Natalie Portman’s family

Natalie Portman is an acclaimed Israeli-American actress known for her powerful performances across various genres. She was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel, and then she moved to the United States as a child and began acting at an early age. She gained international recognition with her film debut in Léon: The Professional (1994). She further gained popularity with her role as Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) and its sequels.

In 2010, she won an Academy Award for Black Swan, where she played a troubled ballet dancer. She has also been part of popular films like Closer (2004), No Strings Attached (2011), Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Jackie (2016), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), May December (2023), etc. Over the years, Portman has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, 2 Golden Globe Awards, and a SAG Award.

Natalie Portman’s parents

Natalie Portman was born in Israel to Avner Hershlag and Shelley Stevens. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is a doctor born in Israel. He specializes in fertility and reproductive medicine. Her mother, Shelley Stevens, is an artist born in America. She is an artist who later became Natalie’s agent, helping manage her career from a young age. The couple met in college, at Ohio State University, where Shelly was selling movie tickets. Although Avner bought the tickets, he never came to the theater, and he was taking a few courses at the university. When he was returning to Israel they decided to be in a long-distance relationship.

In an interview with the New York Post, Avner Hershlag shared details about their relationship and said, “We corresponded and talked on the phone, and when I say ‘we,’ it was more me than her.” He even shared details about their wedding and said, “A typical Jewish wedding. Our initials were on the napkins, on the matchboxes . . .” Natalie grew up in an academically focused household, which contributed to both her acting success and her strong educational background.

Her father also wrote a book, “Misconception” in 2010, it is a medical thriller. He told the New York Post about how his daughter would be a perfect fit to play the lead of his novel. He said, "This is definitely a very, very strong part for a female protagonist who is interesting, complex, sophisticated, and, yes, pretty as well,” “My daughter could definitely be a great Anya.”

Natalie Portman’s children

Natalie is the mother of two kids, Aleph and Amalia. She had her first child, Aleph, in 2011 with her ex-husband, Benjamin Millepied. Aleph is named after the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Natalie shared in an interview that her son made her a better person. In an interview with People, she shared "And then also, my son is a ferocious soccer player, so I'm going back and forth to practice. I'm definitely a soccer mom."

On February 22, 2017, she gave birth to her daughter, Amalia. Natalie has shared in an interview that being a mother is one of the most important roles in her life. She got inspired to write her own children's book when she received the feminist baby book as a gift during her second pregnancy. Natalie wrote a letter on her book's website which said, "It felt sad to explain to a small child that girls and women have so many obstacles or why they are treated differently before they've even started experiencing the world."

Also read: Natalie Portmans' dating history