I first noticed Natalie Portman when she took the female lead role in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999). She had the unenviable role of following in Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher)’s footsteps as the only major female role in the film and she had to play politics to do it. She made the hair, makeup, and costumes work (as extravagant as they were, still think she looked like she was bitting her lip with the lip stick placement), and sounded royal and impressive spouting off lines about taxation. In Garden State (2004 starring Zach Braff), she played a complicated role, and in the same year, starred in Closer (along with Julia Roberts), and played a more grown up role, something she has made a habit of doing since appearing in Léon: The Professional (with Jean Reno) at the age of 13. Chosing to work with talented directors and not being afraid to take on risky roles, Natalie is a stand out for her generation. Closer earned Natalie her first Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress, she would go on to win one for a leading role in Black Swan (2010 directed by Darren Aronofsky), and get a third nomination for one of her most recent roles in Jackie (2016).

Natalie was born in Jerusalem, moved to the United States at age 3, and was taking dancing lessons by the age of 4. She had the eye of a number of directors in the mid nineties after Luc Besson directed her in Léon (1994), Michael Mann worked with her in Heat (1995), and in 1996 saw Natalie appear in Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You and Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! Portman kept busy working with Susan Sarandon (Anywhere But Here in 1999), Ashley Judd (Where the Heart Is in 2000), Hugo Weaving (V for Vendetta in 2005), Dustin Hoffman (Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium in 2007), Scarlett Johansson (The Other Boleyn Girl in 2008), and appeared in 2 ensemble heavy films, Paris, je t’aime (2006) and New York, I Love You (2008). Since Black Swan in 2010, Natalie has balanced making mainstream films with more artistic choices. I’m Still Here (2010 directed by Casey Affleck), 2 Thor movies (2011 and 2013 with Chris Hemsworth), and Knight of Cups (2015 written and directed by Terrence Malick). In 2015, Natalie wrote, directed, and starred in A Tale of Love and Darkness. You can see Natalie’s most recent work in Song to Song, released earlier in 2017 starring Ryan Gosling and reuniting her with writer/director Terrence Malik, and coming soon, Annihilation by writer/director Alex Garland (who wrote and directed Ex Machnia in 2014).

Thank you and Happy Birthday Natalie!

Links
IMDB
Wikipedia