Welcome back to The Deep Dive, the show where
we take a monumental stack of sources, filter
out the noise, extract the truly essential insights,
and hand it all over to you, the learner. And
today we're doing something a little different.
Yeah, because we're not just summarizing the
life of a globally famous actress. No. We're
really analyzing what our sources reveal to be
a... well a meticulously engineered professional
trajectory that's the key distinction and it's
fascinating really when you look at the comprehensive
biographical profiles the interviews all the
career milestones in natalie portman you just
you quickly realize this isn't a story of someone
who stumbled into success not at all we were
looking at an architect this is an individual
who consciously managed two radically different,
highly demanding careers, you know, global Hollywood
stardom and rigorous academic achievement. And
that's not even the whole story. No. All while
carving out this fiercely committed, non -negotiable
space for high profile political and social activism.
OK, let's unpack this immediately because the
sheer sustained discipline required to pull off
that that triple threat is frankly astonishing.
It really is. Our mission today is to dive deep
into the specific choices Portman made at every
single turn. We want to understand the mechanism
that allowed her to transition from a child star
protege to an Oscar winning director. And we're
focusing specifically on how she leveraged her.
her profound intellectual curiosity, her relentless
drive for creative control, and maybe most complexly,
her deeply integrated public advocacy and identity.
Essentially, we're tracking the conscious pursuit
of intelligence and depth over the path of least
resistance in Hollywood. And that one decision
really shaped everything. It shaped everything.
To understand the intentional framework of her
career, we really have to start at the bedrock
of her identity, which is one of profound duality,
a theme that, like you just mentioned, it runs
like a thread throughout her whole life. She
was born Natalie Hirschlag on June 9th, 1981
in Jerusalem, specifically at the Hadassah Medical
Center on. mount scopus to jewish parents and
that heritage is so layered with global history
and i mean immense pressure her father avner
herschlag was an israeli -born gynecologist her
mother Shelley Stevens was an Ohio -born artist.
And the sources really emphasize this. She holds
dual citizenship in Israel and the United States.
But the family narrative goes much deeper than
just that. It's a story rooted in displacement
and survival. On her father's side, her grandparents
emigrated from Poland in the 1930s. Right, so
they narrowly escaped the imminent catastrophe
of the Holocaust. But tragically, her grandfather's
remaining family was killed at Auschwitz. That
kind of history, a history of vigilance and flight,
it has to permeate the family structure. It has
to. And on her paternal grandmother's side, and
this is the woman whose maiden name she would
eventually adopt, there's a different kind of
resilience. She was originally from Romania and
actually served as a spy for the British during
World War II. So, you know, when you grew up
with stories of ancestors who were Holocaust
survivors and secret agents, you inherit a different
perception. of danger, of resilience, and the
necessity of carefully managed identities. Which
makes a lot of sense. The family migrated to
the U .S. when Natalie was three, eventually
settling in Sus at Long Island after a few brief
periods in Washington, D .C. and Connecticut.
And here is a detail that often gets overlooked.
Despite her flawless English, her native language
is Hebrew. So how does that cultural and linguistic
layering you know, learning to navigate two distinct
cultures from the age of three. How does that
inform her worldview and her later career flexibility?
Well, it creates an inherently translational
perspective. Someone who is natively fluent in
Hebrew but operates professionally in English
has this innate ability to shift modes, to think
contextually. And to approach material through
multiple cultural lenses. Exactly. We see this
manifested years later when she insists on making
a Hebrew language film, A Tale of Love and Darkness.
This early life really set the stage for someone
who is going to consciously direct her professional
path rather than letting it be dictated by chance.
And that conscious direction starts, I mean,
astonishingly early. It really does. The oft
-repeated story is that at age 10, she was spotted
by a Revlon agent while eating pizza in a restaurant.
And most kids or their parents would jump at
a modeling contract, right? Of course. But she
declined the offer. Instead, she used the interaction
to secure an acting agent at 10 years old. That's
the critical juncture right there. It is. She
rejected passive modeling, which focuses solely
on physical presentation for the active intellectual
craft of acting. It showed an early understanding
that she wanted agency over her narrative, not
just her image. And this led pretty quickly to
her first tentative theatrical roles, including
being an understudy. And this is a great piece
of trivia, alongside Britney Spears. Right, in
the 1992 off -Broadway musical Ruthless. Which
is amazing. That brings us to the breakthrough.
