Fans Stunned After Natalie Portman’s Real Name Is Revealed

Fans were surprised to learn that Natalie Portman’s real name isn’t actually Natalie Portman. The Oscar-winning actress, known for roles in Black Swan and V for Vendetta, was born Natalie Hershlag, a detail that recently resurfaced online and caught many of her followers off guard.

After the reveal made its way to Instagram, the comments section quickly filled with reactions. Many admitted they understood why the actress chose a stage name so early in her career. One user joked, “Can see why Natalie went with Portman,” while another added, “I understand why Natalie Hershlag wanted a change.”

Others laughed about how different her birth name sounded, with one comment reading, “Natalie Hershlag is a career ender. Can see why she changed.”

Portman has spoken before about the reason she decided to change her last name. In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, the actress explained that she wanted to keep her personal and professional lives separate, especially after entering Hollywood at a young age. “I got very protective of it very early on,” she said. “I chose a different name when I started, which was kind of an interesting way that I separated identities.”

She went on to share that the name “Portman” became her professional identity, while “Hershlag” remained private. “I would get upset if someone at school called me Natalie Portman,” she recalled. “If you know me, you know me as Natalie Hershlag at school. It was kind of an extreme split in my identity that I’ve tried to integrate a little bit more as an adult.”

Now in her forties, Portman admits that separating her two names, and by extension, her two worlds, isn’t something she finds as useful anymore. “As I started having kids and a family, I started realising that maybe it was not helpful to be like, there’s two of me,” she explained. “I have many interactions during my day as a public person. To exclude that from my experience is not real.”

Natalie Portman, or Hershlag, began acting at just 13 years old and quickly became one of Hollywood’s most respected stars. Her decision to use a stage name isn’t unusual, many actors adopt different names to protect their privacy or to make their names easier to pronounce in the entertainment world.

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