Born: June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem, Israel

AT 13 she was cast as the precocious waif Mathilda in Luc Besson's The Professional (1994). Portman, 26, has been dubbed the Audrey Hepburn for the 21st century. Yes, she has class and the acting chops.

While mainstream audiences may remember her as Darth Vader's bride, Queen Amidala, in the Star Wars universe and the baldy rebel in the graphic novel-inspired actioner V For Vendetta (2006), she also dabbles in quirky arthouse pictures such as last year's My Blueberry Nights, Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's first English-language film, and director Mike Nichols' Closer (2004), for which the Harvard University grad picked up an Oscar nomination for playing a stripper.

In her own words: 'The moment you buy into the idea you're above anyone else is the moment you need to be slapped in the face.'

Must see: The Professional (1994) and Closer (2004)

Look out for: The upcoming historical drama The Other Boleyn Girl with Eric Bana and Scarlett Johansson, the remake of the Danish drama Brothers and a take on Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs set in 19th-century China with Shaolin monks replacing the little people

Say it isn't so: She declined a starring role in The Horse Whisperer (1998) to be in Broadway's The Diary Of Anne Frank. The part eventually went to Johansson.