Natalie Portman

[BobbyD 2]

(IMDB.COM)

 

Bana Dispels Johansson & Portman Fight Rumors

 

 

Actor Eric Bana has hit out at reports of a rift between Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman during filming for their new movie The Other Boleyn Girl, insisting they "really love each other." The Munich star is baffled by claims Johansson and Portman failed to get along onset, and has condemned the press for stirring controversy between the pair - because they couldn't be closer. He says, "Why is it that people in the media hate the idea that actors working together is possibly true? I hate to break it to you but actors really do love each other. It's a crazy job and we put ourselves in vulnerable positions. I don't care if it sounds corny but it's true: you're part of a brotherhood, and protect each other. And they indeed do get along really well."

[BobbyD 2]

Prince Charles -- Meet Scarlett's Boobs

Posted Feb 20th 2008 11:26AM by TMZ Staff

 

His Royal Highness Prince Charles greeted Scarlett Johansson at the London premiere of her new film on Tuesday and was clearly enamored by her natural endowment ... as an actress.

 

Johansson's co-stars, Eric Bana and Natalie Portman, watched as the Prince stood mesmerized.

[BobbyD 2]

(Pagesix.com)

 

Nerd Target

 

MOBY says he became a hated man when he was dating Natalie Portman a while back. "I guess in some people's eyes, [nerds] might be mildly sexy - and, as a nerd, I'm certainly happy to enjoy some of the effects of that. But as far as the very brief affair that I had with Natalie, it's made me a target of a lot of nerd wrath," the techno-whiz tells next month's Spin. "You don't date Luke Skywalker's mom and not have them hate your guts."

[Lea 0]

Natalie Portman Is Fixated On Scarlett Johansson's Mammaries

 

 

Oh, what people won't say to shill a movie. Natalie Portman stars as Scarjo's sister in "The Other Boelyn Girl". And she's in heat over Scarjo's boobers. Nat and Scarlett Johansson look a little off here. Maybe it's the lack of any UV light in their present situations. I know they had to play Henry VIII's wives or some crap, but damn, I can see through them. I know there wasn't Mystic Tan back then, but they look like they've been chained in a cellar. About Scarlett's breasts, Nat says, "Seriously, I would really want to grab Scarlett's breasts. She's got beautiful ones." If you're into that sort of thing.

 

Here are the two lovely ladies at a special screening of the flick in NYC yesterday. Zac Posen has become all sorts of dashing. I'm liking the tie, the flower, the kerchief. I can even deal with the gray shoes and black suit. I don't really know how to match clothes that well, and he's a fashion designer, so he must know what he's doing.

 

Photos from a special screening of 'The Other Boleyn Girl' featuring John Driscoll, Vanessa Carlton, Zac Posen, Tory Burch and Natalie Portman:

 

 

http://socialitelife.buzznet.com/

[ElleDriver 0]

[ElleDriver 0]

Natalie Takes About Her Projects and Project Runway

 

 

Marie Claire is not the only cover Natalie Portman scored for April — her pretty face also graces the issue of Elle. She went casual this time around, covering up those blonde locks with a cute hat. Speaking of which, which hair color do you prefer on Miss Natalie? As usual, Nat has plenty of serious stuff to talk about, but she also reveals that she still finds time for a little Project Runway. Here are highlights:

 

 

* On trying to hide her ambitious nature: "It's definitely complicated. I bury it a lot, which is a very common woman thing to do. They say women often preface their statements with “This might sound stupid, but…” It sort of tempers what you are going to say. It takes the edge off so you can still be seen as ladylike. I think I have a lot of that in me. I'm very nonconfrontational; I'm definitely a pleaser."

* On Project Runway: "I wish they'd thrown off Rami, because he was so mean to Sweet P! But the one I really like is the guy with glasses and the total Misshapes haircut."

[ElleDriver 0]

Natalie Portman Gets into Character

Page Six

 

Natalie Portman looked so stunning after shooting a wedding scene in full Indian makeup yesterday that we're ready to marry her, and we're not even Indian. Or male, for that matter.

 

The actress and costar Irfan Khan were filming the scene in Brooklyn for New York, I Love You, an anthology of short love stories centered around our fair city. Her character must like to play the field when it comes to men — and cultures. The day before she was captured on camera playing a Hasidic bride-to-be in the same film.

[Lady Frost 23]

Hasidic actor walks off Portman movie

BY VERONIKA BELENKAYA

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Saturday, March 15th 2008, 4:00 AM

 

 

First he couldn't hold Natalie Portman's hand - and now a Williamsburg Hasidic Jew-turned-actor has to give up his chance to hit it big in a Hollywood movie.

 

Abe Karpen, 25, a married father of three, was cast as Portman's husband in "New York I Love You," a film composed of 12 short stories about love in the five boroughs.

 

"I am backing out of the movie," said Karpen, a kitchen cabinet salesman. "It's not acceptable in my community. It's a lot of pressure I am getting. They [the rabbis] didn't like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood.

 

"I have my kids in religious schools and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out," Karpen said.

 

While news of Karpen's withdrawal sent waves of disappointment through the movie set, the Hasidic community was up in arms over Karpen's acting gig - forcing him to flee for the weekend, a friend said.

 

"We are very sorry that this has created a problem for him personally and for the community," said the film's executive producer, Jan Korbelin.

 

"He's a great ambassador of his faith and it came out of the left field. ... This is the last thing this picture should be doing," Korbelin said. "This film is about love and understanding between different people and communities."

 

Just Wednesday, Karpen was strolling along the Fulton Ferry State Park under the Brooklyn Bridge alongside Portman, 26, who sported a dark head-covering and a coat.

 

"They wanted me to hold her hand, but I said 'no way,'" said Karpen, who proudly stood his ground. "It's against our religion. You can't even hold your wife's hand on the street."

 

Then came the howls of protest about his unorthodox job.

 

"This is when I woke up and saw that I made a big mistake. My kids mean everything to me and my community where I live means everything to me," said Karpen, who comes from a prominent Williamsburg, Brooklyn, family.

 

His longtime friend Levi Okunov said the Karpens had to flee the city for the weekend. "The community wants to kill him," he said.

 

Hasidic community activist Isaac Weinberger said Karpen should have known better.

 

"We don't watch television. We don't go to the movies, so to be in a movie is the worst thing. It's a shame for any Hasid," he said.

 

Still, despite his troubles, Karpen had nothing but kind words for the film and Portman.

 

"She's the only one I was willing to work with," Karpen said. "I was shocked that she's a Hollywood big shot. We talked in Hebrew. ... She wants to become more religious."

[Time4me 0]

Good for him.

Can't serve two masters.

[BobbyD 2]

(IMDB.COM)

 

Impatient Portman Turns Producer

 

 

Actress Natalie Portman formed her own production company after growing tired of waiting around for movie offers to land in her mail box. The 26-year-old actress found the process frustrating and that scripts being offered to her were inconsistent - so she decided to take her career into her own hands and form HandsomeCharlie Films. Portman says, "It is proactive. It gives you more control over creating things, as opposed to having to get hired every single time. After you've worked for so long, it's kind of annoying to have to be dependent in that way. I've been working 15 years and I know some years I get everything first and some years I read only uninteresting parts. I didn't want to be at the mercy of whoever is making those decisions. Having your own company is a nice way to concentrate your ideas and make the kinds of movies you want to see."

[ElleDriver 0]

Natalie Portman's Co-Star Quits

 

Natalie Portman's latest movie co-star has been forced to walk away from his acting big break, because of a religious row. Hasidic Jew Abe Karpen, 25, was cast alongside Portman in New York I Love You, currently being shot in Manhattan.

 

The pair was photographed together on set last week, prompting uproar from Karpen's strict religious community in the city's Brooklyn borough. The married father of three was warned his kids would be kicked out of their religious school if he didn't quit the film.

 

Karpen tells the New York Daily News, "I am backing out of the movie. It's not acceptable in my community. It's a lot of pressure I am getting. They (rabbis) didn't like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood. I have my kids in religious schools and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out."

WENN

[BobbyD 2]

Actor Quits Big Break on Rabbis' Orders

Rabbis Order Hasidic Actor to Quit Movie

By ANNE MARIE DORNING

NEW YORK March 18, 2008

 

So 25-year-old Abraham Karpen was the envy of every Shia Lebouf wannabe when he was cast as Natalie Portman's husband in the film "New York I Love You."

 

But Karpen isn't going to be on the red-eye to La-la-land any time soon because last week the Hasidic Jew from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, said goodbye to his budding acting career and quit the film.

 

"He really didn't grasp that this was a movie and that Natalie Portman was a star. He thought it was more of a commercial, a short thing," said Isaac Abraham, a Hasidic community leader. "I think he was a little naive. He didn't grasp the magnitude of what he was doing."

 

The magnitude of what Karpen was doing became clear after photos of the budding actor walking with Portman under the Brooklyn Bridge surfaced in the media.

 

"We don't watch TV, use the Internet or see movies. It's against our religion and our traditions. There are strong guidelines about what you can and can't do," Abraham said.

 

Not surprisingly, getting a Screen Actors Guild card is not on the list of approved to-dos.

 

When Karpen's rabbis got wind of his activities, they ordered him to withdraw from the film or face the possibility that his children would be kicked out of their religious school.

 

The rabbis feared that Karpen's presence in the film would rattle the tightly knit and insular culture of Williamsburg Hasids.

 

"Once he got the role, I think the rabbis may have thought to themselves, well, you know, people know him. They might want to watch him on the screen. And then where does it end?" Abraham said.

