How old was Natalie Portman in ‘Star Wars’?

Natalie Portman is known for many movies, such as Léon: The Professional, V for Vendetta, Thor, and Black Swan. However, none of them are as iconic as her role as Padmé Amidala, the Queen of Naboo, in Star Wars. Considering that this was her breakthrough role and directly led to her becoming a household name in the decades that followed, the question of Natalie Portman’s age during the early years of her career is a popular one.

What was Natalie Portman’s age in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy?

Natalie Portman was born on June 9, 1981, making her 42 years old as of 2023. This means that she was only 16 years old when she starred in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Although the movie’s release was in 1999, she started filming the movie in 1997.

During Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Natalie Portman started filming the sequel at the age of 19. She was 21 years old when the film premiered and received a slightly better critical reception than the first movie. In the final episode of the prequels, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Portman started filming at the age of 22 and was 24 years old when the movie came out in 2005.

What is Padmé Amidala’s age difference compared to Natalie Portman during the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy?

Padmé and Portman’s ages during the prequels were not far off. Padmé was 14 years old, two years younger than Portman. Portman’s younger facial features helped her make the role believable despite the age difference. 

The age difference widens in the second episode, as Padmé is already 24 years old in the story’s context, which is six years older than Portman. In the final episode, Padmé is already 27 as compared to Portman, who was still only 22 at the time of filming.