Natalie Portman was born June 9, 1981. Portman is a Golden Globe-winning, Academy Award-nominated Israeli-American actress. Portman began her career in the early 1990s, turning down the opportunity to become a child model in favor of acting. Her first role came in the 1994 independent film Leon: The Professional, however her breakout role did not come until she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.