Actress and activist Natalie Hershlag (Portman is her mother’s maiden name, which she uses as a stage name) was born in Jerusalem but grew up in Long Island. She has been a professional actor since 1994, when she debuted in Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional. Since then, she has become a household name for the roles of Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Jane Foster in the Thor film series.
Portman is also well-known for her activism, particularly for animal rights and human rights. She has also made public statements about Israel which were at different times supportive or critical – she has explained her position as a complex one, saying “[it’s] like family — you love it more than anything else in the world, and you are also more critical of it than anything else in the world.”
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