Some Like It Hot: Natalie Portman

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Natalie Portman has played a lot of roles. In Léon, she was an orphaned girl with a quest for revenge. In the Star Wars prequels, she was a queen, a senator, and the star-crossed lover of a man destined to fall to the Dark Side. In Where the Heart Is, she was a pregnant chick who lived in a Wal-Mart. In this week’s Black Swan, she plays a ballerina with something possibly sinister lurking beneath.

The roles she has taken on have all shown a different side of this beautiful, talented, worldly woman. Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s brainy. A Harvard graduate, Natalie Portman has a way about her that hypnotizes men, myself being no exception. Join me after the jump as we further examine what makes her so alluring.

 

Short and petite, Natalie Portman is like a living porcelain doll. Her brown hair looks fantastic long or short. Her slender frame, small breasts, and long legs make for the trappings of many a wet dream. Whether she’s dolled up like a space geisha or covered in stripper-glitter and clad in a pink wig or just a single teen mom trying to make it on her own, Portman brings her beauty to the forefront in whatever role she takes.

Natalie was born on June 9th, 1981 in Jerusalem as Natalie Hershlag. She grew up an only child and maintained a very close relationship with her parents. Emigrating to the States in 1984, the Hershlags bounced around from Washington D.C. to Connecticut, and finally settled in Long Island. Growing up, she was always interested in acting, spending school breaks at theater camps and passing up a modeling gig to pursue acting. In 1994, she got her big break when she was cast in Luc Besson’s Léon and took her grandmother’s maiden name, “Portman.” From there she starred in films like Mars Attacks and Beautiful Girls before being cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequels. While attending Harvard University studying psychology, Portman worked exclusively on Star Wars. After graduating, she went on to do films like Garden State, Closer, and V for Vendetta. More recently, she’s appeared in The Other Boleyn Girl, the Wes Anderson short The Hotel Chevalier, and Brothers. This week, she stars in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan and next year she’ll step into the shoes of Jane Foster, the romantic interest to the titular character in Marvel’s Thor adaptation.

While known primarily for her serious roles, Portman also has a sense of humor. She was featured on an SNL digital short rapping about how hardcore she was, and every time I hear The Natalie Rap I can’t help but laugh uncontrollably. Here’s a link to the video so you can see what I mean. Also, 2011 seems to be the year for Portman to test her comedy chops as she appears in No Strings Attached, a romantic comedy that pairs her with the always amusing but often grating Aston Kutcher as well as Your Highness, a fantasy comedy by way of Pineapple Express. It’s nice to see her stretch her glorious legs into less serious roles, and I’m thoroughly excited for both films.

With Black Swan sure to turn heads and No Strings Attached, Your Highness, and Thor slated for next year, Natalie Portman fans have a lot to look forward to. The spritely beauty is a lot of talent in a tiny package, and she’s been kicking ass and taking names for a decade an a half. Here’s to another decade or four!

Well, that’s a wrap for the lovely Ms. Portman, but tune in next week as we examine the beautiful, sexy, sometimes blue-hued Zoe Saldana!

Second Opinion: Geoff Henao

Natalie Portman is the kind of bombshell that explodes when you least expect it. Who would have known that the cute, little girl in Léon would grow up to be one of The Cutest Girls in the World™? Natalie holds the greatest power a Geoff girl ever could – the subtle beauty of the girl next door.

I have the hugest crushes on petite brunettes with soft, cat-like smirks that could end the world, and Natalie possesses all of these traits. Not only is she all kinds of adorable, she’s as smart as she is gorgeous. Natalie’s a Harvard graduate with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. She could control you with her smile AND her mind.

Whether she’s playing quirky (Garden State) or sultry (Closer), Natalie’ll always steal the scene… and my heart. – Geoff

Top Three Some Like It Hot Selections for Natalie Portman

1. Black Swan

2. Closer

3. The Hotel Chevalier

Also, if there are any attractive, talented film actresses you’d like to see in a future installment of Some Like It Hot, check out the Some Like It Hot thread in the forums and let me know!

Previous Some Like It Hot installments:

Monica Bellucci

Emma Watson

Noomi Rapace

Lizzy Caplan

Rosario Dawson

Emma Stone