Natalie Portman, born Natalie Hershlag on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel, began her acting career at a young age. She made her film debut at 12 in "Léon: The Professional" (1994), where she played Mathilda, a young girl taken in by a hitman. This role garnered her significant attention and set the stage for her future success. In the late 1990s, Portman gained international fame for her role as Padmé Amidala in "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" (1999). During this period, she also appeared in films like "Heat" (1995), "Beautiful Girls" (1996), and "Mars Attacks!" (1996). By 2001, she had established herself as a talented and versatile actress, balancing her burgeoning film career with her academic pursuits at Harvard University, where she studied psychology.