The role that cemented her name globally at just
12 years old. Matilda in Luc Besson's 1994 film
Leon. the professional. And this is also where
she establishes that public boundary, adopting
her paternal grandmother's maiden name, Portman,
as her stage name. It's like a psychological
firewall. That's a great way to put it. It's
a layer of protection between the public figure
and her private academic identity, Natalie Hirschlag.
But the making of Leon itself was a real test
of parental and personal boundaries. The original
script contained scenes that were Well, they
were pretty explicit. Yeah, involving sexual
content and scenes where Matilda, her character,
committed murder. And her parents, based on what
the sources say, were highly cautious. Oh, very
cautious. They only agreed to the role after
director Luc Besson agreed to remove the nudity
and any scenes of her character actually committing
a killing. But even with those changes. Even
with those concessions, her mother, Shelley,
was reportedly still displeased with some of
the finished film's sexual twists and turns.
Noting they weren't in the script they'd approved.
Exactly. And that early experience with the unexpected
sexualization of her young character had immediate
profound implications for all of her future role
choices. So after Leon and the subsequent success
of Beautiful Girls in 1996, the offer started
pouring in. But they often centered on this theme
of the sexualized youngster. She later said this
experience genuinely scared her and made her
reluctant to do sexy stuff. Well, it wasn't just
discomfort. It was strategic self -preservation.
She understood the dangerous cultural needs she
was being put into. She saw the trap. She saw
it so clearly. She articulated it perfectly,
noting that young girls often become fantasy
objects for men, and especially this idealized
purity combined with the fertility of youth.
And she chose to evade it, which must have required
turning down some massive opportunities. Oh,
huge. She dropped out of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo
Plus Juliet in 1996 because the studio felt she
was too young for the emotional demands. And
perhaps more tellingly, she turned down the lead
role in the film adaptation of Lolita. Just turned
it down flat because of the excessive sexual
content. Rejecting Lolita was arguably a career
-defining act of resistance. I think so. It sent
a clear signal to Hollywood that her boundaries
were non -negotiable. even when millions of dollars
in prestige were on the table. It cemented her
identity as someone who prioritized personal
safety and narrative integrity over guaranteed
stardom. And so she then dedicated herself to
material that reflected her intellectual and
emotional depth. Right, specifically starring
in the Broadway revival of The Diary of Anne
Frank from 1997 to 1998. The preparation alone
was immense. Yeah, she visited the Anne Frank
House and even met Miep Gies, the woman who preserved
the diary. And you have to remember, given her
family's own history with the Holocaust, this
must have been incredibly emotionally draining.
Absolutely. But what's often overlooked is the
logistical rigor required. I mean, she was performing
nightly in a major Broadway revival while simultaneously
attending Sycet High School during the day. That
level of compartmentalization and discipline
really becomes the defining feature of her life
as she enters adulthood. Without a doubt. That
foundation of rigor and calculated career choice
becomes the central focus as we transition into
the next period of her life. Yeah, this is where
it gets really interesting. During her high school
years, starting in 1997, she filmed her first
massive global franchise role, Padme Amidala,
in Star Wars. Episode I, The Phantom Menace.
And this is the moment where the intellectual
really meets the blockbuster. The Phantom Menace,
released in 1999, was at the time the second
highest grossing film of all time. It pulled
in over $900 million globally. Right. And that
kind of success typically dictates an immediate
pivot to full time, high speed Hollywood saturation.
But not for her. She approached even the space
opera with the seriousness of like. a history
major. She didn't just show up. No, she studied
the original trilogy, worked extensively with
George Lucas on developing her accent and mannerisms,
and she consciously drew inspiration from classic,
powerful actresses like Lauren Bacall, Audrey
Hepburn, and Katherine Hepburn. She was trying
to build a real character with substance in what
was essentially a CGI spectacle. And here is
the one fact that I think encapsulates her priorities
more than anything else. I think I know what
you're going to say. When The Phantom Menace
premiered, a film that made her recognizable
worldwide, she missed it. She missed her own
premiere. She was absent from the global debut
of one of the biggest films ever made. Because
she was home, studying for her high school finals.
That is genuinely astounding. It's such a powerful
message to send to the industry. My education
comes first? That dedication wasn't just in the
humanities. Before she graduated from Syosset
High in 1999, she co -authored a science paper.
