Actors Discussion Series: Natalie Portman

[PeterPanfan]

Artist Discussion Series #4: Natalie Portman

Portman, who has been a vegetarian since childhood and became a vegan in 2009 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals, is an advocate for animal rights. She does not eat animal products or wear fur, feathers, or leather. "All of my shoes are from Target and Stella McCartney," she has said. It has been reported that she will appear alongside actress Elissa Sursara in a PETA PSA to support the group's anti-fur campaign at some point throughout 2009. In 2007, Natalie Portman traveled to Rwanda with Jack Hanna, to film a documentary titled Gorillas on the Brink. Later, at a naming ceremony, Portman named a baby gorilla Gukina, which means "to play." In 2007, she launched her own brand of vegan footwear. Portman has been an advocate of environmental causes since childhood, when she joined an environmental song and dance troupe known as World Patrol Kids. She is also a member of the One Voice movement.

Portman was involved with the 2004 presidential campaign of Democratic candidate John Kerry and has supported antipoverty activities. In 2004 and 2005, she traveled to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in poor countries. In an interview conducted backstage at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia and appearing on the PBS program Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria, she discussed microfinance. Host Fareed Zakaria said that he was "generally wary of celebrities with fashionable causes", but included the segment with Portman because "she really knew her stuff." In the "Voices" segment of the April 29, 2007, episode of the ABC Sunday Morning Program This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Portman discussed her work with FINCA and how it can benefit women and children in Third World countries. In fall 2007, Portman visited several university campuses, including Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, New York University, and Columbia, to inspire students with the power of microfinance and to encourage them to join the Village Banking Campaign to help families and communities lift themselves out of poverty.

On the concept of the afterlife, she comments: "I don't believe in that. I believe this is it, and I believe it's the best way to live." She has said that she feels more Jewish in Israel and that she would like to raise her children in the Jewish religion: "A priority for me is definitely that I'd like to raise my kids Jewish, but the ultimate thing is to have someone who is a good person and who is a partner... I get much more Jewish in Israel." During the 2008 Democratic primaries, Portman supported Senator Hillary Clinton for president, but said "I also like Obama. I even like McCain. I disagree with his war stance—which is a really big deal—but I think he's a very moral person." She later campaigned for Obama during the general election.

In the May 2002 issue of Vogue, Portman called actor/musician Lukas Haas and musician Moby her close friends. After starring in the video for his song "Carmensita," she began a relationship with American folk singer Devendra Banhart that ended in September 2008.

Filmography

Leon: The Professional - Mathilda - 1994
Heat - Lauren Gustafson - 1995
Beautiful Girls - Marty - 1996
Everyone Says I Love You - Laura Dandridge - 1996
Mars Attacks! - Taffy Dale - 1996
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Padme Amidala - 1999
Anywhere But Here - Ann August - 1999
Where the Heart Is - Novalee Nation - 2000
Zoolander - Herself - 2001
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Padme Amidala - 2002
Cold Mountain - Sara - 2003
Garden State - Samantha - 2004
Closer - Alice Ayres/Jane Jones - 2004
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Padme Amidala - 2005
Free Zone - Rebecca - 2005
V for Vendetta - Evey Hammond - 2006
Paris, je t'aime - Francine - 2006
Goya's Ghosts - Ines Balbatua/Alicia - 2006
My Blueberry Nights - Leslie - 2007
The Darjeeling Unlimited - Jack's Ex-Girlfriend - 2007
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - Molly Mahoney - 2007
The Other Boleyn Girl - Anne Boleyn - 2008
New York, I Love You - Rifka - 2009

