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    Hollywood stars of Polish descent: Natalie Portman

    Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

    Winner of, among others, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA award. American-Israeli actress, director, and screenwriter with Polish roots – Natalie Portman. 

    Natalie Portman has been one of the most popular actresses in the world for many years now. The star appears at gala events, most often impressing with her elegant styling, and although she lives in Hollywood, she has Polish roots. 

    Israeli-born actress of Polish roots

    Portman was born in Jerusalem. Natalie’s mother, Shelley Stevens, is an amateur painter and her agent (originally from Cincinnati, Ohio). Her father, Avner Hershlag, is an Israeli gynaecologist. What’s interesting, her parents are Jews of Ashkenazi descent. Her mother is a descendant of immigrants from Austria and Russia. Avner Hershlag, on the other hand, is a descendant of immigrants from Poland.

    Originally from Romania, her great-grandmother (on her father’s side) was a British spy during World War II, and her grandfather (on her father’s side) came from Rzeszów. The actress had many relatives from Poland. Unfortunately, they died during the Second World War as they were Auschwitz prisoners.

    When Natalie Portman was 3 years old, her parents moved to Washington D.C., in 1988 they moved to New Haven, and in 1990 the family moved in turn to New York, on Long Island.

    She rose to prominence as a thirteen-year-old with her performance in the popular Léon: The Professional (1994), and her career only accelerated thereafter. Natalie Portman is best known for her roles in Léon: The Professional (1994), V for Vendetta (2005) and Black Swan (2010).

    The academy award-winning actress, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed director will visit Poland this year. Portman will be a TOP SPEAKER at Impact’23 (May 10-11, 2023) in Poznań. 

    Read more about Natalie here.


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