NATALIE WOULD.(Natalie Portman)(Biography)

Byline: Michelle Edgar

From The Professional and Garden State to Closer and V for Vendetta, Natalie Portman has emerged as one of the most critically acclaimed actresses today. Next, she'll appear in Paris, je t'aime and Milos Forman's Goya's Ghosts. As she gets ready to turn 25 on June 9, here are 25 things you should know about one of Hollywood's finest.

1. On the Road Again: Portman was born in Jerusalem in 1981, but she didn't stay there for long. At three, she and her Israeli father and American mother moved to the U.S. She spent most of her childhood in Syosset, N.Y.

2. Alias: Portman, alas, is a stage name. The actress' real last name is Hershlag.

3. Acting Bug: As a youngster, Portman attended Usdan Center for the Performing Arts and Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp. Even then, she was a star. In Annie Get Your Gun, she played Annie. In Anne of Green Gables, she played …