Natalie Portman is one of the most recognizable actresses of the 21st century.
The 37-year-old actress, who celebrates her birthday Saturday, is incredibly versatile and has been acting since she was a pre-teen. On top of her acting achievements, she is a Harvard graduate and has been published in multiple scientific journals.
Here's a look at her incredible career.
Natalie Portman was born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981.
The family moved to the United States when she was three.
She chose to go professionally by Portman, her grandmother's maiden name, to protect her family's identity, according to Rolling Stone.
She was scouted for modeling in a pizza shop but wanted to focus on acting.
Someone looking for a model for a Revlon campaign approached her in a Long Island pizza shop when she was around 10. She ended up getting an acting agent and was eventually cast as an understudy in an off-Broadway musical called "Ruthless," where Britney Spears was also an understudy.
She made her film debut shortly after in Luc Besson's "Léon: The Professional."
She played a young 12-year-old orphan who forms a relationship with a hit man.
She joined the "Star Wars" universe in the prequel trilogy as Padmé Amidala starting in 1999's "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace"
She was still in high school at the time.
Even though her career was in full swing, the actress went to Harvard and graduated with a psychology degree in 2003.
She later took graduate courses at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and has had two papers published in scientific journals, including one she co-wrote in high school.
Portman received her first Oscar nomination for her supporting role in 2004's "Closer."
She won the Golden Globe for her role. She was also in "Garden State" that same year.
Portman has hosted "Saturday Night Live" multiple times, but her most famous sketch is the SNL Digital Short "Natalie Raps."
She brought it back for an epic sequel when she hosted "SNL" again in 2018.
She famously shaved her head for "V for Vendetta."
"The idea that a big studio action movie could have some substance and could be subversive, that was exciting," Portman told The Post at the time.
She won her first Oscar for starring in Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan."
She also won the Golden Globe for her role.
Portman went through an intense training process for the part. From two hours of dance training a day a year before filming started to eight hours a day for two months, she had to learn choreography and do cross training.
"The discipline was good for the part — it hurt a lot; your body is in constant pain," she told Vogue.
She met ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied when he was the choreographer for "Black Swan" and the two married in 2012.
They have two kids: Aleph, born June 2011, and Amalia, born February 2017.
Portman's turn alongside Ashton Kutcher in "No Strings Attached" was hilarious.
She was also an executive producer.
The actress even joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing Jane Foster in two "Thor" movies.
Jane and Thor had a romantic relationship, but she didn't return for the third movie.
Portman has expanded her skills and directed a short and a feature film.
She made her directorial debut with her short "Eve" in 2008.
Her feature film, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," was an adaptation of Israeli author Amos Oz's novel of the same name. It premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. She also starred in it.
Portman earned another Oscar nomination for portraying Jacqueline Kennedy in the biographical movie "Jackie."
She nailed the performance.
Her latest movie, "Annihilation," is an incredible sci-fi thriller.
She played a soldier.
She is an animal rights and environmental activist.
She gave up meat when she was eight and later became a vegan, crediting Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals" for helping her make that choice.
She actively works with anti-poverty campaigns.
She has traveled as an ambassador of FINCA International, a microfinance organization that seeks to end poverty by offering investment opportunities to people in developing countries.
She is also a massive supporter of gender equality and spoke at the 2018 Women's March about her own experiences with "sexual terrorism."
She described terrifying letters she received as a 13-year-old following her turn in "Léon: The Professional." She said her first piece of fan mail was a "rape fantasy."
She also called out the Golden Globes in 2018 for only nominating male directors.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyvrdOao6KdXaW8s8DMmqVmmpmktLOtz6GwZqSZm7JussCmoKWxXZi8rbjEoJxmm5Gnsqa%2BjGtnanBdaw%3D%3D