Beginning her career as a child actress, Natalie Portman rose to fame with her starring role in Luc Besson's 1994 film Léon: The Professional alongside Jay Reno. It didn't take long for Portman to start scooping up parts from there, appearing in Michael Mann's Heat (1995) and Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! (1996) before being cast in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) as Padmé Amidala. In 1999, Portman co-starred in a movie that earned her her first Golden Globe nomination — Anywhere But Here. In the coming-of-age movie, Portman plays the daughter of Susan Sarandon's character.
Portman is one of the most talented actresses working today, and I'm always interested to see what roles she's taking on next. At this evening's Golden Globes, she's nominated for her supporting role in the Todd Haynes movie May December. In one of the best movies of 2023, Portman gives a chilling performance; her best in years. In time for award season, let's look back at the movies that earned her Golden Globe nominations.
How many Golden Globes has Natalie Portman been nominated for?
Portman has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and has won two. Additionally, she's been nominated for three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, four Critics Choice Awards, four Film Independent Spirit Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. There's no doubt Portman has had an impressive career so far and I'm sure more award wins are in her future. Here are the five times she was nominated for Golden Globes!
1. 2000: Nominated for Anywhere But Here
One of Portman's first critically acclaimed performances came in 1999 with her role as Ann in Wayne Wang's dramedy Anywhere But Here. She starred opposite Susan Sarandon, who played her mom, Adele. The heartfelt movie follows the up-and-down relationship between the mother-daughter duo as Adele relocates with Ann from a small town in Wisconsin to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams.
Adele wants Ann to become a Hollywood actress despite Ann's disinterest, which causes the two to clash. Ann wants a stable life which seems impossible with her mother, and she struggles to balance her love for her mom with her need for independence.
At the 2000 Golden Globes, Portman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy, competing against Cameron Diaz for Being John Malkovich, Catherine Keener for Being John Malkovich, Samantha Morton for Sweet and Lowdown, Chloë Sevigny for Boys Don't Cry, and Angelina Jolie for Girl, Interrupted. Jolie took home the award.
2. 2005: Won for Closer
Five years later, Portman was nominated again at the Golden Globes in 2005 for her role as Alice in Mike Nichols' drama Closer. This time around, she took home the prize! Starring alongside a stellar cast including Jude Law, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts, Portman plays a young American woman living in London who falls in love with a writer named Dan (Law).
Closer is a fantastic study of human connections and the dynamics of love over time. It's definitely one of my favorite movies in Portman's filmography and one that's close to my heart.
At the 2005 Golden Globes, Portman was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy and won against Cate Blanchett for The Aviator, Laura Linney for Kinsey, Virginia Madsen for Sideways, and Meryl Streep for The Manchurian Candidate. Her castmate Clive Owen also took home an award that night for the movie, winning Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Musical or Comedy.
3. 2011: Won for Black Swan
Now we're onto my favorite movie of Portman's, and of course, we're talking about Black Swan! The next time the actress was nominated for a Golden Globe came in 2011 and she won again, this time for her role as a troubled ballerina named Nina. The psychological drama was directed by Darren Aronofsky and follows Nina as she competes for the starring role in a production of Swan Lake.
Portman gives a fantastic performance as someone who begins to crack under pressure, and the supporting cast of Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Vincent Cassel, and Winona Ryder are also very strong. This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I just love the way it's directed as well.
At the 2011 Golden Globes, Portman competed and won against Halle Berry for Frankie & Alice, Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone, and Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
4. 2017: Nominated for Jackie
Directed by Pablo Larraín, biographical film Jackie premiered in 2016, seeing Portman portray First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. It takes place following the death of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, following the fallout of his assassination and her grief.
Unsurprisingly, Portman gives a stellar performance as the real-life figure and brings complexity to such a sad moment in history. Many believe she deserved both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for this role, but she ended up losing the Globe to Isabelle Huppert for Elle and the Oscar to Emma Stone for La La Land.
At the 2017 Golden Globes, Portman also competed against Amy Adams for Arrival, Jessica Chastain for Miss Sloane, and Ruth Negga for Loving.
5. 2024: Nominated for May December
And now, onto the 2024 Golden Globes. Portman gave another great performance as an actress named Elizabeth in Todd Haynes' May December.
The drama follows Elizabeth as she prepares for a role, tasked with playing a real-life person with a very controversial past. As Elizabeth gets to know this woman, named Gracie (Julianne Moore), she tries to understand how she could commit such a crime and live with it.
The three main cast members of May December are absolutely fantastic, also consisting of Charles Melton. They are all nominated for Golden Globes at tonight's ceremony, though the competition is very tough.
As for Portman, she's up against Alma Pöysti for Fallen Leaves, Emma Stone for Poor Things, Fantasia Barrino for The Color Purple, Jennifer Lawrence for No Hard Things, and Margot Robbie for Barbie. These are all such great performances, however, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think Stone deserved the award this year.
Natalie Portman's Academy Award nominations
As mentioned earlier, Portman has also been nominated for Academy Awards throughout her career and won one for her role in Black Swan. I'll be curious to see if she gets another nomination at the 2024 ceremony for May December. Here's her Oscar history:
- 2005: Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Closer
- 2011: Won for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Black Swan
- 2017: Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Jackie
Don't miss the 2024 Golden Globes this evening, Sunday, Jan. 7, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS!