Natalie Hershlag[a] (born June 9, 1981), known professionally as Natalie Portman, is an actress, film producer and director with dual Israeli and American citizenship. She has had a prolific screen career from her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Portman began filming the part of Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy in 1997, which marked her first big-budget production. The first film of the series, Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released in 1999, when she was in her senior year of high school.[45] Portman was unfamiliar with the franchise when she was cast, and watched the original Star Wars trilogy before filming began.[46] She worked closely with the director George Lucas on her character's accent and mannerisms, and watched the films of Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, and Katharine Hepburn to draw inspiration from their voice and stature.[47] Filming in arduous locations in Algeria proved challenging for Portman.[48][12] She did not attend the film's premiere so she could study for her high school finals.[49] The critical response to the film was mixed, but with earnings of $924 million worldwide it was the second highest-grossing film of all time to that point, and it established Portman as a global star.[50][51]