Natalie Hershlag (born June 9 , 1981 in Jerusalem , Israel) better known under her stage name Natalie Portman , is an Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe Award -winning Israeli - American actress .

As a child, Portman spent her school holidays attending theatre camps where she developed her love of acting. After some experience in an off Broadway musical, she was cast in Léon at age twelve. During the mid-1990s, Portman had small roles in big films such as Heat , Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks! , as well as having a major role in Beautiful Girls . In the later years of the 1990s, she was cast as Queen Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy which brought her considerable fame. She developed an on-screen persona, playing characters that are rather smart, mature, and even quirky, evidently seen in Anywhere But Here . Her role in Zach Braff 's Garden State saw her gain a wider fan base. In the same year, she was nominated for an Academy Award and won a Golden Globe for her role in Closer .

Portman, a Harvard graduate, is considered by many as a young female role model, in part due to her position regarding young adult actors and actresses being exposed to sex in films. She turned down many roles during the 1990s due to her position on the subject. She is also praised for placing the highest priority on education during her years as a child actor and pursuing tertiary education even if it would conflict with her acting career.