 

If that sounds harsh, well, you have to understand the faith-based Hasidic community.

 

"It's a bit like the Mormons. If you're excommunicated, likewise it would be reflected on your children," said Brandeis University professor Jonathon Sarna, an expert on American Jewish history. "Most American Jews would consider Hasidic Jews to be ultra-orthodox. I prefer the term fervently orthodox. They want to recreate the world their parents knew. Innovations are bad because they take time away from religious learning."

 

Hasidism was a mystical movement of Jews that developed in Eastern Europe. There are many different groups, or sects, within Hasidism, and each group is attached to a rebbe, or Grand Rabbi, to whom they submit themselves.

 

Hasids limit their contact with outsiders, and while the lives of Hasidic Jews may be largely hidden from the rest of the world, their look is highly recognizable -- black hats, coats and long side curls for the men; head scarves and modest dress for the women.

 

This isn't the first time Hollywood has called on the Hasidic community. A 1981 film titled "The Chosen," starring Robbie Benson, revolved around the story of two Hasidic teenagers.

 

Sidney Lumet's 1992 movie "A Stranger Among Us" focused on Melanie Griffith as a cop who goes undercover in a Hasidic neighborhood -- a kind of Jewish "witness."

 

"New York I Love You" is a series of 12 short stories about love in the different neighborhoods of New York City. "It's a celebration of love and relationships," according to creator and producer Emmanuel Benbihy.

 

In an e-mail exchange, Benbihy said the controversy came as a "complete surprise."

 

The producers had been working "closely with representatives of the Hasidic community of Brooklyn in order to make sure that we are respectful of the traditions of a classic Hasidic wedding."

 

Portman and Karpen portrayed a young Hasidic couple about to get married.

 

Benbihy said, "Mr. Karpen was well-liked and highly regarded. We regret but respect and understand his choice to pull out from the movie. From our perspective, we felt very welcome in Brooklyn."

 

But, the welcome mat isn't always out.

 

For instance, filmmaker Pearl Gluck was forced out of a location in Williamsburg by about 200 protesters recently.

 

Gluck, who runs her own production company, Palinka Pictures, has a unique perspective because she was brought up in the Hasidic community. But in the 1980s in order to go to a college of her choosing, she left. Although Gluck still considers herself a part of the community, many Hasids do not.

 

Still her films, like "The Divan," focus on the traditions and culture of the community she grew up in. "The sense of community is very powerful, the sense of charity. There really is a sense that we're in this together. Our main goal is to bring up our children in a faith-based environment and expose them to the richness of our traditions," she said.

 

"The sense of community is very powerful, the sense of charity. There really is a sense that we're in this together. Our main goal is to bring up our children in a faith-based environment and expose them to the richness of our traditions," Gluck said.

 

The recent protests on her film, Gluck said, had to do with "people seeing film sets and crews coming from the outside world. There is a fear of a lack of continuity and thinking that the next generation won't be like the last one."

 

And that's the same fear that sparked the problem on the set of "New York I Love You," according to Abraham.

 

After all, most of the previous high-profile films about the ultra-orthodox community, including "The Chosen" and "A Stranger Among Us," had actors portraying Hasidic Jews. In this case, Karpen really was a Hasidic Jew -- and that made a world of difference.

[sanlee 49]

Natalie Portman believes she missed out on her childhood.

 

The 26-year-old star - who began acting at the tender age of 11, when she played orphan Mathilda in 'Léon' - regrets starting work so young because she had to grow up too quickly.

 

She said: "I do kind of feel that I lost part of my childhood. I was one of those kids that always wanted to be older, which I now think is a shame. I try to make up for that now by being outdoors more, playing, being silly and not being afraid of that. I don't feel that I missed out on a normal life, but when I was a kid I wasn't out playing in the mud."

 

Natalie also revealed she was indulged by her parents as a child, even though they didn't have much money.

 

She said: "I was a spoiled, only child in a Jewish family - very outgoing. We didn't have any money because my dad was training to be a doctor while I was growing up. So throughout my childhood it wasn't like we were poor, but there wasn't any luxurious spending."

 

Source: people.monstersandcritics.com

[ElleDriver 0]

Portman Prankster Wants To Make Her a Pop Star

 

A music boss wants to turn Natalie Portman into a pop star, after an April Fool's Day prank created a storm of publicity.

 

On Tuesday Rob Hitt, the head of Independent label I Surrender, circulated the false story that Portman had signed a deal with the company to make an album that was "Patty Smyth, but folksier."

 

Hitt even created a forged MySpace page to accompany the tale.

 

And after a wave of support and interest from music fans and Portman devotees, Hitt has decided to call for the actress to try her hand at music for real.

