The Neverending story2 | Natalie quotes
FACTS & FIGURES
was taken from interviews she’s given since 1994. It is therefore quite possible that some
of it no longer applies.
| First Name : | Natalie, from the Latin natale domini (Christmas Day) But that’s a Christian holiday, and Natalie is of Jewish descent? So what does it mean in Hebrew? We’ve gotten so many suggestions/translations that we’ve chosen not to write nothing so we won’t offend noone. Except english teachers. |
| Last Name : | Portman; stage name, which happens to be her maternal grandmother’s maiden name. Reportedly first adopted because of fears she would discredit her parents in case her performance in The Professionnal was unsatisfactory. She has since kept the name in order to help maintain her privacy and to keep her family out of the spotlight. Her real name is Natalie Hershlag. |
| Birth : | Tuesday June 9th, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel |
| Homes : | Natalie and her family lived in Jerusalem until she was 3 years old. Due to her father’s medical training and career advancements, the family then moved to Washington D.C. in 1984, and then on to Connecticut in 1988. They moved again to Long Island, New York in 1990. That’s where she lived until her acceptance to Harvard in 1999 which made her stay 4 years in Boston. She lived in Soho NYC for many years, before eventually buying a house and moving to LA. |
| Height : | 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm), according to her driver’s license (shown on the 05/21/99 Late Show with David Letterman appearance). However, people who have seen or met her in real life say that she’s actually a fair bit shorter than that—more like 5′ 0″ or 5′ 1″. |
| Weight : | Probably less than you. |
| Hair : | Dark brown, often dyed a reddish-brown, fairly long and naturally curly; she blow-dries them straight most of the time for media appearances. |
| Eyes : | Brown |
| Relationship : | Married to dancer and choreographer, Benjamin Millepied, whom she met on the set of Black Swan. |
| Children : | A son, Aleph, born on June 7th, 2011. |
| Languages : | Fluent in English and Hebrew; also some French and Japanese she studied at school and we think she’s picked up some Arabic, Spanish and sign language. |
| Father’s Occupation : | M.D. (Ob-Gyn/Infertility Specialist) |
| Mother’s Occupation : | Homemaker and full-time mother; she also enjoys art as a hobby. |
| Siblings : | None |
| Pets : | Natalie’s first dog, that we know about, was a Poodle-Schnauzer called Noodles. Her next dog was Charlie, who was clearly beloved as Natalie named her production company after him – Handsomecharlie Films. Her current pet, a Yorkshire Terrier, is a called Whiz. |
| Discovered : | At age 11, by a Revlon model scout in a Long Island pizza parlor. This led to her getting her own acting agent, which soon led to her highly successful film debut in The Professional (a.k.a. Leon in Europe).Before the launch of her film career, Natalie appeared in many plays at Usdan Theater Arts Camp. She played the dumb blonde, Dora, in Fiorello and the feminist Annie in Annie get your Gun. |
| Acting Trade Marks : | Portrays characters that are smart, mature, and grown-up for their age. She is known for getting in and out of character very quickly. Oddly enough, Natalie says she has terrible stage fright, and is afraid to miss her lines in live theater performances. |
| Schooling : | A straight-A student since grade school, she graduated with a slew of honors from her Long Island High School (Syosset High School) in June 1999.She then decided to study Psychology in Harvard for 4 years and graduated on June 5th of 2003. Spent a semester in Israel studying spoken Arabic, spoken Hebrew, the history of Israel, the history of Islam, and the Anthropology of Violence |
| Favorite Subjects : | Biology, Math, Science, Languages, Politics, Psychology |
| Career Ambitions : | There have been many, including doctor, veterinarian, astronaut, Broadway dancer, writer, scientist, photographer, full-time acting, and international relations. |
| Causes : | FINCA Free The Children LA Children’s Hospital Shoes4Africa Jane Goodall Foundation Audrey Hepburn House Bloom’s Syndrome Foundation Love Unites |
| Hobbies : | Dancing (ballet, jazz, tap), reading, writing, ice-skating (which she picked up during the filming of Beautiful Girls), modeling, and of course, acting. |
| Habits : | Collecting purses and small bags, eyebrow-tweezing, does Lily Tomlin impressions, generally considers herself as a bit of an obsessive-compulsive. |
| Eating Habits : | Natalie has been a strict vegetarian since she was 8, after seeing a demonstration of laser surgery on a chicken at a medical conference with her father. She does not eat meat of any kind. In recent years Natalie has also spent long periods as fully vegan. |
| Favorite Foods : | Pizza, chocolate, tea, ice cream, brussel sprouts, grilled cheese and tomato sandwhich, bread, beans, lentil, pasta. |
| Sports : | Track and field, plays football with her friends, does not show any particular interest in professional sports. |
| Famous Friends : | Actors Greta Gerwig, Mila ‘sweet lips’ Kunis, Rashida ‘puppies’ Jones, Olivia Thirlby, Macaulay Culkin, Kat Dennings, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Susan Sarandon, Ivanka Trump, Anthony Edwards and wife Jeanine Lobell. Director Mike Nichols. Designers for Rodarte, the Mulleavy sisters. |
| Favorite Musicians : | Björk, PJ Harvey, Juliana Hatfield, Alanis Morissette, Lauryn Hill, The Jackson 5, Jurassic 5, Moby, Portishead, Radiohead, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, The Beatles, Mozart, Beethoven, Aretha Franklin |
| Favorite Song : | Ben by Michael Jackson |
| Favorite Movies : | Dirty Dancing, Schindler’s List, Amelie, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Days Of Heaven, Tiny Furniture, Please Give, the films of Martin Scorsese, Michael Haneke, Jacques Audiard, Lynne Ramsay, Jane Campion, Alexander Payne and particularly the Coen Brothers. |
| Favorite Actors : | Michael Fassbender, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Leonardo Di Caprio, Jude Law, Clive Owen, Mos Def, Chris Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonah Hill, Eric Bana, Sasha Baron Cohen and Brad Pitt. |
| Favorite Actresses : | Meryl Streep, Isabelle Hupert, Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett, Laura Linney, Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings, Rooney Mara, Greta Gerwig, Emma Stone, Holly Hunter and Michelle Williams. |
| Favorite TV Shows : | Top Chef, Mad Men, Girls, Project Runway |
| Favorite Books : | The Diary of Anne FrankAngle of Repose, by Wallace StegnerA Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell A Tale Of Love And Darkness, by Amos Oz Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer Mythology of Ancient Greece American Pastoral by Philip Roth |
| Favorite Country : | Israel, USA, France |
| Favorite Cities : | Paris, NY, Berlin, Amsterdam, Austin. For vacation – Seychelles and Kenya |
| Favorite Designers : | Rodarte, Lanvin, Dior. |
| Favorite Make-up : | DiorShow mascara, Lucas Pawpaw ointment, Joelle Ciocco, Pai, Smith’s Rosebud salve |
| Favorite Color : | Purple |