Yeah, a simple method to demonstrate the enzymatic
production of hydrogen from sugar. Which was
entered in the prestigious Intel Science Talent
Search. So she was not performing a Charlotte's
version of academia. No, this was legitimate,
complex work in chemistry and biology. And this
commitment was reinforced immediately after graduation
when she made the definitive choice to pursue
higher education, enrolling at Harvard University
from 1999 to 2003 for a bachelor's degree in
psychology. And during this four -year period,
she basically put her acting career on hold.
She severely curtailed it, yeah, only agreeing
to film the remaining Star Wars prequels during
her summer breaks. And the quote she famously
gave at the time, it really sums up her entire
philosophy. It's the mission statement for her
career, isn't it? I don't care if college ruins
my career. I'd rather be smart than a movie star.
In Hollywood terms, that was a radical declaration
of independence. She was choosing knowledge capital
over financial capital at the absolute peak of
her early fame. But her time at Harvard was far
from the typical celebrity attends college story.
She was deeply involved in some pretty complex
research. Yeah, she was. Absolutely. The rigor
was undeniable. She took advanced courses in
Hebrew literature, which, you know, connected
back to her native language and cultural roots.
And she studied neurobiology. And she even contributed
to a published scientific study on memory. That's
right. It was titled Frontal Lobe Activation
During Object Permanence in Infants and Adults.
So for the learner who might not be familiar
with that specific area of psychology, can you
give us a quick breakdown of why contributing
to a study on object permanence is such a significant
indicator of her academic depth? Of course. So
object permanence is this foundational concept
in cognitive psychology, first described by Piaget.
It's basically a child's understanding that...
Objects continue to exist even when they can't
see them or touch them. Right. The study she
contributed to wasn't just observing behavior.
It was using sophisticated imaging technology
to track frontal lobe activation, the actual
brain activity, to understand the neural pathways
behind it. So this is highly technical neurobiological
research. Exactly. It's not an easy elective.
It requires genuine dedication to methodology
and data analysis. And her political engagement
was just as serious. She also served as Alan
Dershowitz's research assistant. for his book
The Case for Israel. That's critical. It shows
she wasn't insulating herself in an academic
bubble. She was using her university resources
to engage with highly charged political subjects.
She was using Harvard as a resource to intellectualize
her Jewish and Israeli identity, really preparing
her for the advocacy she would undertake later.
But then, after four years of prioritizing intellect,
she returned to Hollywood, and it was a shock.
A real shock. She described the period immediately
following her Harvard graduation as the most
difficult time in her life. She struggled to
find work and felt heavily criticized, especially
for her performances in the Star Wars prequels.
Yeah, which were maybe a bit more stylized, a
bit wooden. It was almost like Hollywood was
punishing her for taking time off. It was a moment
of vulnerability. For sure. The industry often
assumes if you step away, you aren't serious
or you've lost your commercial edge. It was actually
the legendary director Mike Nichols who stepped
in. He mentored her. He did. He provided mentorship
and helped her secure a key role in the 2003
film Cold Mountain, which helped her regain her
footing and confidence. And that experience seems
to have propelled her into choosing projects
that really challenge standard Hollywood narratives.
In 2004, she starred in Garden State. A beloved
independent film. quirky, free -spirited girl
suffering from epilepsy. But the role itself
became a huge topic of cultural discussion later
on. It did. That character was later cited as
a prime textbook example of the manic pixie dream
girl trope. Right, the shallow, eccentric female
character whose only purpose is to teach a brooding
male protagonist how to enjoy life. And what's
remarkable is her reaction to this retrospective
critique. She was reportedly genuinely upset
when she realized she had contributed to perpetuating
that stereotype. That shows an enormous level
of self -awareness. It's rare. To be critically
successful in a role and then later acknowledge
that the character contributed to a shallow gendered
trope is, well, it reflects her scholar's impulse
to critique cultural norms, even though she benefited
from. But in the same year, she took a major
step toward mature adult roles with Closer. Right.
playing a mysterious stripper, a role that earned
her a Golden Globe and her first Academy Award
nomination for Best Supporting Actress. This
was her first overtly sexually charged adult
role, but those boundaries she established earlier,
they remained firm. Absolutely. She insisted
on removing the original nude scenes from the
script, arguing they were inessential to the
narrative. Which is such a small detail, but
it speaks volumes. She was finally embracing
complex adult content, but only on her own terms.
