Natalie Portman Natalie Portman ( born Natalie 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 . Early life . Portman ' s father , Avner Hershlag , is an Israeli doctor specializing in fertility and reproduction ( reproductive endocrinology ) . Her mother , Shelley Stevens , is an American homemaker who now works as her agent . When Portman was three years old , her family moved from Israel to the for her father to pursue his medical training . They first went to in 1984 and then in 1988 , before finally settling down in , in 1990 . Career . Portman was a child actress who performed in local troupes and dreamed of dancing on . One day after dance class at age twelve , Portman was discovered in a pizza parlor by an agent for Revlon , who offered her an opportunity to model . She asked to be introduced to acting talent scouts and quickly got an audition for 1994 film " " ( a . k . a . " The Professional " ) . She soon made her movie debut at the age of twelve playing an orphaned girl who befriends a much older assassin in the intense R - rated film . During her teen years , Portman played a significant and memorable role in the ensemble cast of " " , and had minor roles in " " , " " and " " . During her junior year in high school , Portman starred in the Broadway revival of " " , performing eight shows a week while attending classes full - time . In 1999 , she was nominated for a for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ann August in " " . Portman went on to play a persevering teenage mother in " " . Later she was one of many celebrities who played themselves in the comedy film " " . While pursuing her in psychology at , Portman appeared in the " Star Wars " prequel trilogy of movies , which were filmed during her summer break from university . In her interview in the " " 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 " " . 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 , not even their mothers could tell them apart when they both had make - up . After graduating from Harvard in 2003 , she had a small but pivotal role as a young war widow in the Oscar - winning movie " " . That was followed in 2004 by starring roles in the successful independent movies " " and " " , winning a Supporting Actress Golden Globe for her role as Alice in " Closer " . She was also nominated for the for Best Supporting Actress for the same role . In spring 2004 , Portman began pursuing graduate studies at in Jerusalem , Israel in Middle Eastern Studies . Portman hosted a 2006 episode of " Saturday Night Live " , in which she bested a " fan " at " Star Wars " trivia . 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 2010 , Portman signed on with , and since has appeared in several of the company ' s advertising campaigns . Her television commercials for the fragrance line Miss Dior were directed by Sofia Coppola who played Saché , one of Amidala ' s handmaidens in Episode I . On February 27 , 2011 , Portman won the Academy Award for Best Actress in " " . For the same role , she also won a Golden Globe Award , a , a and a . Personal life . On December 27 , 2010 , Portman announced her engagement to , the choreographer of the film " Black Swan " and that they were expecting a child . Early in 2011 , it was confirmed that they were having a son . On June 14 , 2011 , Portman gave birth to their child , Alef ( alternate spelling Aleph ) Portman - Millepied , weighing 8 lb 7 oz . His first name is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet . She and Millepied were married on August 4 , 2012 .