of Mathilda in Léon (1994) because she was too young.

Harpers and Queen magazine said that she is "the new Audrey Hepburn".

Turned down the title role in Adrian Lyne's Lolita (1997), due to her feelings about young adult actors/actresses being exposed to sex in films.

Before she was cast in _Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)_ , she had never seen the original 3 Star Wars movies.

Moved to the US when she was 3 years old.

Turned down the role of Wendy in The Ice Storm (1997) because she felt the material was "too dark." The role went to Christina Ricci, who has said she often gets the projects Natalie turns down.

Said would never be in a horror movie or any other "Jennifer Love Hewitt type" film

Has said in interviews that when she gets older, she would like to be a doctor like her father.

Was reportedly caught using a fake ID trying to sneak into the Roxy. The performer. Moby. insisted that she was invited by him and refused to perform unless she was admitted. She was admitted, and security watched her as she stood in the back, watched the show, and didn't drink.

Stated in an online interview that the story about sneaking into the Roxy to see Moby is not true, and that she and her friends went home after they were denied entrance.

Takes pride in the fact that she is a role model for girls and choses roles that are positive so that they will have a positive role model to look up to.

Her father is an infertility specialist.

Auditioned for Little Women (1994).

Became interested in acting after spending three summers at the prestigious (and expensive) Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp.

Is very close to her parents and says, "The best part about being friends with your parents is that no matter what you do, they always love you."

Grew up in Syosset, Long Island, New York, where her parents still reside.

Dated Lukas Haas. [July 2001]

She and actor Bart DeFinna grew up in the same neighborhood. At the 2000 VH-1 Fashion awards they were asked to take a photo together and refused.

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2002.

Natalie was born on her mother's 29th birthday.

Father's name: Avner. Mother's name: Shelley.

One of Teen People Magazine's "25 Hottest Stars under 25" [2002]

Went to Usdan Camp for the arts as a child.

The make-up brand Stila has a lip gloss named after her.

As of June 2002, she has appeared on _"Late Show with David Letterman" (1993)_ , eight times.

won the 2002 Teen's Choice Award for choice actress in an action/adventure film (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002))

Voted the 15th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine September 2002.

Received her Harvard degree in June of 2003.

Received a Tony nomination for her role as Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank.

Has a passion for travel. In late 2003 and early 2004 she travelled alone to Morocco and Guatemala.

Favorite actor is Ben Kingsley.

Is trained in ballet, jazz and tap dancing.

She has worked with a several of her co-stars twice: Ashley Judd in Heat (1995) and Where the Heart Is (2000); Lukas Haas in Mars Attacks! (1996) and Everyone Says I Love You (1996); Julia Roberts in Everyone Says I Love You (1996) and Closer (2004/I); Jude Law in Cold Mountain (2003) and Closer (2004/I); Philip Seymour Hoffman in the play The Seagull and Cold Mountain (2003); John Carroll Lynch in Beautiful Girls (1996) and Anywhere But Here (1999). She has also worked for director Mike Nichols on two occasions: for the play The Seagull and Closer (2004/I).

As A young girl, She was an understudy for the lead character in the off-Broadway show, "Ruthless", alongside Britney Spears. They still keep in touch, and recently threw a party together in New York City.

Fashion designer Zac Posen refers to her as his "muse."

Both she and Sofia Coppola have played the daughter of a character played by Al Pacino, and also both appeared in a film featuring Pacino and Robert De Niro. Sofia Coppola was in all three Godfather films, and Portman was in Heat (1995). Portman and Coppola appeared together in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

Is close friends with Jake Gyllenhaal and Bryce Dallas Howard.

She is good friends with band Maroon 5.

Her comedic influences are Lily Tomlin and Diane Keaton. She said in an interview, "I love Lily Tomlin and I love Diane Keaton. They're sort of my heroes. Diane Keaton can do anything. She's just the best there is."

Has a song named after her by the band TeamSleep.

She and director Tom Tykwer became good friends after working together on True (2004).

She spoofed her role in Star Wars before becoming involved in the series. In Mars Attacks! (1996), she gives a medal to Lukas Haas in a scene resembling the award ceremony at the end of Star Wars (1977). The medals were given out by Princess Leia, the daughter of Portman's future character, Queen Amidala. In addition, the recipients of those medals, Harrison Ford and Lukas Haas, appeared together in Witness (1985).

Shares a birthday with Johnny Depp and Michael J. Fox.

Was considered for a role in Elizabethtown (2005).

Has a CD named after her by Chicago-based DJ Intel One. The CD was done for charity, given away, and titled "Love: A Tribute to Natalie Portman." It featured songs by Shelly Duval, Common, The Roots, and others.

She has worked with two Draculas as well as two Frankenstein monsters. In Léon (1994), she worked with Gary Oldman, who played Dracula for Francis Ford Coppola. In _Heat (1995)_, she appeared with Robert De Niro, who played The Creature for Kenneth Branagh. In Star Wars, she works with Christopher Lee, who played both roles for Hammer studios.

Had to miss the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) so she could study for her high school final exams.

Has a song named after her by the band Ozma.

Bears a striking resemblance to Keira Knightley. Knightley played Sabé in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), the Queen's decoy. When in make-up, the mothers of the actresses could not even tell them apart.

Personal quotes
(On Lolita) "I don't think there needs to be a movie out where a child has sex with an adult."

(On Lolita) I think there's enough exploitation out there that it's not nescessary to do more.

"Young actors often don't think of the consequences of doing nudity or sex scenes. They want the role so badly that they agree to be exploited, and then end up embarassing family, friends, and even strangers."

(On Acting)"I started to do this at age 11. At age 20, I might say, this is enough."

(On violence in the media) "We live in a violent world, but since the success of films like Pulp Fiction (1994), it seems every movie has some violence in it, and it's now being used as a form of comedy- audiences are now being encouraged to laugh when people get their heads blown off. I just don't like hearing people laugh at violence."

"I also feel I'm a positive role model by not putting my education on hold."

"I want to use college to explore what other careers I might be interested in."

(On acting) "I'm taking it day by day. Right now I like acting, but if something else sparks my interest in college, I'll do that. It's so limiting to say, this is it for the rest of my life. There are so many things that interest me-I love math, science, literature, languages."

(On Lolita) "Let me tell you, this movie's going to be sleaze."

"I'm going to college. I don't care if it ruined my career. I'd rather be smart than a movie star."

"I don't know if acting is what I want to do for the rest of my life, it's just what I've, you Know, ended up doing when I was little, and I've kinda grown up with it."

"When I'm working they pretty much treat me like an adult, but then when there's a break everyone else goes to their trailers and drinks beer and I like, go to school."

"There's so much else to do in the world. To just be interested in doing films would limit my life."

"I think school is so much harder than real life. People are so much more accepting when they are adults."

"Danny [Aiello] told me: 'Don't do televisio'."

"Cute is when a person's personality shines through their looks. Like in the way they walk, every time you see them you just want to run up and hug them."

"I've never tried smoking. I don't drink. I've never tried drugs." (Australian Dolly August 2000)

"Politics is easy to segue into from acting. I'm very interested in it, though I would never run for office. But after this, anything I do is going to seem very bizarre to me." (Interview October 1999)

"No, but I've been thinking about it a lot. I love acting, but I don't know if there's something out there that I love more. That's what college is going to be about for me - checking things out." (Interview October 1999)

(September 2004) She is presently studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.