Maintaining creative control over her body and
its depiction. Following that, she made two choices
that really solidified her status as an intellectual
artist. V for Vendetta in 2005 and filming Free
Zone in Israel. Let's start with V for Vendetta,
a powerful political thriller based on the graphic
novel. She was drawn to it for its provocative,
anti -authoritarian themes. And for one torture
scene, she had her head shaved on camera. Which
she didn't view as a gimmick. but as an explicit
opportunity to shed vanity, a significant act
for a major female star. And this dedication
won her the Saturn Award for Best Actress. At
the same time, she's fulfilling her commitment
to intellectual growth. Right. While shooting
the Israeli drama Free Zone in 2005, she spent
six months taking graduate courses at the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, focusing on the anthropology
of violence and Middle Eastern studies. So she's
filming a drama set in the Middle East and simultaneously
using her time there to deepen her academic understanding
of the region's political complexities. Exactly.
She remarked that living and studying in Israel
during that time felt really beautiful, linking
her heritage, her academic pursuit, and her career
once again in perfect synchronicity. The scholar
and the superstar were fully integrated. Yeah.
That unique calibration of intellectual rigor
and professional discipline really set the stage
for what many consider the apex of her acting
career. Which has to be Darren Aronofsky's psychological
thriller Black Swan in 2010. This role wasn't
just demanding. It was transformative. To play
the obsessive ballerina, she underwent a grueling
six -month training regimen. We are talking five
to eight hours of physical training daily. Daily.
And she lost 20 pounds, or nine kilograms. This
wasn't merely preparation. It was intense physical
and mental conditioning that bordered on method
acting through endurance. And that commitment
translated into massive success. The film was
a genuine sleeper hit. generating $329 million
globally on a modest $13 million budget. And
it swept the major awards. It earned her the
Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA, a Golden
Globe, and a SAG Award. It was a moment of true
validation for that choice she made back in 1999
to prioritize depth. For sure. However, the subsequent
focus was... Complicated by controversy. Yes,
the debate surrounding her dance double, Sarah
Lane. Right. Lane claimed publicly that Portman
performed only about 5 % of the full body shots,
suggesting the public perceived an extreme physical
transformation that wasn't entirely accurate.
And this became a highly charged conversation
about performance versus perception in Hollywood.
It did. Director Aronofsky immediately countered
this, staunchly insisting that Portman performed
80 % of the on -screen dancing, characterizing
Lane's claims as exaggerated. So the critical
takeaway here for the learner is that even at
the peak of her success, the narrative surrounding
her work was constantly being analyzed. Did she
truly earn the physical transformation? Or was
it studio trickery? It added another layer of
scrutiny to her dedication. Following that intense,
exhausting experience, she made another tactical
choice, which, again, confirms her deliberate
career management. Right. She served as executive
producer and starred in the commercially successful
romantic comedy No Strings Attached in 2011.
Labeling it a much -needed palate cleanser, she
was actively managing her own mental and emotional
workload. And then came the entry into the superhero
realm, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A move
that could easily be viewed as purely commercial.
But again, she approached it with scholarly curiosity.
When she joined the MCU as Jane Foster in Thor,
she helped develop her character by actively
researching real -life female scientists. Like
Rosalind Franklin, who was critical in the discovery
of DNA structure but often overlooked, she was
always trying to ground commercial fiction in
intellectual reality. And this provided immense
financial stability. Thor. The Dark World in
2013 grossed over $644 million. Making it the
10th highest grossing film of that year, her
star power was such that in 2012, Forbes named
her the most bankable star in Hollywood. So she
had successfully synthesized critical prestige,
intellectual seriousness, and massive commercial
viability. Her return to the MCU in 2022 for
Thor. Love and Thunder as Mighty Thor was also
a conscious choice. Yeah, we understand she was
swayed by director Taika Waititi's pitch, which
promised a more adventurous and fun and funny
portrayal of Jane Foster. Indicating that she
was now demanding better, more complex character
arcs even within franchise filmmaking. The balance
continued with her deep immersion in biographical
work, showcasing her meticulous research skills
again. Her portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy and
Jackie in 2016 was another masterclass in preparation.
Oh, absolutely. She dove into videos, books,
audio tapes, specifically focusing on adopting
Kennedy's unique. breathy -speaking style, a
highly difficult vocal challenge. And that performance
earned her a third Academy Award nomination and
solidified her reputation as an actress willing
to go the extreme length for character authenticity.
But now we have to turn to the ultimate sign
of creative control. Moving behind the camera.
Exactly. She didn't just want to interpret stories,
she wanted to choose and structure them. The
foundation was laid pretty early. She launched
her production company, Handsome Charlie Films,
in 2008. And directed her short film debut, Eve,
that same year, which was significant enough
to open the Venice Film Festival short film screenings.
With a real statement, the definitive assertion
of her creative authority was her feature directorial
debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness, in 2015.
A Hebrew -language biographical drama based on
Amos Oz's novel set against the backdrop of the
establishment of Israel. She wore all the hats.
Star, producer, co -writer, and director. What
this project reveals is an incredible patience
and commitment to authenticity. The sources indicate
she postponed the project for a full decade.
A decade. Waiting until she was mature enough
to convincingly play the complex role of a mother
in the narrative. That is an extremely rare example
of a Hollywood star prioritizing artistic timing
over immediate output. The production also had
an interesting political footnote. the film received
partial funding from the rightist Israeli government.
Which led her to make a revealing observation
about gender roles in the film industry across
the two countries. Right. She noted that she
actually found it easier to be a female director
in Israel than in the U .S. She linked this directly
to Israeli culture. specifically the compulsory
military service in the IDF, where Israeli men
grow up accustomed to receiving orders from female
commanders and officers. She suggested this cultural
norm made them far more accepting of female authority
figures on a film set than in the traditionally
male -dominated American industry. It's a truly
specific cultural insight that only someone with
her background could offer. And her production
ambition continues to grow. In 2021, she co -founded
a new company, Mountaine, with Sophie Maas. And
secured a lucrative first -look deal with Apple
TV Plus Day. So they are now driving major projects.
Most recently, they produced and starred in May
-December, where Portman plays an actress researching
a morally ambiguous character, a meta role that
almost comments on her own career practice of
research and immersion. And that role, too, earned
her a Golden Globe nomination. Right. And the
company also produced the HBO documentary series
Angel City, which directly feeds into her parallel
business and activism interests in professional
sports. Which seamlessly brings us to the segment
of her identity that is as meticulously cultivated
as her film choices, her deep and consistent
advocacy work. Yeah, her commitment to animal
and environmental rights has roots that go back
to early childhood. The origin of her vegetarianism
at age eight is just, it's so visceral and impactful.
She attended a medical conference with her gynecologist
father, and during a demonstration, she witnessed
laser surgery being performed on a chicken. And
for an eight -year -old, that was a profoundly
disturbing experience that immediately crystallized
her views on animal welfare. It wasn't a philosophical
choice at first. No, it was a physical, emotional
reaction. She later deepened that commitment
significantly. She was a vegetarian for years,
but converted to full veganism in 2009. After
reading Jonathan Safran Foer's influential book,
Eating Animals. And true to form, she didn't
just read the book and change her diet. She leveraged
her platform to amplify the message. She went
on to produce a documentary film of the same
title, ensuring her personal conviction translated
directly into cultural conversation. And this
commitment is absolute? It impacts her business
decisions. She refuses to wear animal products.
And as far back as 2007, she launched her own
brand of animal -friendly footwear. Her environmental
work, too, started young. She was part of an
environmental song and dance troupe called World
Patrol Kids. And later, in 2007, she traveled
to Rwanda for the documentary Gorillas on the
Brink, showing global engagement on conservation.
Her scope then expanded rapidly beyond environmentalism
into global human rights and economic empowerment.
Specifically microfinance. Yes. She became the
ambassador of hope for Finca International, an
organization dedicated to promoting microlending
for women -owned businesses in the developing
world. Between 2004 and 2005, she undertook extensive
field trips for this cause, visiting Uganda,
Guatemala, and Ecuador. And for the learner,
it's important to clarify what microlending is
and why it's such a strategic choice for impactful
celebrity advocacy. Right. Microfinance is the
practice of providing small loans. often just
a few hundred dollars, to people in poverty,
particularly women who lack access to traditional
banking services. And these loans are used to
start or expand small enterprises like selling
produce or making crafts. Creating self -sufficiency
rather than reliance on perpetual charity. And
the sources confirm her academic training gave
her instant credibility in this complex field.
