Natalie Portman is undeniably one of the most phenomenal actors of the 21st century. From starring in over 50 movies in less than three decades, to winning an Oscar for Best Actress and using her voice and platform to shed light on crucial issues like the Times Up movement, she has made an irreplaceable imprint in Hollywood’s veneer. Clearly, the fame and praise that she attracts are not merely due to her talent but are also due to the hard work, dedication, and immense effort she puts into forming her characters. That is why Portman’s voice in Hollywood echoes throughout the world.
Updated September 16, 2022: If you’re looking for Natalie Portman’s best films, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article with more entries and even better quality.
Portman has definitely crossed borders using her characters. Her lasting voice (in all five languages she knows) is a result of her brilliant performances and innate (though Harvard-educated) intelligence. Here are some of Natalie Portman’s best performances that brought her some well-deserved acclaim and accolades.
11 Garden State
Miramax Films
Zach Braff’s directorial debut, the 2004 indie comedy Garden State centers on a depressed young man named Andrew (played by Braff himself), who returns to his hometown after his mother’s death. There he meets Portman’s character Sam, an example of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, described by Studio Binder as “a whimsical, quirky, sometimes eccentric, fantasy woman who saves the male protagonist from himself.” Portman is simply the heart of the film.
10 Closer
Sony Pictures Releasing
Mike Nichols’ Closer is a film based on Patrick Marber’s 1997 award-winning play, and he also wrote the script. The story revolves around four main characters (Portman, Clive Owen, Jude Law, and Julia Roberts) from different paths and backgrounds and focuses on the theme of love. This particular film brought Portman her first Academy Award nomination under the category of Best Supporting Actress. Portman’s role as Jane Jones (aka Alice Ayres) brings forth her ability to take up roles of complicated characters as well as her talent at navigating through different emotions.
9 A Tale of Love and Darkness
Focus World
2015’s A Tale of Love and Darkness was regarded by Rolling Stone as Natalie Portman’s “passion project” that is a rare masterpiece in the “formula-obsessed Hollywood.” In her directorial feature debut (which she also wrote), Portman taps into the Israeli author Amos Oz’s memoir and brings onto the screen a story that is filled with the emotional last years of Mandatory Palestine. Portman’s ability to deliver such an extraordinary piece is not just due to her talent and passion but also her sensitivity towards Oz’s memoir and her ability to connect to it due to her roots in Jerusalem.
8 Thor and the MCU
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
“I just thought it sounded like a really weird idea, ‘cause Kenneth Branagh’s directing it,” was Portman’s funny reason for joining the Marvel cinematic universe. In both Thor and Thor: The Dark World, Portman takes over the character of Dr. Jane Foster, an astrophysicist who is also the love interest of Thor. Portman’s portrayal of the character has led her to further pursue Dr. Foster’s development, as she starred in Thor: Love and Thunder as the same character but with the additional superhero personality of Mighty Thor. She was the emotional center of that film and arguably Thor’s journey as a whole.
7 The Other Boleyn Girl
In the 2008 historical drama The Other Boleyn Girl Portman takes over the role of the “evil” sister (or rather the sister who was vilified) Anne Boleyn, whilst Scarlett Johansson plays alongside her in the role of the more innocent sister, Mary Boleyn. Playing a historical figure with so many surrounding legends but never a specific or a hundred percent accurate one is not a simple task. Yet, Portman delivers a remarkable Anne Boleyn and embodies her sly, smart, and bewitching but also helpless nature.
6 Vox Lux
Neon
Brady Corbet’s 2018 drama Vox Lux is a glitter-bombing portrait of a modern celebrity who wants to be remembered at any cost. The film follows Celeste (played by The Killing of a Sacred Deer’s Raffey Cassidy as a teenager and Portman as an adult), a school-shooting survivor who becomes a messed-up pop star. Powered by Portman’s aggressive Lady Gaga-styled performance and original music from Sia, Vox Lux shows the pros and cons of being famous.
5 Annihilation
Netflix
Annihilation is a shocking thriller that even former president Barack Obama regarded as one of the best films of 2018. The casting of Portman to play the lead, a biologist on a mission to discover the reasoning behind his husband’s strange sickness, is a major factor that has brought Annihilation such great feedback. In fact, Benjamin Lee of The Guardian calls her a “strong, fiercely compelling presence” who provides “an emotional center without the need for sentimentality.” This in itself perfectly articulates Portman’s effect, an ability to elevate even a great film into something greater.
4 Jackie
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Jackie revolves around the former first lady of the United States, Jacqueline Lee “Jackie” Kennedy Onassis. The story focuses on the aftermath of the assassination of former US President John F. Kennedy. Portraying such a well-known historical figure is not an easy task, perhaps even harder than one with so many surrounding myths like Anne Boleyn.
Director Pablo Larraín takes the task of digging deep into Jackie Kennedy’s multiple roles and the diverse nature of this singular character. However, it is Portman’s performance that leaves an undying mark on the viewer. The “careful and intelligent, groomed and coiffed and vocalized” performance (per The Guardian) is what led to her being nominated as the Best Actress at the 2017 Academy Awards.
3 V for Vendetta
Warner Bros. Pictures
Based on the British graphic novel written by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, 2005’s V for Vendetta is set in a dystopian future British society filled with corruption and nothing but terror to live in, in turn, leading to a fundamental revolution. Natalie Portman takes on the role of the protagonist, Evey Hammond, who has a tremendous arc throughout the film.
This is yet another phenomenal performance by Portman, one which is still regarded highly throughout the world and revered by radicals everywhere. One specific scene that illustrated the protagonist’s character development is the shaving of her head, which was done in one take. This in itself shows Portman’s ability to go to great heights in order to do justice to her characters.
2 Léon: The Professional
Gaumont
Portman’s performance as Mathilda, a 12-year-old apprentice of a milk-drinking, childlike hitman named Léon (played by Jean Reno), is so strong that it remains one of her best roles. It is even hard to believe that Luc Besson’s 1994 action-thriller Léon: The Professional is her film debut. However, Léon: The Professional also has a dark side. Portman knew that she was being portrayed as a ‘Lolita’ figure (via People), and the sexualization of Mathilda absolutely affected her life and career.
1 Black Swan
Natalie Portman’s Nina Sayers is a performance for the ages. 2010’s Black Swan is a complicated psychological thriller that follows a protagonist who goes through major psychological and life changes following her casting as the lead roles, White Swan Odette and Black Swan Odile. The duality of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake’s lead is what opens up Nina to a world filled with corruption and pressure, in turn steering her toward tragedy.
Portman’s many Best Actress awards for the part can be seen as a result of the method acting training she went through for this specific role. The New York Times states that Portman “not only turns an abstraction into flesh and blood but also takes us inside Nina’s head and under her skin.” After intense physical and mental training, Portman delivered one of the best performances the world had ever seen, showing her sheer talent and dedication as an actress.
