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Natalie Portman Biography: Oscar-Winning Actress, Producer, and Harvard Graduate

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Natalie Portman Biography: Oscar-Winning Actress, Producer, and Harvard Graduate

Natalie Portman biography: Natalie Portman is an Israeli-American Oscar-winning actress known for Black Swan, the Star Wars prequels, and the Thor films. Born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem in 1981, she balanced a blockbuster career with a Harvard psychology degree, won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2011, and later became a producer and co-founder of Angel City FC.

Quick facts

  • Full name: Natalie Hershlag
  • Born: June 9, 1981, Jerusalem, Israel
  • Nationality: Israeli-American
  • Occupation: Actress, director, producer
  • Known for: Black Swan, Star Wars prequels, Thor, Jackie, Closer
  • Spouse: Benjamin Millepied (m. 2012; div. 2024)
  • Children: 2

Early life and background

Natalie Hershlag was born on June 9, 1981, at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel, the only child of Avner Hershlag, an Israeli-born gynecologist and fertility specialist, and Shelley Stevens, an Ohio-born artist who later became her agent. Her first language was Hebrew. When she was about three, the family moved to the United States — first Washington D.C., then Connecticut in 1988, and finally Syosset on Long Island, New York, where she attended Syosset High School and studied ballet and modern dance.

She was discovered at age 10 by a Revlon scout at a restaurant, but turned down modeling to pursue acting, and performed as an understudy in the off-Broadway musical Ruthless!. She adopted her paternal grandmother’s maiden name, “Portman,” as her stage name.

Education: Harvard while starring in Star Wars

Portman famously combined stardom with serious study. She enrolled at Harvard University in 1999 — the same year The Phantom Menace released — and graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology while filming the Star Wars prequels. She once said she would rather be smart than a movie star, and contributed to a published study on memory during her studies.

Career

Portman made her film debut at age 12 as Mathilda in Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional (1994), a performance that drew immediate critical attention. She followed with roles in Heat (1995) and Beautiful Girls (1996) before being cast in 1997 as Queen-turned-Senator Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy — The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Her dramatic breakthrough came with Closer (2004), for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and earned her first Academy Award nomination. She then starred as Evey Hammond in V for Vendetta (2005). In 2010, she headlined Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, training for roughly a year in ballet and performing many of the dance sequences herself. The role won her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2011, plus a BAFTA and a Golden Globe.

She entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as astrophysicist Jane Foster in Thor (2011), returning for Thor: The Dark World (2013) and, as the Mighty Thor, Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). In 2016 she portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie, earning her third Oscar nomination. She starred opposite Julianne Moore in Todd Haynes’s May December (2023), headlined and executive-produced the Apple TV+ limited series Lady in the Lake (2024), and starred with John Krasinski in Guy Ritchie’s Fountain of Youth (Apple TV+, 2025).

In 2026, she is back in the news cycle: per a Variety exclusive (Oct 14, 2026), Portman and Jonathan Bailey began filming the elite-cycling thriller Pumping Black in the French Alps, with Portman playing Dr. Andrea Lathe.

Producing, business, and activism

In 2021 Portman co-founded the production company MountainA with Sophie Mas; its credits include May December and Lady in the Lake, and she executive-produced HBO’s three-part docuseries Angel City (May 2023). She is a co-founder and lead investor of Angel City FC, the NWSL club announced in July 2020 with the largest majority-female ownership group in professional sports; in July 2024, Bob Iger and Willow Bay acquired a controlling stake at a $250 million valuation, with Portman remaining on the board. A vegetarian since age nine and vegan since around 2009, she produced and narrated the documentary Eating Animals (2018) and advocates for women’s rights, animal welfare, and environmental causes. Since 2010 she has been the face of Dior’s Miss Dior fragrance.

Personal life

Portman met French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied on the set of Black Swan in 2009; they married in a Jewish ceremony in Big Sur, California, in August 2012. They have two children: son Aleph, born in 2011, and daughter Amalia, born in 2017. She filed for divorce in July 2023, and the divorce was finalized in France in February 2024, confirmed by her representative to People, USA Today, and AFP. As of 2026, she is divorced; unverified tabloid claims about a current partner or a third child are not supported by any reputable outlet.

Awards and achievements

  • Academy Awards: 1 win (Best Actress, Black Swan, 2011) and 3 nominations (Closer, 2005; Black Swan, 2011; Jackie, 2017)
  • BAFTA: Best Actress win for Black Swan
  • Golden Globes: 2 wins (Best Supporting Actress, Closer, 2005; Best Actress – Drama, Black Swan, 2011)
  • Topped Forbes’ “Best Actors for the Buck” list in 2012 — $42.70 in box office per $1 of salary, driven by Black Swan‘s $329 million gross on a $13 million budget
  • Co-founder of Angel City FC, valued at $250 million in the 2024 Iger/Bay deal

Net worth snapshot

Natalie Portman’s net worth is estimated at roughly $60–90 million as of 2026, with Celebrity Net Worth putting the headline figure at about $90 million. No Forbes, Bloomberg, or Hurun estimate exists for her. Her wealth comes from three decades of film fees (including the Star Wars prequels and the Thor films), a 15-plus-year Dior endorsement partnership, producing income, and real estate. Read the full breakdown in Natalie Portman’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Natalie Portman?

Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel, making her 45 years old in 2026.

What is Natalie Portman known for?

She is best known for winning the Oscar for Best Actress for Black Swan (2010), playing Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels, and playing Jane Foster in Marvel’s Thor films.

Did Natalie Portman graduate from Harvard?

Yes. She graduated from Harvard University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, studying there while filming the Star Wars prequels.

Is Natalie Portman still married?

No. She divorced French choreographer Benjamin Millepied in February 2024 after filing in July 2023. They share two children, Aleph (born 2011) and Amalia (born 2017).

What is Natalie Portman doing in 2026?

She is filming the thriller Pumping Black opposite Jonathan Bailey in the French Alps (per a Variety exclusive, Oct 14, 2026), and continues producing through her company MountainA and sitting on the board of Angel City FC.

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