Natalie Portman is an Israeli-American actress born in Jerusalem in 1981. She demonstrated a strong work ethic and love of learning from a young age, graduating high school with honors and later earning a psychology degree from Harvard University. Portman began her film career in 1994 in Léon: The Professional and gained widespread attention and acclaim for her starring roles as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She has won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her leading performance in Black Swan.