Natalie Portman is an actress who has reached the top of her game professionally, but she’s still pushing to do more and be better. In recent years, she’s been focused on supporting other women in Hollywood and has voiced her concerns over the lack of roles and diversity within the entertainment industry. This is why she started a production company, with the aim of creating “more roles for women, by women.” With this in mind, her most recent role as a female Thor in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder (set for release in 2021) is one that she is no doubt excited about. Fans, on the other hand, are less enthusiastic about the casting and the storyline and have not been shy about voicing their opinions.

Below are 20 facts about Natalie Portman’s life, as well as the role she’s playing in the Marvel Universe.

20 She Was Found By A Talent Scout When She Was Just Nine

Natalie Portman is a talented actress who has worked steadily in the entertainment industry for decades, but when she was first scouted, it was to be a model. According to Vogue, when Portman was nine, she was approached by a Revlon scout in a pizza parlor. She wasn’t interested in modeling, but did tell him she wanted to be an actress.

19 Turns Out, It Wasn’t Actually Natalie Portman Kissing Thor In The Film's Final Scenes…

Natalie Portman has played the role of Dr. Jane Foster, the love interest of Thor, but in the final scenes of Thor: The Dark World, when the two characters share a kiss, it was not Portman locking lips with Chris Hemsworth.

According to Us Weekly, Portman had conflicts in her schedule, and explained to the New York Daily News that Hemsworth’s wife, Elsa Pataky, took her place in the final scene.

18 She Has Described Herself As ‘Extraordinarily Short’ (Especially Compared To Chris Hemsworth)

Natalie Portman may look short compared to Chris Hemsworth (then again, most people would) but she is only 5’3” and has described herself as “extraordinarily short.” During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show (via Us Weekly) she discussed her height, saying, “I was mainly cast in the role [as Dr. Jane Foster] because I can make anyone look huge when they stand next to me.”

17 She Doesn’t Really Like Reading About Herself. In Fact, She Finds It Boring

Natalie Portman is an interesting woman, and of course, her fans want to hear more about her, but her favorite subject to discuss is definitely not herself!

In an interview with Vogue, she said: “I get really bored reading about myself.” She also explained that her life has been very normal and happy, describing it as “Really nice, good parents..."

16 The Writer Of The Character Jane Foster Approves Of The Decision To Cast Natalie Portman

CheatSheet notes that writer Jason Aaron created a storyline back in 2014 which involved the character, Jane Foster. The story saw her picking up Thor’s hammer and taking over his abilities. The fourth movie in the Thor franchise will see Natalie Portman transforming into a female Thor, and Aaron, for one, approves of the casting.

The publication states that he tweeted his support and stated that he was “thunderously excited…”

15 She Is Not The Type Of Person Who Will Do Anything For Her Art

Natalie Portman has starred in many critically acclaimed films, but she is not one of those actresses who would do anything for her art, and she has restrictions on the scenes she will film. For example, she will not do nudity, and Vogue notes that it almost cost her a role in the 1999 film, Anywhere But Here — it didn’t, because her co-star Susan Sarandon wanted to star opposite her, and ensured that the script was revised.

14 The Reactions To Natalie Portman Taking On The Role Of A Female Thor Have Been Mixed (Actually, Most People Are Angry)

By now, most Marvel fans will be aware that Natalie Portman will play the role of a female Thor in the film, Thor: Love and Thunder (set for release in 2021), but not everyone is happy about the new storyline. Actually, according to Insider, fans are “outraged.”

The publication notes that there have been many unhappy fans who have voiced their concerns on social media.

13 Before She Accepted This Exciting New Role, She Was Reported To Have Been Disenchanted By The Marvel Universe

Natalie Portman is all set for an exciting new role as the female version of Thor, but there have been reports that she was not enjoying being a part of the Marvel Universe and wanted to quit at one point, over a decision involving the director.

According to Looper, reports have stated that Portman “hit the ceiling” when director Patty Jenkins, was fired from Thor: The Dark World.

12 In Between Her Acting, She Has Found Time To Study And Graduated From Harvard University

Despite having success and fame, Natalie Portman wanted more for her life, which is why she enrolled at Harvard University to further her education. According to Vogue, she graduated in 2003 with a degree in psychology.

The publication also notes that education has always been something that Portman was passionate about, and in high school, she was voted “Most Likely to Appear on Jeopardy.”