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits - Emilia Greenleaf - 2009
Brothers - Grace Cahill - 2009
Hesher - Nicole - 2010
Your Highness - 2010
Black Swan - Nina - 2010/2011
Thor - Jane Foster - 2011

~~~

I LOVE Natalie Portman! She's such a great and unique actress, and I've loved her in everything I've seen her in so far.

[milojthatch]

I've only seen her in Star Wars and I wasn't impressed. But, I do plain on seeing Thor, so my view could change based on that.

[Disney's Divinity]

Natalie Portman is one of those actors who tend to give decent/sometimes great performances, but doesn't stick with you once the film is over. I think her best work (from what I've seen) has been in Where The Heart Is, The Other Boleyn Girl, and Anywhere But Here (with Susan Sarandon! ).

[memnv]

I have liked her in the movies I remember her in, like the Star Wars films and V for Vendetta. I also liked her in Mar's Attack and I believe she was the president's daughter. Mr Magorium was also enjoyable.
I dont remember her in Zoolander. I will definatly see Thor. I am also going to try and see brothers this weekend depending on finances

[Cordy_Biddle]

Was anyone lucky enough to see her in the Broadway revival of 'The Diary of Anne Frank'?

[slave2moonlight]

I've seen a variety of her work, though of course the Star Wars films are closest to me and what I always think of first in connection with her, as I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I usually find Portman's acting to be very good, and of course she is considered by myself and many others to be one of the most gorgeous actresses out there, and one who hardly seems to age much either, ha. Like most actresses though, I'm put off a bit by her extreme and sometimes contradictory views. She seems dedicated to her animal rights issues (which is fine, I love animals, but the anti-fur and vegan stuff, etc... to me always seems a bit extremist), but she doesn't believe in an afterlife and yet wants to raise children in the Jewish religion? Contradictions like that really annoy me, ha. Go one way or the other, c'mon. Frankly, I always find it a bit sad when people are convinced "this is it", because why not be open to possibilities? Of course, stuff I've encountered in my life leads me to lean the other way, so that is part of my problem with it. Oh, well. Suffice to say, as with most celebs, her level of involvement is impressive, but she still comes off a bit scatterbrained to me. As much as I general adore her and many other actresses though, ha, I probably shouldn't be saying that.

[memnv]

she doesn't believe in an afterlife and yet wants to raise children in the Jewish religion? ..

Ok I am Jewish and have never heard of any one Jewish believing in the afterlife

[Jack Skellington]

My friend's Jewish and he beleaves in heaven and hell !

[slave2moonlight]

Yeah, while I'm not Jewish, as I understand it the religion does involve an afterlife. After all, the Christian religion is just an extension of the Jewish religion.

Of course, you don't have to believe in/practice the Jewish religion to be Jewish, and I don't encounter a lot of very religious Jewish people these days (or other people, for that matter, outside of churches.... which I really almost never go to), and even a lot of practicers don't really believe in what they practice...

[Lazario]

I heard a rumor a few months back that someone, probably David Gordon Green, wanted her for Suzy Bannion in the upcoming remake of Suspiria... which is going slower than molasses. But, it might be interesting to see her in a real horror role. Just so long as she doesn't try to morph it into a Nicole Kidman in The Others or Naomi Watts in The Ring Hollywood star-turn and works against the genre to turn it into a touching, dramatic performance.

We'll see. She'll never do it. But, stranger things have happened.

[memnv]

Again, I have been a Jew my whole life almost 42 years and have never heard anything of the afterlife mentioned anywhere. I have also never heard of anyone beliving in heaven and hell. of course there are some off the wall sects out there that could believe in them

[slave2moonlight]

Again, I have been a Jew my whole life almost 42 years and have never heard anything of the afterlife mentioned anywhere. I have also never heard of anyone beliving in heaven and hell. of course there are some off the wall sects out there that could believe in them

In Judaism, the equvalent of Heaven is Gan Eden, and the equivalent of Hell is Gehinnom. And I'm sure a lot of people haven't heard about a lot of stuff from their own heritage. Heck, a lot of folks don't even know what their background is at all. Most people don't place much value on that stuff in this day and age, which has both positive and negative effects.

Anyway, the point is, why bother identifying with a religion and training your children to follow one if you have no belief in the afterlife...

[memnv]

Again, I have been a Jew my whole life almost 42 years and have never heard anything of the afterlife mentioned anywhere. I have also never heard of anyone beliving in heaven and hell. of course there are some off the wall sects out there that could believe in them

In Judaism, the equvalent of Heaven is Gan Eden, and the equivalent of Hell is Gehinnom. And I'm sure a lot of people haven't heard about a lot of stuff from their own heritage. Heck, a lot of folks don't even know what their background is at all. Most people don't place much value on that stuff in this day and age, which has both positive and negative effects.

Anyway, the point is, why bother identifying with a religion and training your children to follow one if you have no belief in the afterlife...

So I just read up on it and there is some belief but it is not talked about that is why I never heard of it

[SpringHeelJack]

I was under the impression there's very little talk on afterlife in Judaism. There's not really a hell, is what my boyfriend says. He's a pretty big Jew.

[ajmrowland]

I liked her performance in Garden State.

Pretty oddball comedy, that one.