Natalie Portman (2011)

'I want to thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to work from such an early age,' Portman says as part of her acceptance speech.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much to the Academy. This is insane and I truly, sincerely wish that the prize tonight was to get to work with my fellow nominees.

For that matter, is Geoffrey Rush's Oscar chances in The King's Speech hurt by a dud movie earlier in 2010? Or Justin Timberlake's in The Social Network by a kid's movie that came out at Christmas? Or Nicole Kidman's in Rabbit Hole by a comedy releasing in February? Or James Franco's in 127 Hours b...

Natalie Portman won the Oscar as best actress on Sunday for her role as an unhinged ballerina in the thriller "Black Swan," denying Annette Bening the golden statuette for the fourth time in her career.

USA Today

Fresh off her Independent Spirit Award on Saturday, Natalie Portman has won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role in "Black Swan." She was previously nominated in 2005 for her supporting role in "Closer." She lost to Cate Blanchett who played Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator." In January, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Portman's breakout role was in 1994's "The Professional." She starred as an orphan adopted by a gentle hit man. By the '90s, Portman had major roles in such ensemble films as "Beautiful Girls" and "Anywhere but Here" She was eventually cast in 1999 as Padmé Amidala in the long-anticipated "Star Wars" prequel trilogy. "Black Swan" is a psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky ("The Wrestler"). Co-starring Vincent Cassel and Mila Kunis, it delves into the lives of two dancers (Kunis is the other) who is performing in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." More Academy Awards coverage • Complete list of winners • Fashion hits and misses from the after-parties • 'The King's Speech' wins Best Picture • Colin Firth wins Best Actor for 'The King's Speech' • Natalie Portman wins Best Actress for 'Black...

The star of ballet film Black Swan, Natalie Portman, has danced her way to Oscar success

Natalie Portman on IMDb: Awards, nominations, and wins

American actress Natalie Portman has been honored with many awards and nominations for her work in acting, including three Academy Award nominations, winning for Black Swan (2010).

Jeff Bridges presenting Natalie Portman with the Oscar® for Best Actress for her performance in "Black Swan" at the 83rd Academy Awards® in 2011. Introduced ...