George Lucas cast Natalie Portman in the role of Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy because he felt she was perfect for the part. Portman brought a sense of gravity and maturity to the role, which was essential given the character's arc. She also had the necessary physicality for the action-packed scenes. In addition, Lucas was impressed with Portman's performance in The Phantom Menace and felt she would only get better as an actress as she got older.