11 She’s Actually Always Been A Bit Of A Bookworm

Vogue has described Natalie Portman as being a bookworm, and she wasn’t one of those individuals who hated school. She went to public school in Long Island, and told the publication that her peers didn’t really care about the fact that she was an actress. She said: “I was known for having a backpack bigger than I was, and always having Wite-Out on my hands.”

10 Ensuring That Women In Hollywood Have More Roles Available To Them Was The Driving Force Behind Her Production Company

Natalie Portman is fighting for equality in Hollywood, and she wants more roles to be available to women. Many actresses have spoken about the lack of diversity in the industry, but Portman is doing something about it, and has a production company called Handsomecharlie Films.

According to Vogue, her company was made so that she could “create more roles for women, by women.”

9 Natalie Is Inspired By Many Actresses Who Are Making A Change In The Industry

Chances are you’ve heard of the Time’s Up movement, which has been supported by many well-known and respected actresses, women who Natalie Portman looks up to. She told Harper’s Bazaar that she had been “inspired” by the women she met in the movement and noted that when she thinks she has “too much to handle,” she looks to them and sees what they’re doing and is encouraged to do more.

8 It’s Not Just Her Work That’s Been Making Headlines Recently, But Also Her Denial Of A Relationship With Moby

When Moby penned an autobiography and detailed that he and Natalie Portman had once had a brief relationship, she was quick to make a public denial regarding his statement. Actually, she told Harper’s Bazaar, “my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school.”

7 She’s Feeling Positive About Hollywood Now That More Female Directors Are Being Employed

In recent years, the entertainment industry is changing for the better. Actors and actresses have spoken out about the lack of diversity with regards to roles, and how it was a male-dominated industry. However, Harper’s Bazaar reports that more female directors are being hired, and this is something that makes Natalie Portman really happy because she explained, “the more different people direct films, the more different experiences you’ll see represented.”

6 She’s A Mama, And She Would Not Discourage Her Children From Following In Her Footsteps

Among the many roles and job titles that Natalie Portman has had, she has also become a mother, and it is no doubt the role she treasures the most. Some actors and actresses have stated that they would not encourage their children to follow in their footsteps, but according to Bustle, Portman is not one of these people because she has stated: "I support them in doing whatever they love."

5 She’s A Vegan (After Years Of Being A Vegetarian)

Another interesting thing about Natalie Portman is that she is a vegan. For many years, she adopted a vegetarian diet, but this changed after she watched a moving documentary. Speaking about her lifestyle, she told Harper’s Bazaar that she made the change for animals and the environment, and she feels it is important to “spread the word.”

4 'Thor' Director Taika Waititi Says That Natalie Portman Is The Only Person Who Could Play The Role Of Jane Foster/Thor

Some fans of the Thor movies may be unimpressed with the female Thor storyline, others simply don’t think that Natalie Portman is up for the task, but director Taika Waititi is not among those individuals.

According to ScreenRant, he has stated that he thinks Jason Aaron’s storyline is “incredible,” but also feels “there’s only one person who could play that role...Natalie Portman."

3 She Started Acting At A Young Age And Her Parents Were Always Supportive Of Her Decisions

We mentioned earlier that Natalie Portman was just nine when she was first scouted, but according to Bustle, she was 11 when she started acting. Unlike some other child stars, her parents were involved in her profession from a young age and supported her decisions. Speaking of this time, Portman said, “I always felt protected with my parents, I never felt alone.”

2 She’s Found That She Loves Directing, And Is Busy Working On A New Script

Natalie Portman doesn’t just enjoy being on-camera, but also working behind the lens, and she is keen to direct again. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, she explained that she has started to write a new script, although it has been hard to find the time for it. She said, “I get the kids to bed, do the dishes, do the laundry, and then write for an hour…”

1 She’s A Multi-Talented Actress Who Has Taken On Many Challenging And Diverse Roles

Natalie Portman is celebrated as an actress for a reason; her roles have been diverse and she takes on complicated and challenging characters. But she finds it “weird” playing the role of a mother when it’s not to her own children.

She told Harper’s Bazaar, "I just feel weird if I’m at work pretending to be a mom to some kid who’s not my kid. So I’ve been trying out wild experiences like being an astronaut or a pop star."

Sources: Vogue, Us Weekly, Cheatsheet, Insider, Looper, Harper's Bazaar, Bustle, ScreenRant.