It did. Fareed Zakaria of PBS, a highly respected
geopolitical commentator, was so impressed during
an interview segment on microfinance that he
included it, even though he admitted being wary
of celebrities with fashionable causes. He included
her segment because he felt she really knew her
stuff. That endorsement is crucial. It proved
that her Harvard education wasn't just a vanity
project. It was a foundational tool that provided
her with the ability to discuss complex global
economic issues credibly. It forced people to
take her activism seriously. Absolutely. She
then utilized this credibility, visiting multiple
university campuses in 2007, including Harvard,
Stanford, and Columbia, to encourage students
to join village banking campaign. She was teaching,
not just campaigning. And her commitment to women's
empowerment globally is longstanding. In 2011,
she became an ambassador for WE Charity. Spearheading
the power of a girl campaign to fundraise for
all -girl schools in Kenya. When we look at her
political engagement closer to home, her alignment
is firmly with the Democratic Party, having campaigned
for John Kerry and actively supporting Barack
Obama in both 2008 and 2012. But her most raw,
personal and powerful activism surfaced. during
the Time's Up and Me Too movements. She donated
$50 ,000 to Time's Up in 2018 and then delivered
an explosive speech at the 2018 Women's March
in Los Angeles. And this speech directly connected
her childhood experience to the adult fight for
bodily autonomy. This is a devastating moment
in her public career. It is. She detailed what
she courageously termed the sexual terrorism
she experienced at age 13 following the release
of Leon, the professional. revealing that her
first fan letter was a detailed rape fantasy
from an adult man and worse that a local radio
station ran a countdown clock to her 18th birthday
that experience just It explains in painful detail
the extreme reluctance she felt about doing sexy
stuff as a teenager. It connects directly back
to her rejection of Lolita and her insistence
on boundaries and closer. Exactly. She realized
early on that success in Hollywood often comes
with an assumed sense of entitlement from the
public, making her feel unsafe and leading men
to feel entitled to discuss and objectify my
body. So her activism, therefore, it's not a
sudden celebrity trend. Not at all. It is the
culmination of decades spent fighting for personal
and professional boundaries. She continues to
push politically sensitive boundaries. In 2020,
at the height of the social justice movement,
she endorsed the defund the police movement.
And created a public service announcement for
Justice LA regarding health conditions in LA
County jails during the COVID -19 pandemic. So
now we have to turn to the most complex and nuanced
aspect of her public identity, her relationship
with Israel. Right. On the one hand, Haaretz
described her as an outspoken supporter, noting
she raised funds after the 2006 Lebanon war.
But on the other hand, she perfectly encapsulates
her critical stance by saying her relationship
with Israel is like family. You love it more
than anything else in the world, and you're also
more critical of it than anything else in the
world. And that internal conflict came to a very
dramatic head in 2018. Yes. In 2018, she was
awarded the highly prestigious Genesis Prize,
often called the Jewish Nobel, which included
a substantial $2 million award. And in April
of that year, she stunned the world by announcing
she would not attend the ceremony. citing recent
events in Israel. This decision was immediately
understood by most observers to be a direct response
to the Gaza border protests, during which a high
number of Palestinian protesters were killed
or wounded by Israeli forces. And the backlash
against her was swift and intense. Oh, it was
severe. Israeli politicians accused her of supporting
the anti -Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Movement, or BDS. And one Nesset member even
publicly called for her Israeli citizenship to
be revoked. This forced a carefully worded essential
clarification from Portman. Right, because she
made it absolutely clear that she does not endorse
the BDS movement. Her reason for backing out
was purely political neutrality. Exactly. She
did not want her presence to appear as an endorsement
of then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who
was scheduled to speak at the ceremony. She framed
her protest as a moral obligation rooted in her
core beliefs. She did. She stated explicitly
that the mistreatment of those suffering from
today's atrocities is not in line with my Jewish
values. She argued that caring deeply about Israel
compels her to stand up against violence, corruption,
inequality, and impulsive power. It was a subtle
but profound distinction. Criticizing the government
is not the same as rejecting the country's existence.
And she continued this critical stance later
in 2018, describing the highly controversial
passing of the nation state bill as racist. And
there's nothing else to say about that. For context,
that bill enshrined the right to national self
-determination as unique to the Jewish people,
a measure critics argued officially marginalized
Israel's non -Jewish minorities. Specifically
the Arab population. So this history makes her
recent advocacy in 2023 even more significant.
Following the horrific Hamas attacks, she immediately
condemned their actions, called for the release
of hostages, and publicized fundraising efforts
for Drawer Israel to aid children affected near
the Gaza border. And she also participated in
the March for the Republic and against anti -Semitism
in Paris. This demonstrates a consistent, critical,
yet unwavering commitment to the safety and moral
integrity of her people, regardless of the political
leadership. Her identity is constantly being
integrated into and tested by current events.
