Natalie Hershlag‘s critically acclaimed performances in The Professional, Beautiful Girls and the Star Wars prequels as Queen Padme Amidala caught everyone’s attention. However, it was her role as Alice in Closer, for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category, that really made her a star.

Léon (also known as The Professional and Léon: The Professional) is a French English-language 1994 action film written and directed by French director Luc Besson. It stars Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and a young Natalie Portman in her feature film debut. Léon (Jean Reno) is a hitman (or “cleaner”, as he refers to himself) living a solitary life in New York City’s Little Italy. Most of his work comes from a mafioso named Tony (Danny Aiello), who operates from the “Supreme Macaroni Company” retail store.

Natalie Portman is an Israeli American actress. Her first role came in the 1994 independent film Léon. She achieved wider fame after playing Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Portman, who has said “I’d rather be smart than a movie star,” completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Harvard College while she was working on the Star Wars films. In 2001, Portman opened in New York City’s Public Theater production of Chekhov’s The Seagull, alongside Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. In 2005, Portman received a Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actress in the drama Closer.