Age: 45
female
Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, June 9, 1981) is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was in the 1994 action thriller Léon: The Professional, opposite Jean Reno. She was later cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (released in 1999, 2002 and 2005). Born in Jerusalem to an Israeli father and American mother, Portman grew up in the eastern United States from the age of three. She studied dancing and acting in New York, and starred in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace while still at high school on Long Island. In 1999, Portman enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology, alongside her work as an actress; she completed a bachelor's degree in 2003. During her studies she starred in a second Star Wars film and opened in New York City's The Public Theater production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull in 2001. Portman won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for starring in the 2004 drama Closer, appeared in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith the following year, and won a Constellation Award for Best Female Performance and the Saturn Award for Best Actress for her starring role in the political thriller V for Vendetta (2006). She played leading roles in the historical dramas Goya's Ghosts (2006) and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), and also appeared in Thor (2011) and its 2013 sequel. In 2010, Portman starred in the psychological thriller film Black Swan. Her performance received widespread critical acclaim and she earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress, her second Golden Globe Award, the SAG Award, the BAFTA Award and the BFCA Award in 2011. In 2016, she portrayed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the biographical drama Jackie. She was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and won the BFCA for Best Actress. In May 2008, Portman served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury. The same year she directed a segment of the collective film New York, I Love You. Her first feature film as a director, A Tale of Love and Darkness, was released in 2015.
Natalie Portman
Padme
for Padme in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
Suggested by stevenkelly
This alternate version of Star Wars: Episode III reimagines the fall of Anakin Skywalker as a slow, emotionally driven tragedy rather than a sudden turn to evil. As the Clone Wars near their end, Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi are celebrated heroes whose close brotherly bond forms the heart of the story. However, Anakin's repeated rejection by the Jedi Council, his growing resentment over never becoming a Jedi Master, and the manipulations of Palpatine gradually isolate him from those he loves. After killing Darth Maul against Obi-Wan's wishes, Anakin is condemned by the Jedi, allowing Palpatine to position himself as the only person who truly believes in him. Meanwhile, General Grievous launches a devastating campaign that culminates in a massive battle on Mustafar, where countless Jedi are sacrificed in combat rather than through Order 66. Believing that Padmé Amidala has died and convinced that Obi-Wan and the Jedi have betrayed him, Anakin fully embraces his anger, leading to a heartbreaking duel with his former master. Obi-Wan defeats him but leaves him behind, mourning the loss of the brother he once knew. At the same time, Yoda discovers Palpatine's true identity but realizes the Sith's victory cannot be overturned immediately, choosing exile and patience instead. Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Owen Lars escape the fallen Republic and secretly decide that Padmé's unborn child must be raised far from politics and the Jedi. As Palpatine is celebrated as the Republic's savior and consolidates his power, Owen returns to Tatooine with the infant Luke Skywalker, ending the story on a bittersweet note that preserves hope for the future while emphasizing the tragic cost of Anakin's downfall.
