Natalie Portman: Oscars 2011 Best Actress Winner (PHOTOS)

All that sacrifice was worth it.

Natalie Portman was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in "Black Swan," in which she plays a mentally plagued ballet dancer striving for perfection and the lead part in "Swan Lake" -- and losing her mind in the process.

Portman trained for over a year for the role, losing extreme weight, cracking a rib and pushing her body to the limit. In fact, at one point, she even thought the role would kill her. Turns out, it took her career to new heights.

She also got a family out of the deal; Portman fell in love with choreographer and film dance partner Benjamin Millepied; the two are engaged and expecting a child.

The win caps off an impressive sweep for Portman, who took home the Golden Globe for Best Actress, as well as the Independent Spirit Award.

PHOTOS:

Comments

[Demarcus Jackson]

10:35 PM on 03/03/2011

Seriously, Mike Huckabee? SEE: http://mediamatters.org/blog/201103030034

So what, Huckabee, would you prefer that Ms. Portman have an abortion instead of choosing to have her child?

[NewOrlinNC]

11:53 AM on 03/01/2011

Why is this site singling out this one Oscar winner for congrats? All season long this site has been waxing rhapsodic about this woman. I have no doubt that it is b/c of the J thing. Just saying. No such kudos for Colin Firth, whose performance was utterly brilliant (and who deserved to win last year for "A Single Man").

[yummypumpkin]

09:07 AM on 03/01/2011

I thought Sarah Palin was a shoe-in for Best Actress.

[Kendall Curtis]

02:42 AM on 03/01/2011

I am not a fan of a great deal of actors and actresses that are household names, but Natalie is one of them. Since her role in Garden State she has had my vote and I loved her in V as well. There is an sincerity about her that very few actors have. I have defended her acting prowess many times on HP to people claiming she was talentless and perhaps now those people will actually try to watch a few of her roles rather than simply dismissing her out of hand because of a news article about lesbian scenes or whatever.

[Skyhawk]

02:29 AM on 03/01/2011

I have a suggestion. Why don't the winners take out half or full page ad to thank all the people they want. At least they can see their names in print and buy extra copies. Just saying.

[MrMotown]

07:43 PM on 02/28/2011

Whether she deserved an Oscar or not, i'm happy for her.
She's smart, classy, serious about her work and her roles and has been a consistently good actress from Leon to Black Swan (her only mistake was Star Wars IMO).
I think the negativity being directed towards her is just the obligatory backlash that happens when someone has successfully achieved their dream.

[basta]

04:17 PM on 02/28/2011

Did she really have to thank everybody she met in her whole life?? Except the woman who did the dancing in her movie.

[cyan1]

02:38 PM on 02/28/2011

Natalie is the fifth actress 2 Pick Up Oscars While Pregnant
http://www.bestzilla.com/2011/02/natalie-nos5-2-pick-up-oscars-while-pregnant

[sealab2020]

01:43 PM on 02/28/2011

As I posted in the wrong forum earlier:

I must say that Portman was well deserving of the Oscar for Black Swan.

However, I am more than a little disappointed that the wonderful ABT dancer, Sara Lane, who actually did the real dancing as her double in the film never gets any credit from Portman or any of the fawning media.

I suppose it is like the tirelessly working stuntmen and stuntwomen , and many musicians and writers who never receive accolades for their hard work. That's showbiz I guess.

In this case Portman has been endlessly repeating her suffering for the role, and been quick to praise her trainer, Mary Helen Bowers. But, in the actual difficult dance sequences, it was the work of her double.

All griping aside, Portman did a fantastic job in developing 'the look' and the film was phenomenal, not as a dance film (there's not that much dancing really), but as an edgy thriller.

Here is an additional round of applause for all those artists who toil away without any mention...

[valentina 2]

09:48 PM on 02/28/2011

Fanned for your round of applause for all those who work behind the scenes to make it happen, often to little (or no) thanks.

[Cubfan08]

12:06 PM on 02/28/2011

I like her. I really like her.

[sensimilla]

11:00 AM on 02/28/2011

We love you natalie! I thought she was very good, but surprised she won the oscar. I'm very happy for her.

[jj79tr]

10:45 AM on 02/28/2011

I guess theres different horses for different courses, because I thought Black Swan was really lame. I'm sorry to offend anybody who loved it, but I thought the whole thing was stale, and that all the characters lacked depth, except for Vincent Cassel's character who I thought did a great job. Unfortunately, all of the characters in the movie are also pretty unlikeable, so it makes it difficult for the audience to feel empathy for any of them, and thus the movie as a whole. About half way through it started to feel like the editors weren't sure if they were making a serious drama or cheap scare thriller. To me it seemed like they got their plot elements from an inspiration to make a slightly pretentious and less inspired rip of Neve Campbell's Wild things minus the mystery element, the plot twists, and any attempt at creating actual sexual tension. To me it feels like a sympathy Oscar, and I don't think this is a movie people will be talking about 5 months to a year after it's released on DVD or whatever. This is just one person's opinion....

[Funwithsharps]

11:18 AM on 02/28/2011

I totally agree-Black Swan was one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It was one big cliche'. I thought Natalie Portman was horrible in it.

[roger37]

02:04 PM on 03/04/2011

"One of the worst movies you have ever seen?" What bloody nonsense.

[melpomene9]

11:44 AM on 02/28/2011

i have to agree too. i didn't HATE the movie but i certainly didn't think it deserved all the talk. i didn't think portman was all that great in it. i also hate that it got so much hype for the "lesbian" scene (folks - it's not a lesbian scene unless there are 2 lesbians involved).

[xElmrt77]

10:14 AM on 02/28/2011

The Black Swan was perfect. And if you read article about it read this,

A Lesson in Parent/Chi­ld Relationsh­ips

http://www­.psycholog­y-advice.n­et/the-bla­ck-swan-a-­lesson-in-­parentchil­d-relation­ships

[samm2202]

09:36 AM on 02/28/2011

I believe that Natalie was the best choice, her performance in Black Swan was amazing, I enjoyed all of the other performances by the other actresses but Natalie's for me was jaw dropping good... I also believe of all the young actresses out there that she is one of the most respectable and classy. Congrats Natalie Portman!

[samm2202]

09:37 AM on 02/28/2011

I forgot Educated! she is a Harvard Graduate!

[valentina 2]

08:34 AM on 02/28/2011

I liked her when she first came on the scene, and now I don't. Somewhere along the way, her ego outgrew her talent. I'm sorry Bening didn't win.