Always. So let's shift gears a little and examine
how she has applied her architect mindset and
activist principles to the business world. Right.
Specifically through her involvement with Angel
City FC and the National Women's Soccer League.
This is a fascinating way to exert influence
beyond traditional media. It is the perfect marriage
of her advocacy and business acumen. She is a
co -founder and owner of Angel City FC, which
began play in 2022. And the most critical element
is the ownership structure, right? It is. It
is an almost entirely female ownership group,
including major celebrity investors and her producing
partner, Sophie Mass. So what's the significance
of choosing the NWSL and this specific female
-led structure? Well, it's a direct application
of her feminist and empowerment activism to a
professional sports enterprise. They are not
just running a team. They're intentionally shifting
the culture of professional football. Ensuring
women are financially and creatively empowered
at the highest level of ownership. Exactly. It
turns a business venture into a political and
cultural statement about representation and economic
power. She also maintains powerful visibility
through major endorsements, which often puts
her at the intersection of glamour and ethical
scrutiny. For sure. She has been a longtime ambassador
for Dior since signing on in 2010, serving as
the face of the Miss Dior fragrance. And that
commercial relationship provides a perfect example
of the scrutiny she operates under. It does.
In 2012, a Dior ad featuring her for mascara
was banned by Britain's Advertising Standards
Authority, or ASA, after a competitor lodged
a complaint. The ASA ruled that the ad had been
post -produced to the extent that it misleadingly
exaggerated the likely effects of the product.
So even in the highly polished world of commercial
endorsement, her image is subject to intense,
regulated scrutiny. Finally, let's touch upon
the personal milestones that run parallel to
her career evolution, which reflect her deep
curiosity. Beyond English and Hebrew, the sources
indicate she speaks French, German, Japanese,
and Arabic to various degrees. Which just reinforces
that early linguistic curiosity established in
her childhood. Her personal life centered for
many years on French dancer and choreographer
Benjamin Millipied. Whom she met while working
on Black Swan in 2009. They married in a Jewish
ceremony in Big Sur, California in 2012 and have
two children together. And the sources reveal
a deep cultural integration here, too. They relocated
to Paris in 2014 when Millipied was appointed
director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet.
And that same year, Millipied began the conversion
process to Judaism, tying his life further into
her core identity. But tragically, the end of
that chapter became public just recently. After
quietly separating in early 2023 amid unaddressed
reports of an extramarital affair by Millipied,
the divorce was finalized on March 8, 2024. This
marks a profound personal transition that occurred
while she simultaneously continued her intense
professional output and advocacy work. Incredible
balancing act. So The Learner, as we synthesize
this incredibly complex body of work, Natalie
Portman's life and career really serve as a powerful
case study in conscious construction. We've established
three core defining themes. First, the deliberate,
radical choice of intellectual growth over immediate
stardom. Her Harvard era, where she prioritized
neurobiology and political research, provided
the foundational credibility that later validated
her global activism. Yeah, earning respect from
figures like Fareed Zakaria. Exactly. Second,
the strategic shift to production and directing.
She wasn't content merely to be interpreted.
She took control of the narratives she participates
in. Culminating in founding Mountaine and delaying
her passion project, A Tale of Love and Darkness,
for a decade to ensure its authenticity. And
third. the complex, integrated nature of her
identity. She continuously used her platform
for robust social and political advocacy. From
leading the microfinance movement and animal
rights to engaging in critical principle dialogue
about Israeli governance, always grounding her
critique in deeply held Jewish values, she is
the consummate critical insider. And just to
remind you of the staggering scale of her achievement,
we are discussing a highly decorated artist with
an Academy Award, a BAFTA, two Golden Globes,
and roles that span culture -defining franchises
like Star Wars and the MCU, alongside intensely
rigorous dramatic work in Closer, Veer Vendetta,
Black Swan, and Jackie. Which leads us to our
final provocative thought for you to consider.
Natalie Portman intentionally sought out spaces,
academia, directing, social causes, and WSL ownership,
where she could exercise... So the question is,
how does maintaining a highly visible public
identity that is simultaneously a commercial
powerhouse, you know, the MCU and Dior, and a
fierce critic of power structures and gender
norms, how does that change the definition of
what long -term success and genuine political
influence looks like in Hollywood today?