Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman (born Neta-Lee Hershlag on June 9, 1981) portrayed Padmé Amidala in the prequel trilogy. She adopted "Portman" as her stage name in order to protect her family's identity. It is actually her maternal grandmother's maiden name.

Biography

Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala

Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala

While pursuing her bachelor's degree in psychology at Harvard, Portman appeared in the Star Wars prequel trilogy of movies, which were filmed during her summer break from university. In her interview in the Inside the Actors Studio show, Portman stated that when her agent first told her about the new Star Wars trilogy she didn't know the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek.

Many people think she and Keira Knightley look very much alike, which was the main reason that Keira got the role of Sabé, Queen Amidala's handmaiden and decoy. They looked so much like each other that during the making of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, not even their mothers could tell them apart when they both had make-up on.

During the filming of Star Wars: Episode III The Revenge of the Sith she said the character of Padmé "embodies the true meaning of feminism" since "It's about having access to all the same things but then making decisions from your particular point of view" and despite the fact Padmé was a leader to her people she choose to be compassionate and to serve democracy instead of being consumed by the thirst for power.

In a 2007 interview, she said that although she was pleased with the Star Wars work she had done, she didn't plan to work with the Star Wars universe again. In 2023, however, she expressed openness to returning.

Sources

Appearances