Natalie Portman is a person.
Natalie Portman ( born Neta-Lee Hershlag , נטע-לי הרשלג June 9 , 1981 ) is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship . She studied dancing and acting in New York , and starred in Star Wars : Episode I -- The Phantom Menace while still at high school on Long Island . In 1999 , Portman enrolled at Harvard University to study psychology , alongside her work as an actress ; she completed a bachelor 's degree in 2003 . In May 2008 , Portman served as the youngest member of the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival jury . Her first feature film as a director , A Tale of Love and Darkness , was released in 2015 .