(1996). It was not until 1999 that Natalie received worldwide fame as Queen Amidala in the highly anticipated US$431 million-grossing prequel Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).
While in high school, she made her Broadway debut in a 1998 production of The Diary of a Young Girl and gained international recognition for starring as Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999).
Portman instantly lit up the screen with her debut performance in Léon: The Professional. The actress, who was just 12 years old at the time, plays Mathilda the orphaned young girl who confides in professional hitman Léon in hopes of avenging her murdered family.
She was discovered by an agent in a pizza parlor at the age of 11. She was pushed towards a career in modeling but she decided that she would rather pursue a career in acting. She was featured in many live performances, but she made her powerful film debut in the movie Léon: The Professional (1994) (aka "Léon").
Natalie Portman is an Israeli-American actress and filmmaker. She made her film debut in Luc Besson's action thriller Léon: The Professional, which starred her as the young protégée of a hitman.
Natalie Portman & Jean Reno "The Professional" 1994 - Bobbie Wygant Archive
What is Natalie Portman's biggest movie?
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is the highest-grossing film in the Star Wars Saga, the highest-grossing film of 1999 and the highest-grossing film in Natalie Portman's career...
Portman made her film debut at age 12 in 1994's Léon: The Professional and later appeared in Heat, Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks! When she filmed her breakout role as Padmé Amidala in 1999's Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, she was only 16.
I worked with a trainer, Naomi Pendergast, for, I think it was, four months before shooting, and then obviously all the way through filming," Portman told Vanity Fair. “We did a lot of weight training and a lot of protein shakes — heavyweight training that I haven't ever done before.
How old was Natalie Portman when she started acting?
After she started acting professionally at age 13 in the film “Leon: The Professional,” Portman credited her parents for looking out for her well-being in her work. “I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents,” she said.
Natalie Portman, known for her roles in films like Star Wars or Cold Mountain, studied psychology at Harvard University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science.
Vegetarian since the age of nine, Portman went vegan in 2011 after reading Eating Animals and has been a vocal vegan advocate and investor in plant-based businesses ever since.
Portman has two of her own children with her husband, Benjamin Millepied; Aleph and Amalia. Natalie Portman doesn't think children should work in Hollywood. "I feel it was almost an accident of luck that I was not harmed, also combined with very overprotective, wonderful parents," Portman explained.
Natalie Portman's Age in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Being born in 1981, Natalie Portman would have been around 16 years old when filming began in 1997. She was reportedly in her senior year of high school when The Phantom Menace released in 1999.
After graduating high school, she applied and got into Harvard University, studying for a bachelor's degree in psychology. From the get-go, it was clear that Portman was not just another actress who gained admittance into an Ivy League college due to her reputation.
"I would not encourage young people to go into this,” Portman, who shares two children — son Aleph, 12, and daughter Amalia, 6 — with husband Benjamin Millepied, told Variety, before clarifying: “I don't mean ever; I mean as children.”
Can child stars go on to credible careers? With her Ivy League credentials and a performance in Black Swan that's put her in line for an Oscar, Natalie Portman proves it can be done... At 29, Natalie Portman has already been in the business a long time.
Her workouts consisted of boxing, skipping, core work and weightlifting. And because she was working out so rigorously, Portman, who is a vegan, had to switch up her diet so she could ensure enough protein intake to gain muscle as opposed to losing weight.
Warning: Minor spoilers below if you haven't seen "Thor: Love and Thunder." Natalie Portman looks 6 feet tall in the movie once she becomes Mighty Thor. Raised platforms were built on set to make the 5-foot-3 actor look taller in the scenes.
Upon her morning routine, Portman said “I'm vegan, so I generally have a very clean diet; I usually have oatmeal or avocado toast in the morning. I take vitamins too—vitamin D, and I'm still on prenatal vitamins. I get B12 shots once a month because it's the one thing you don't get from a vegan diet.”
In 1999, she limited her acting roles to enroll in Harvard University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2003. She delved into a few parts during her studies, including Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, the mother of iconic characters Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.
As far as the audience could tell from what dialogue was left in the film, Mjolnir called Jane when she visited the broken relic in New Asgard. Because Thor (Chris Hemsworth) had previously asked his beloved hammer to watch over Jane and protect her, Mjolnir came to life to give her the powers of Thor.