 

He tells the New York Daily News, "We got so much positive feedback, let's see what she's got

[ElleDriver 0]

Portman Tapped for 'Wuthering Heights'

(FROM HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) – Natalie Portman will star as romantic fiction icon Catherine Earnshaw in a new movie adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic 19th century novel Wuthering Heights. The story is about Catherine and her adopted brother Heathcliff's passionate and ultimately doomed love for one another. Portman will play the character perhaps most famously played by Merle Oberon in the 1939 screen version, which starred Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff. John Maybury (Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon) is directing. No start date has been set. Portman most recently starred The Other Boleyn Girl with Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana and next stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in Jim Sheridan's Brothers. (Hollywood Reporter)

[hedda_louella 1]

Portman Tapped for 'Wuthering Heights'

(FROM HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) – Natalie Portman will star as romantic fiction icon Catherine Earnshaw in a new movie adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic 19th century novel Wuthering Heights. The story is about Catherine and her adopted brother Heathcliff's passionate and ultimately doomed love for one another. Portman will play the character perhaps most famously played by Merle Oberon in the 1939 screen version, which starred Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff. John Maybury (Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon) is directing. No start date has been set. Portman most recently starred The Other Boleyn Girl with Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana and next stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in Jim Sheridan's Brothers. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oh dear god no. Leave the Bronte sisters alone, Natalie.

[bittermuch? 0]

Hm. Could she be any worse than Merle Oberon? At least we can trust Natalie not to OVERact.

[Crackerjack123 0]

 

Portman Tapped for 'Wuthering Heights'

(FROM HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) – Natalie Portman will star as romantic fiction icon Catherine Earnshaw in a new movie adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic 19th century novel Wuthering Heights. The story is about Catherine and her adopted brother Heathcliff's passionate and ultimately doomed love for one another. Portman will play the character perhaps most famously played by Merle Oberon in the 1939 screen version, which starred Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff. John Maybury (Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon) is directing. No start date has been set. Portman most recently starred The Other Boleyn Girl with Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana and next stars opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire in Jim Sheridan's Brothers. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oh dear god no. Leave the Bronte sisters alone, Natalie.

 

You have to be kidding me. She's SOOO bad. Where is Keira where you need her? Even (don't kill me) Sienna Miller would be better for this. (Yes, I know she's skanky but she's a MUCH better actress than Natalie and has a genuine English accent).

[cathmonast 0]

I will say it over and over again the girl who could nail Catherine is Torchwood's Eve Myles.

[Hoyaheel 1,874]

Eh, I never liked Wuthering Heights so Portman can destroy it; I don't care

 

[i did love Olivier in the movie, however....Just don't care for the plot--book or movie]

Edited April 14, 2008 by Hoyaheel

[boopster 0]

I really don't get it. I have nothing against Natalie, but she hasn't had anything close to a hit in ages. She really cannot act, and yet she keeps getting these projects.

[ElleDriver 0]

Natalie Portman's New Man: Hot or Not?

April 15, 2008

 

 

Natalie Portman has been linked to sexy superstars like Gael García Bernal and Jake Gyllenhaal, but she seems to have a new beau as of late — Venezuelan folk singer Devendra Barnart.

 

Natalie and Devendra were first snapped looking cozy together earlier this month. The stars, both 26, were covered up in peacoats and funky sunglasses. Their long hair flowing free.

 

Although they are just stepping out together now as a couple, Devendra, who was raised in Venezuela until he was 13, has been on Natalie's radar since at least the fall. In October, the actress chose songs for a music compilation on iTunes that benefited FINCA, an organization that fights poverty by providing microloans to entrepreneurs worldwide. Natalie included Devendra's song "There's Always Something Happening" on the compilation.

[NYCat 1]

NATALIE PORT-A-POTTY

 

 

She may be an international movie star, but this impudent pooch can't tell the difference between Natalie Portman and a fire hydrant.

 

The "Star Wars" cutie was the unfortunate victim of a surprise soaking as she dropped by a downtown dog run.

 

Portman, who has been spotted in the West Village in recent days with her bearded boyfriend, Venezuelan-born folk singer Devendra Banhart, was walking her dog with him yesterday when the brazen piddling took place.

 

While she was getting a pup's-eye view of the surroundings from ground level, another stroller's frisky pet raised its hind leg, relieved itself right on her shoes - and then ambled on its way.

 

Portman, who has appeared with her pooch on fellow dog-lover David Letterman's TV show, took the incident with good humor.

Edited April 22, 2008 by NYCat

[princess 1,712]

Natalie Portman

at the Cinema Against AIDs hosted by amfAR, Le Moulin de Mougins, Cannes, France

[hedda_louella 1]

Yeah, the bottom half of that white dress isn't any better than the top half. Actually, pretty much all of her Cannes outfits sucked this year. She had one hit with (I think) a vintage Chanel black number but that was it. The rest were all rufflemania and unflattering.