# What is Natalie Portman's real last name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761 "2002-03-23T22:23:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Iguana\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@Iguana\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iguana_Boy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/21 "2002-03-24T14:33:49Z")
I’d read somewhere the reason she kept her name shrouded in secrecy was not so much about her privacy, but rather that of her father who is apparently a famous heart surgeon. However, I did read it in one of these celebrity magazines which are, of course, noted for their diligent research and accuracy, so it could just be utter nonsense, and I’m not going to trouble Google over it… ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/22 "2002-03-24T16:09:07Z")
I guess that would be Avner Hershlag MD. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/23 "2002-03-24T17:42:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erislover \* > \*\*Now, just so long as no one tells me anything about Monica Keena or Alyson Hannigan I’ll be alright. \*\* Hijack: Alyson Hannigan is apparently pretty cool. She was at a few conventions, and was a celebrity participant in a Vampire RPG. Phew! ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/24 "2002-03-24T17:58:46Z")
Huh. Natalie Portman is from Syosset. That’s where my gramma lives. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/25 "2002-03-24T22:37:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dewey Cheatem Undhow \* > \*\*Hmm, Everyone Really Should Help Learn About Guinastasia. > > (How’s that? 😉 ) \*\* Color me whooshed. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/26 "2002-03-24T23:04:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*Color me whooshed. 😕 \*\* Heh. Dewey was just trying to be subtle. The first letter of each word in that phrase spells out “Hershlag”. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/27 "2002-03-25T04:41:40Z")
Who cares what her last name is? “HOT” is her middle name. ---
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/28 "2002-03-25T05:33:31Z")
Her fame is something I don’t understand… I think she is just the plainest looking girl. I mean, nothing about her is really striking. She looks like a Hershlag to me. Alison Hannigan too. I think she is really plain. No lips. And I just _know_ her hair isn’t really red. Guess it’s a good thing I’m not a dude. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/29 "2002-03-25T07:53:47Z")
That’s why I like them: they are plain. I like “plain”, average looking girls. And, no: her hair is not naturally red. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/30 "2002-03-25T08:13:59Z")
my god! check out the handle bars on george lucas! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/31 "2002-03-25T16:59:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\*Huh. Natalie Portman is from Syosset. That’s where my gramma lives. > > Ugh. \*\* No, she went to _school_ in Syosset. She’s from Jerusalem. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/32 "2002-03-25T18:23:53Z")
Oh, okay. Thanks. Several people have compared her to Audrey Hepburn-in looks, I think she could pull it off, (at least better than Jennifer Love Screwitt!) And she is a good actress. But I’ve heard she’s not the nicest person around. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/33 "2002-03-25T20:25:16Z")
Forget Natalie Portman/Hershlag! Check out Jillian Herman, two photos over, and Amanda Hecht, on the rank above. Rrowrr! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/34 "2002-03-25T23:45:52Z")
Word, bwk. She’s one of those actresses that nobody really cares about except the critics/media. She isn’t incredibly gorgeous or interesting, and if I didn’t know her father was a doctor, I’d say he owned a few teen magazines or produced Entertainment Tonight. As for Audrey Hepburn, I believe Orson Welles dismissed her as “The patron saint of anorexics”… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/35 "2002-03-26T01:30:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cat Fight \* > \*\* > As for Audrey Hepburn, I believe Orson Welles dismissed her as “The patron saint of anorexics”… \*\* Dem’s fightin’ words! Audrey Hepburn was NOT anorexic, all right? Perhaps you should do a little research before you throw things like that around! (Yes, Welles said it, but dammit, I’m sick and tired of everyone assuming naturally thin people are anorexic. In Audrey’s case, I believe it had more to do with her genetics-she came from a family of thin people-and certain factors in her life: malnutrition during WWII causing colitis that would later manifest itself into the colon cancer that killed her; the fact that she was a ballet dancer and her smoking habit. Audrey was NOT ANOREXIC!!!) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/36 "2002-03-26T03:54:23Z")
(Hey, he said she was the patron saint, which doesn’t technically mean she was ano herself. I mean, I seriously doubt if St. Joseph of Cupertino was very involved with the safety of air travelers during his life, but that’s what he’s been stuck with.) ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/37 "2002-03-26T13:21:06Z")
Compared to Orson Welles, practically goddam **everybody** is anorexic. He probably **still** weighs more than both Hepburn and Portman combined. ---
**Author:** ![Kendo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Kendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kendo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/38 "2002-03-26T13:52:16Z")
And if he isn’t, you’ve just given **me** an aim in life. -[http://www.laughsend.com](http://www.laughsend.com) : For all your comedy needs. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/39 "2002-03-26T14:09:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > Forget Natalie Portman/Hershlag! Check out Jillian Herman, two photos over, and Amanda Hecht, on the rank above. > > Rrowrr! That’s exactly what I was thinking looking at that page. I think I need to move to Syosset. Where exactly is that? ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761/40 "2002-04-01T15:20:42Z")
I’m guessing Long Island, but I don’t know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-natalie-portmans-real-last-name/99761.md?page=3)