Natalie Hershlag, known professionally as Natalie Portman, is an Israeli-American actress and filmmaker known for Léon: The Professional (1994), the Star Wars prequels, Closer (2004), V for Vendetta (2005), Black Swan (2010), and the Thor films. Born June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel, she is 45 years old. At 5 feet 3 inches tall, Portman has won an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award (BAFTA), and two Golden Globe Awards. She is not publicly in a relationship as of 2026 — she was previously married to dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied — and her net worth is approximately $90 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025).
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Natalie Hershlag (Natalie Portman) |
| Born | June 9, 1981 (age 45) |
| Birthplace | Jerusalem, Israel |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Occupation | Actress, Filmmaker |
| Partner | Not publicly in a relationship (ex-husband Benjamin Millepied, married 2012–2024) |
| Children | 2 (Aleph, Amalia) |
| Net Worth | Approx. $90 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025) |
| Nationality | Israeli-American |
Who Is Natalie Portman?
Natalie Portman is an actress and filmmaker with dual Israeli and American citizenship who has had a screen career since her teenage years, starring in blockbusters and independent films alike. She made her film debut at 12 in Léon: The Professional (1994), played Padmé Amidala in George Lucas’s Star Wars prequel trilogy, and earned a degree in psychology from Harvard University in 2003 while continuing to act. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and two Golden Globe Awards.
Portman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her harrowing performance as a ballerina in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller Black Swan (2010), and she received a second Best Actress nomination for playing Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie (2016). She has played Jane Foster in three Marvel Thor films and has also directed, with her feature directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015), an adaptation of Amos Oz’s memoir, in which she also starred. Outside acting, she has been the face of Dior’s Miss Dior fragrance since 2010 and is a prominent advocate for animal rights and women’s causes.
Early Life & Background
Natalie Hershlag was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel, the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli fertility specialist, and Shelley Stevens, an American homemaker who had worked as a talent agent. When Portman was three, the family moved to the United States, living first in Washington, D.C., then in Connecticut, and finally settling in Syosset, on Long Island, New York, in 1990. A dual citizen of Israel and the United States, she speaks Hebrew and English fluently, and she has also studied French, Japanese, German, and Arabic.
Portman was discovered at 11 by a modeling scout in a pizza parlor on Long Island, and she decided she would rather act than model. She made her film debut at 12 as Mathilda in Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional (1994), opposite Jean Reno, earning strong reviews. She continued to act as a teenager, appearing in Beautiful Girls (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and Anywhere but Here (1999), and she turned down roles in Lolita (1997) and Romeo + Juliet (1996) because they involved sexual content she was not comfortable with at her age. In 1997, she played Anne Frank on Broadway in The Diary of Anne Frank. After graduating from high school in 1999, she studied psychology at Harvard University, graduating in 2003, and she co-authored two academic papers on psychology that were published while she was a student.
Career
Portman’s first major role as an adult was Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), and she reprised the role in Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005). While at Harvard, she starred in Zach Braff’s Garden State (2004), and her performance in Mike Nichols’s Closer (2004), opposite Julia Roberts, Jude Law, and Clive Owen, won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and her first Academy Award nomination. She then starred in the dystopian thriller V for Vendetta (2005), for which she shaved her head, and in Wong Kar-wai’s romantic drama My Blueberry Nights (2007).
Portman’s career-defining performance came in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan (2010), in which she played Nina Sayers, a ballet dancer descending into madness while preparing for a production of Swan Lake. She trained in ballet for a year for the role and won the Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She also appeared in the period drama The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), opposite Scarlett Johansson, and the romantic comedy No Strings Attached (2011). She joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Jane Foster in Thor (2011) and its sequel Thor: The Dark World (2013).
Portman has continued to balance blockbusters with independent films. She earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for playing Jacqueline Kennedy in Pablo Larraín’s Jackie (2016), and she starred in Alex Garland’s science-fiction thriller Annihilation (2018) and the musical drama Vox Lux (2018). She returned to Marvel as a transformed Jane Foster in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), opposite Chris Hemsworth, starred opposite Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’s May December (2023), and headlined the Apple TV+ thriller series Lady in the Lake (2024). Her directorial work includes the drama A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015), and her later films include Guy Ritchie’s adventure Fountain of Youth (2025).
Facts About Natalie Portman
- Portman was discovered at age 11 by a modeling scout in a pizza parlor on Long Island — and she chose acting over modeling.
- She graduated from Harvard University in 2003 with a degree in psychology and co-authored two published academic papers while she was a student.
- Portman trained in ballet for a year for Black Swan and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.
- She has been the face of Dior’s Miss Dior fragrance since 2010.
- Portman became a vegetarian at age nine, has been a vegan since 2009, and produced the documentary Eating Animals (2017).
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Natalie Portman?
Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel. She is 45 years old.
How tall is Natalie Portman?
Natalie Portman is 5 feet 3 inches tall (160 cm).
Is Natalie Portman married?
Natalie Portman is not publicly in a relationship as of 2026. She was previously married to dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied — they married in 2012 and their divorce was finalized in February 2024. They have two children.
What is Natalie Portman’s net worth?
Natalie Portman’s net worth is approximately $90 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (2025).
What is Natalie Portman’s most famous role?
Natalie Portman is best known as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels, Jane Foster in the Thor films, and Nina Sayers in Black Swan, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress.