156-616: Philippa Gregory CBE (born 9 January 1954) is an English historical novelist who has been publishing since 1987. The best known of her works is The Other Boleyn Girl (2001), which in 2002 won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists' Association and has been adapted into two films. AudioFile magazine has called Gregory "the queen of British historical fiction". Philippa Gregory
312-521: A Ph.D. degree in 18th-century literature in 1985 for her thesis entitled The popular fiction of eighteenth-century commercial circulating libraries . Gregory has taught at the University of Durham , University of Teesside , and the Open University , and was made a Fellow of Kingston University in 1994. She has written novels set in several different historical periods, though primarily
468-737: A vegan in 2009 after reading Jonathan Safran Foer 's Eating Animals and later produced a documentary on factory farming systems in the U.S. by the same title. In September 2017, she was recognized for her work on the film by the Environmental Media Association Awards with the Ongoing Commitment Award. She does not wear animal products and has praised animal-friendly products designed by Stella McCartney and Target . In 2007, she launched her own brand of animal-friendly footwear. In 2007, Portman traveled to Rwanda with Jack Hanna to film
624-659: A "reading order" for the series, based on the real-world chronology of historical figures and events. Collections: Princess Florizella series (picture books): Stand-alones: Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside
780-531: A 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually I would feel unsafe and that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort." She drew attention to the MeToo movement , revealing that her first fan letter was a "rape fantasy" from a man and that her local radio station created a countdown until her eighteenth birthday (when she would reach legal age to consent to have intercourse). In September 2023, Portman spoke at an event for
936-691: A 1998 production of The Diary of a Young Girl and gained international recognition for starring as Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). From 1999 to 2003, Portman attended Harvard University , graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She reduced her number of acting roles, but continued to act in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002, 2005) and in The Public Theater 's 2001 revival of Anton Chekhov 's play The Seagull . In 2004, Portman
1092-466: A 2008 interview, she also stated: "I even like John McCain . I disagree with his war stance – which is a really big deal – but I think he's a very moral person." In 2010, her activist work and popularity with young people earned her a nomination for VH1 's Do Something Awards, which is dedicated to honoring individuals who do good. In 2011, Portman and her then-fiancé Benjamin Millepied were among
1248-739: A B grade in English and two E grades in History and Geography at A-level . She then went to journalism college in Cardiff and spent a year as an apprentice with the Portsmouth News before she managed to gain a place on an English literature degree course at the University of Sussex , where she switched to a history course. In 1982, she received a B.A. degree in history from Sussex University. She worked for BBC radio for two years before attending University of Edinburgh , where she obtained
1404-543: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to
1560-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to
1716-553: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by
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#17327871286541872-401: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and
2028-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,
2184-468: A faux perfume commercial called Greed , directed by Roman Polanski , and in the anthology film New York, I Love You , she directed a segment and also starred in a different segment directed by Mira Nair . Portman next took on a role opposite Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal in the drama film Brothers , a remake of the 2004 Danish film of the same name . Her role was that of a war widow, for which she spoke with military wives to prepare. The film
2340-988: A four-part drama series for BBC television. Gregory's script was nominated for a BAFTA , won an award from the Committee for Racial Equality, and the film was shown worldwide. Two novels about a gardening family are set during the English Civil War : Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth , while she has in addition written contemporary fiction – Perfectly Correct , Mrs Hartley and the Growth Centre , The Little House and Zelda's Cut . She has also written for children. Some of her novels have won awards and have been adapted into television dramas. The most successful of her novels has been The Other Boleyn Girl , published in 2001 and adapted for BBC television in 2003 with Natascha McElhone , Jodhi May and Jared Harris . In
2496-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on
2652-500: A guest lecturer at Columbia University for a course in terrorism and counterterrorism , where she spoke about her film V for Vendetta . In February 2015, Portman was among other alumni of Harvard University including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , Darren Aronofsky and Susan Faludi who wrote an open letter to the school demanding it divest its $ 35,900,000,000 endowment from coal, gas, and oil companies. Later that year in May, she spoke at
2808-463: A leading role in Luc Besson 's action drama Léon: The Professional (1994). She adopted her paternal grandmother's maiden name, Portman, as her stage name. She played Mathilda, an orphan child who befriends a middle-aged hitman (played by Jean Reno ). Her parents were reluctant to let her do the part due to the explicit sexual and violent nature of the script, but agreed after Besson took out
2964-439: A mother herself. She collaborated closely with Amos, showing him drafts of her script as she adapted the book. A. O. Scott of The New York Times found it to be a "conscientious adaptation of a difficult book" and was appreciative of Portman's potential as a filmmaker. She next produced and starred in the western film Jane Got a Gun about a young mother seeking vengeance. Initially scheduled to be directed by Lynne Ramsay ,
3120-612: A precocious teenager who flirts with her much-older neighbor (played by Timothy Hutton ) in the ensemble comedy-drama Beautiful Girls (1996). Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "Portman, a budding knockout, is scene-stealingly good even in an overly showy role." She subsequently went back to Stagedoor Manor to appear in a production of the musical Cabaret . Also in 1996, Portman had brief roles in Woody Allen 's musical Everyone Says I Love You and Tim Burton 's comic science fiction film Mars Attacks! Portman
3276-530: A pregnant teenager. After finishing work on the film, she began attending Harvard University to pursue her bachelor's degree in psychology, and significantly reduced her acting roles over the next few years. She studied advanced Hebrew literature and neurobiology , and she served as Alan Dershowitz 's research assistant. In the summer of 2001, she returned to Broadway (at the Delacorte Theater ) to perform Chekhov 's drama The Seagull , which
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#17327871286543432-641: A prime example of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl character type – a stereotypical female role designed to spiritually help a male protagonist. Portman later said she found it upsetting to have contributed to the trope. She followed it by playing a mysterious stripper in Closer , a romantic drama directed by Mike Nichols based on the play of the same name , and co-starring Julia Roberts , Jude Law , and Clive Owen . Portman agreed to her first sexually explicit adult role after turning down such parts in
3588-399: A prolog to his feature The Darjeeling Limited (in which Portman had a cameo). In the short, she and Jason Schwartzman play former lovers who reunite in a Paris hotel room. For the first time, Portman performed an extended nude scene; she was later disappointed at the undue focus on it and she subsequently swore off appearing nude again. Keen to work in different genres, Portman accepted
3744-492: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of
3900-468: A role in the children's film Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium , playing an employee of a magical toy store. She also appeared in Paul McCartney 's music video " Dance Tonight " from his album Memory Almost Full , directed by Michel Gondry . Scarlett Johansson and Portman portrayed rival sisters Mary and Anne Boleyn , respectively, in the period film The Other Boleyn Girl (2008). She
4056-618: A scene in which her character is tortured, her head was shaved on camera; she considered it an opportunity to rid herself of vanity. Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle deemed it Portman's strongest performance to that point, and remarked that she "keeps you focused on her words and actions instead of her bald head." She was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Actress . Portman began 2006 by hosting an episode of
4212-407: A script, and helped develop her part by reading the biography of scientists such as Rosalind Franklin . Richard Kuipers of Variety commended Portman's "sterling work in a thinly written role" for adding dimension to the film's romantic subplot. Thor earned $ 449.3 million worldwide to emerge as the 15th highest-grossing film of 2011 . In 2012, Portman topped Forbes ' listing of
4368-672: A series of books about the Plantagenets , the ruling houses that preceded the Tudors , and the Wars of the Roses . Her first book The White Queen , published in 2009, centres on the life of Elizabeth Woodville , the wife of Edward IV . The Red Queen , published in 2010, is about Margaret Beaufort the mother of Henry VII and grandmother to Henry VIII . The Lady of the Rivers (2011),
4524-684: A series of offers to play a sexualized youngster, adding that it "dictated a lot of my choices afterwards 'cos it scared me ... it made me reluctant to do sexy stuff". Portman instead signed on to star as Anne Frank in a Broadway revival of The Diary of Anne Frank , which was staged at the Music Box Theatre from December 1997 to May 1998. In preparation, she twice visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and interacted with Miep Gies , who had preserved Anne's diary after
4680-613: A short story "Why Holly Berries are as Red as Roses" to an anthology supporting the Woodland Trust . The anthology, Why Willows Weep has so far helped The Woodland Trust plant approximately 50,000 trees. Gregory was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to literature and to charity in the UK and the Gambia. In 2024, Gregory's play on Richard III, Richard, My Richard ,
4836-477: A similar audacity and extravagance that few actresses would dare attempt, let alone be allowed to get away with". Unused footage from Thor: The Dark World and a new voice-over were used for Portman's brief appearance in the 2019 superhero film Avengers: Endgame . She then portrayed a psychologically troubled astronaut (based on Lisa Nowak ) in the drama Lucy in the Sky , directed by Noah Hawley . She replaced
Philippa Gregory - Misplaced Pages Continue
4992-605: A time after Millepied accepted the position of director of dance with the Paris Opera Ballet , and Portman has expressed a desire to become a French citizen. In 2013, she was living in Los Angeles. In 2017 she bought a Montecito mansion, which she sold in 2021 for $ 8 million. In 2006, Portman commented that she felt more Jewish in Israel and that she would like to raise her children Jewish: "A priority for me
5148-400: A young couple in a casual sex relationship. She described the experience of making it as a "palate cleanser" from the intensity of Black Swan . It received unfavorable reviews but was a commercial success. She next agreed to the film Your Highness for the opportunity of playing an athletic and foul-mouthed character, which she believed was rare for actresses. Critics were dismissive of
5304-636: Is a 10-part adaptation of Gregory's novels The White Queen , The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter (2012). In 2013, Helen Brown of The Telegraph wrote that "Gregory has made an impressive career out of breathing passionate, independent life into the historical noblewomen whose personalities had previously lain flat on family trees, remembered only as diplomatic currency and brood mares." She added, "Gregory’s historical fiction has always been entertainingly speculative (those tempted to sneer should note that she’s never claimed otherwise) and comes with lashings of romantic licence." In 2011, she contributed
5460-585: Is a dual citizen of Israel and the United States. Portman and her family first lived in Washington, D.C., but relocated to Connecticut in 1988 and then moved to Long Island in 1990. While living in Washington, Portman attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland . Her native language is Hebrew . While living on Long Island, she attended a Jewish elementary school,
5616-466: Is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific screen career from her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films , receiving multiple accolades , including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards . Portman began her acting career at age twelve, when she starred as the young protégée of a hitman in the action film Léon: The Professional (1994). While in high school, she made her Broadway debut in
5772-516: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear
5928-802: Is both inscrutable and naked, broken but unquestionably resilient, a mess and yet fiercely dignified". She won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also served as producer for the comedy horror film Pride and Prejudice and Zombies , directed by Burr Steers , and starred in Rebecca Zlotowski 's French-Belgian drama Planetarium . The 2017 experimental romance Song to Song marked Portman's second collaboration with Terrence Malick, which like their previous film polarized critics. In 2018, Portman starred in
6084-512: Is definitely that I'd like to raise my kids Jewish, but the ultimate thing is to have someone who is a good person and who is a partner." In January 2014, Millepied said he was in the process of converting to Judaism . In early 2023, media reports emerged of an extramarital affair by Millepied. The couple never publicly addressed the allegations. On March 8, 2024, it was announced that Portman and Millepied had officially divorced. In 2010, Portman signed on with Dior and appeared in several of
6240-488: Is ludicrous." Susan Bordo criticised Gregory's claims to historical accuracy as "self-deceptive and self-promoting chutzpah", and notes that it is not so much the many inaccuracies in her work as "Gregory's insistence on her meticulous adherence to history that most aggravates the scholars." In her novel The Other Boleyn Girl , her portrayal of Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn drew criticism. The novel depicts Anne as cold and ruthless, as well as strongly implying that
6396-973: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to
Philippa Gregory - Misplaced Pages Continue
6552-438: Is the life of Jacquetta of Luxembourg , mother of Elizabeth Woodville. The Kingmaker's Daughter , published in 2012, is about Anne Neville , the wife of Richard III , and The White Princess (2013) centres on the life of Elizabeth of York , wife of Henry VII and the mother of Henry VIII. The Last Tudor is a novel about Jane Grey and her sisters Katherine and Mary. The 2013 BBC One television series The White Queen
6708-501: The Los Angeles Times believed that she wasn't "enough of an actress to unfold Mathilda's pain" and criticized Besson's sexualization of her character. "[T]here's a surprising preponderance of that kind of role for young girls. Sort of being fantasy objects for men, and especially this idealised purity combined with the fertility of youth, and all this in one. ... It was definitely interesting to think about – why men write
6864-519: The 2023 Cannes Film Festival . Portman played an actress researching for her role as a woman (played by Moore) whose marriage to a much younger man was highly controversial. She was pleased to work with Haynes, whose work she admired, and to play a morally ambiguous character. Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent believed that the film had been "galvanised by the tremendous performances from Portman and Moore". Portman received another Golden Globe nomination for her performance. The company next produced
7020-577: The Academy Award for Best Actress . She starred in the romantic comedy No Strings Attached (2011) and portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy in the biopic Jackie (2016), which earned her a third Academy Award nomination. Portman has also featured as Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), which established her as one of
7176-570: The COVID-19 pandemic . Later in 2020, Portman was announced as one of the co-founders and investors in an almost all-female group that was awarded a new franchise in the National Women's Soccer League , the top level of the women's sport in the U.S. The new team, since unveiled as Angel City FC , began play in the 2022 NWSL season . On November 12, 2023, she took part in the March for
7332-487: The Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Superhero Movie. In a 2022 readers' poll by Empire magazine, Portman was voted one of the 50 greatest actors of all time. Portman and her producing partner, Sophie Mas, founded the production company MountainA in 2021, and signed a first-look television deal with Apple TV+ . The company's first project was May December , a drama from filmmaker Todd Haynes , starring Portman and Julianne Moore , which premiered at
7488-619: The HBO documentary series Angel City , about the inaugural season of Angel City FC , which was co-founded by Portman. MountainA's third project was Lady in the Lake (2024), an Apple TV+ miniseries adaptation of Laura Lippman 's thriller novel . Portman played a 1960s housewife in Baltimore who turns into an investigative journalist following an unsolved murder. Production in Baltimore
7644-495: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use
7800-767: The PBS program Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria , she discussed microfinance . Host Fareed Zakaria said that he was "generally wary of celebrities with fashionable causes", but included the segment with Portman because "she really knew her stuff". On This Week with George Stephanopoulos in April 2007, Portman discussed her work with FINCA and how it can benefit women and children in Third World countries. In fall-2007, she visited several university campuses, including Harvard, USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Stanford, Princeton, New York University, and Columbia, to inspire students with
7956-607: The Pablo Larraín -directed biopic Jackie (2016), about Kennedy's life immediately after the 1963 assassination of her husband . She was initially intimidated to take on the part of a well-known public figure, and eventually researched Kennedy extensively by watching videos of her, reading books, and listening to audiotapes of her interviews. She also worked with a dialect coach to adopt Kennedy's unique speaking style. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter termed it an "incandescent performance" and added that "her Jackie
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#17327871286548112-712: The Solomon Schechter Day School of Nassau County . She studied ballet and modern dance at the American Theater Dance Workshop, and regularly attended the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts . Describing her early life, Portman has said that she was "different from the other kids. I was more ambitious. I knew what I liked and what I wanted, and I worked very hard. I was a very serious kid." When Portman
8268-529: The Stagedoor Manor performing arts camp, where she played Anne Shirley in a staging of Anne of Green Gables . Michael Mann offered her the small part of the suicidal stepdaughter of Al Pacino 's character in the action film Heat (1995) for her ability to portray dysfunction without hysteria. Impressed by her performance in The Professional , the director Ted Demme cast her as
8424-508: The Tudor period and the 16th century. Reading a number of novels set in the 17th century led her to write the best-selling Lacey trilogy Wideacre , which is a story about the love of land and incest , The Favoured Child and Meridon . This was followed by The Wise Woman . A Respectable Trade , a novel of the slave trade in England, set in 18th-century Bristol , was adapted by Gregory for
8580-546: The civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or a dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition
8736-473: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of
8892-792: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when
9048-494: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of
9204-729: The British government. Gregory wrote her first novel Wideacre while completing her doctorate and lived during that time in a cottage on the Pennine Way with her first husband Peter Chislett, editor of the Hartlepool Mail , and their baby daughter. They divorced before the book was published. Previously separated as the Tudor Court and Cousins' War series, as of August 2016 Gregory lists these novels as one series, The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels . Gregory has suggested
9360-507: The Clones (2002), Closer (2004), Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), V for Vendetta (2005), Black Swan (2010), No Strings Attached (2011), Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Jackie (2016), Annihilation (2018), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Portman has received numerous accolades for her work , including an Academy Award ,
9516-572: The Clones , which she had filmed in Sydney and London during her summer break of 2000. She was excited by the opportunity to play a confident young woman who did not depend on the male lead. When asked about balancing her career and education, she said, "I don't care if [college] ruins my career. I'd rather be smart than a movie star." In 2002, she contributed to a study on memory called " Frontal lobe activation during object permanence : data from near-infrared spectroscopy". Portman graduated from Harvard in 2003 and her sole screen appearance that year
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#17327871286549672-445: The Mathilda character's nudity and killings that she committed. Portman herself said that after those scenes were removed, she found nothing objectionable about the content. Even so, her mother was displeased with some of the "sexual twists and turns" in the finished film, which were not part of the script. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post commended Portman for bringing a "genuine sense of tragedy" to her part, but Peter Rainer of
9828-419: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable
9984-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of
10140-456: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become
10296-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of
10452-459: The Republic and Against Antisemitism in Paris in response to the rise in antisemitism since the start of the Israel–Hamas war . Portman was married to French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied , with whom she has two children. The couple began dating in 2009 after having met while working together on the set of Black Swan , and wed in a Jewish ceremony held in Big Sur, California , on August 4, 2012. The family lived in Paris for
10608-414: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of
10764-404: The United Nations Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls, where she urged member states to reinvest in the Initiative and ending gender-based violence. In 2020, Portman endorsed the " defund the police " movement. In 2020, Portman collaborated with JusticeLA to create a public service announcement #SuingToSaveLives about the health of people in L.A. County jails amid
10920-404: The accusations that she committed adultery and incest with her brother were true, despite it being widely accepted that she was innocent of the charges. Novelist Robin Maxwell refused on principle to write a blurb for this book, describing its characterisation of Anne as "vicious, unsupportable". Gregory runs a small charity building wells in school gardens in The Gambia . Gardens for The Gambia
11076-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to
11232-574: The annual Harvard Class Day to the graduating class of 2015. At Harvard, Portman wrote a letter to The Harvard Crimson in response to an essay critical of Israeli actions toward Palestinians . She has nevertheless criticized the Israeli government , specifically Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Portman was critical of Netanyahu's re-election in 2015, saying she was "disappointed" and often found his comments racist. In November 2017, Portman
11388-544: The bruised core of her character that they seem to wear the same skin." She won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and received an Academy Award nomination in the same category. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith , the final installment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, was Portman's first film release of 2005. It earned over $ 848 million to rank as the second-highest-grossing film of
11544-474: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of
11700-479: The charity has piloted a successful bee-keeping scheme, funded feeding programmes and educational workshops in batik and pottery and is working with larger donors to install mechanical boreholes in some remote areas of the country where the water table is not accessible by digging alone. Philippa Gregory is a patron of The UK Chagos Support Association , which supports the Chagos islanders in their legal disputes with
11856-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with
12012-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon
12168-494: The company's advertising campaigns. In October 2012, Britain's Advertising Standards Authority banned a Dior advertisement that featured Portman wearing Dior mascara after a complaint from Dior's competitor, L'Oreal , saying that the advert "misleadingly exaggerated the likely effects of the product". The ASA ruled that "the ad was likely to mislead". Portman is the face of one of the company's fragrances, Miss Dior, inspired by Catherine Dior . She has starred in campaign videos for
12324-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In
12480-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse
12636-626: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by
12792-620: The documentary Gorillas on the Brink . Portman has been an advocate of environmental causes since childhood, when she joined an environmental song and dance troupe known as World Patrol Kids. Portman has also supported anti-poverty causes. In 2004 and 2005, she traveled to Uganda , Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International , an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in developing countries. In an interview appearing on
12948-478: The family was captured; she found a connection with Frank's story, given her own family's history with the Holocaust. Reviewing the production for Variety , Greg Evans disliked her portrayal, which he thought had "little of the charm, budding genius or even brittle intelligence that the diary itself reveals". Conversely, Ben Brantley found an "ineffable grace in her awkwardness". The experience of performing
13104-528: The female characters they do. Just like the way they write the male character. How much is wish-fulfilment fantasy, and why." —Portman on playing sexualized youngsters as a child, 2007 After filming The Professional , Portman went back to school and during the summer break of 1994, she filmed a part in Marya Cohn 's short film Developing . In it she played a young girl coping with her mother's (played by Frances Conroy ) cancer. She also enrolled at
13260-560: The film for its heavy-handed approach to the conflicts in the Middle East. Portman's final film role in 2005 was that of Evey Hammond in the political thriller V for Vendetta , based on the comics of the same name , about an alternative future where a neo-fascist regime has subjugated the United Kingdom. She was drawn to the provocative nature of the script, and worked with a dialect coach to speak in an English accent. In
13416-440: The film's denouement with a raw, alluring showstopper of a performance." Black Swan emerged as a sleeper hit , grossing over $ 329 million worldwide against a $ 13 million budget, and earned Portman several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress . Following her Oscar win, controversy arose over who performed the bulk of the on-screen dancing in the film. Sarah Lane , one of Portman's dancing doubles in
13572-575: The film's premiere so she could study for her high school finals. The critical response to the film was mixed, but with earnings of $ 924 million worldwide it was the second highest-grossing film of all time to that point, and it established Portman as a global star. Portman graduated from Syosset High School in 1999. Her high school paper, "A Simple Method to Demonstrate the Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen from Sugar", co-authored with scientists Ian Hurley and Jonathan Woodward,
13728-568: The film's producer Reese Witherspoon , who backed out due to a scheduling conflict. The film was poorly received, though Portman's performance was praised. The following year, she narrated the Disney+ nature documentary Dolphin Reef and voiced Jane Foster in the animated series What If...? . In 2022, Portman reprised her role as Foster in the sequel Thor: Love and Thunder , in which her character becomes Mighty Thor . She agreed to return to
13884-443: The film's reliance on scatological humor and it proved to be a box-office bomb . In her final film release of 2011, Portman took on the part of Jane Foster , a scientist and love-interest of the titular character (played by Chris Hemsworth ) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Thor . She liked the idea of Kenneth Branagh directing a big-budget film that emphasized character; she signed on to it before receiving
14040-446: The film, claimed that the actress performed only about five percent of the full-body shots, adding that she was asked by the film's producers not to speak publicly about it during awards season . Aronofsky defended Portman by insisting that she had performed 80 percent of the on-screen dancing. Portman next served as an executive producer for No Strings Attached (2011), a romantic comedy in which she starred with Ashton Kutcher as
14196-529: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms
14352-448: The fragrance, and promoted a new version of the fragrance, Rose N'Roses, in 2021. Portman is a polyglot , and speaks English, Hebrew, French, German, Japanese and Arabic, to various degrees. Portman's most acclaimed and highest-grossing films, according to the online portal Box Office Mojo and the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes , include Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of
14508-467: The franchise after meeting with director Taika Waititi , who offered to portray her character in an "adventurous and fun and funny" way. In preparation, Portman took the Mjolnir prop home to practice using it for her stunts. Nick Allen at RogerEbert.com opined, "In both her human and her heroic state, Portman’s performance conveys why it's great to see Jane again." Portman received a nomination for
14664-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of
14820-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within
14976-698: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag ( Hebrew : נטע-לי הרשלג ; born ( 1981-06-09 ) June 9, 1981), known professionally as Natalie Portman ,
15132-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to
15288-640: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of
15444-528: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning
15600-516: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within
15756-588: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,
15912-559: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of
16068-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with
16224-564: The most bankable stars in Hollywood. Her sole screen appearance that year was in Paul McCartney 's music video "My Valentine", alongside Johnny Depp . The following year, she reprised the role of Jane Foster in Thor: The Dark World , which earned over $ 644 million worldwide to emerge as the 10th highest-grossing film of 2013 . Forbes featured her in their Celebrity 100 listing of 2014, and estimated her income from
16380-473: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use
16536-399: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of
16692-620: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that
16848-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of
17004-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to
17160-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from
17316-625: The painter Francisco Goya . Forman cast her in the film after finding a resemblance between her and Goya's portrait The Milkmaid of Bordeaux . She insisted on using a body double for her nude scenes after discovering on set that she had to perform them when they were not originally in the script. It received predominantly negative reviews, but Roger Ebert was appreciative of Portman for playing her dual role "with fearless conviction". Portman began 2007 by replacing Jodie Foster in Wong Kar-wai 's romantic drama My Blueberry Nights , which
17472-618: The part with Raffey Cassidy . She was drawn to the idea of showcasing the negative effects of fame, and in preparation, she watched documentaries on musicians and listened to the music of Sia , who wrote her songs in the film. For the climactic dance routines, she trained with her husband, Benjamin Millepied, who choreographed the sequence. It received mixed reviews from critics, but Portman's performance earned praise. Comparing it to her performances in Black Swan and Jackie , Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph wrote that "this role has
17628-533: The part without unnecessary sentimentality. It only received a limited theatrical release and was distributed on Netflix internationally. Her next appearance was in Xavier Dolan 's first English-language film, the ensemble drama The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (2018), which was termed a "shocking misfire" by Eric Kohn of IndieWire . She then starred as a troubled pop singer in Vox Lux , sharing
17784-563: The part. Mary Elizabeth Williams of Salon called Portman's performance "astonishing" and added that "unlike any number of actresses her age, she's neither too maudlin nor too plucky". She received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for it. Portman's sole screen appearance in 2000 was in Where the Heart Is , a romantic drama filmed in Texas, in which she played
17940-428: The past, saying it reflected her own maturity as a person. She had also performed her first nude scenes for the film, but they were deleted from the final cut when she insisted that they were inessential to the story. Closer grossed over $ 115 million worldwide against a $ 27 million budget, and the critic Peter Travers took note of Portman's "blazing, breakthrough performance", writing that she "digs so deep into
18096-454: The play was emotionally draining for her, as she attended high school during the day and performed at night; she wrote personal essays in Time and Seventeen magazines about her experience. Portman began filming the part of Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy in 1997, which marked her first big-budget production. The first film of the series, Episode I – The Phantom Menace
18252-681: The power of microfinance and to encourage them to join the Village Banking Campaign to help families and communities lift themselves out of poverty. Portman is a supporter of the Democratic Party , and for the 2004 presidential election she campaigned for Senator John Kerry . Prior to the 2008 presidential election , she supported Senator Hillary Clinton of New York in the Democratic primaries. Portman later campaigned for Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. In
18408-575: The previous year to be $ 13 million. In 2015, Portman appeared alongside an ensemble cast, including Christian Bale , in Terrence Malick 's experimental drama film Knight of Cups , which marked her first project after giving birth. She shot for it within a week of returning to work and she did not receive a traditional script or dialogues, improvising most of her scenes with Bale. She said that shooting with Malick influenced her own directorial venture, A Tale of Love and Darkness which
18564-558: The production was plagued with numerous difficulties. Ramsay did not turn up on set for the first day of filming and was eventually replaced with Gavin O'Connor . Michael Fassbender , Jude Law , and Bradley Cooper were all cast as the male lead, before Ewan McGregor played the part. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian reviewed that Portman's "stately performance" was not enough to save the "laborious and solemn western", and it grossed less than $ 4 million against its $ 25 million budget. Portman portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy in
18720-567: The prospect of performing Swan Lake in Darren Aronofsky 's psychological horror film Black Swan . She was trained by the professional ballerina Mary Helen Bowers , and in preparation, she trained for five to eight hours daily for six months and lost 20 pounds (9 kg). Her performance was acclaimed; writing for Empire , Dan Jolin found her to be "simultaneously at her most vulnerable and her most predatory, at once frostily brittle and raunchily malleable [...] before peaking at
18876-654: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:
19032-588: The science fiction film Annihilation , based on Jeff VanderMeer 's novel . She played a biologist and former soldier who studies a mysterious quarantined zone of mutating organisms. She was pleased to headline a rare female-led science fiction film, and she moved her family near Pinewood Studios during filming. For the action sequences, she underwent movement training with the dancer Bobbi Jene Smith . Benjamin Lee of The Guardian took note of Portman's "strong, fiercely compelling presence" and commended her for playing
19188-472: The short film Eve , opened the short-film screenings at the 65th Venice International Film Festival . It is about a young woman who goes to her grandmother's romantic date, and Portman drew inspiration for the older character (played by Lauren Bacall) from her own grandmother. A poorly received adaptation of Ayelet Waldman 's novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits , entitled The Other Woman , marked Portman's first film role of 2009. She appeared in
19344-413: The signers of a petition to President Obama in support of same-sex marriage . She supported Obama's re-election campaign in 2012. In 2009, Portman signed a petition that defended Roman Polanski , who was charged with drugging and raping a thirteen-year-old girl in 1977, and has been a fugitive for decades. In February 2018, she expressed regret over signing the petition. In January 2011, Portman
19500-461: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of
19656-548: The television sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live . One of her sketches, a song named "Natalie's Rap", was released later in 2009 on Incredibad , an album by the Lonely Island . In the anthology film Paris, je t'aime , consisting of eighteen short films, she had a role in the segment named "Faubourg Saint-Denis" from director Tom Tykwer . Later that year, she starred in Miloš Forman 's Goya's Ghosts , about
19812-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of
19968-589: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and
20124-413: The world's highest-paid actresses. Co-founding the production company MountainA in 2021, Portman produced and starred in the drama May December (2023). Portman's directorial ventures include the short film Eve (2008) and the biographical drama A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015). She is a dual citizen of Israel and the United States, and an advocate for animal rights and environmental causes. She
20280-634: The year . She next played a Jewish-American girl in Free Zone , a drama from Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai . To prepare, she studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and read memoirs of Yitzhak Rabin , which she said allowed her to explore both the role and her own heritage. Controversy arose when she filmed a kissing scene at the Western Wall , where gender segregation is enforced, and she later issued an apology. Critics disliked
20436-580: The year of its publication, The Other Boleyn Girl also won the Romantic Novel of the Year and it has subsequently spawned sequels – The Queen's Fool , The Virgin's Lover , The Constant Princess , The Boleyn Inheritance , and The Other Queen . Miramax bought the film rights to The Other Boleyn Girl and released a film of the same name in February 2008 starring Eric Bana , Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson . Gregory has also published
20592-537: Was announced as the Genesis Prize recipient for 2018, which includes $ 2,000,000 in prize money. The following April, Portman announced that she did not plan to attend the awards ceremony scheduled for June, citing "recent events in Israel" that left her feeling uncomfortable attending public events there. The ceremony was canceled. Portman further clarified that she was not boycotting Israel, explaining that she did not want to "appear as endorsing" Netanyahu, who
20748-490: Was announced in May 2012 that Portman would be working with watch designer Richard Mille to develop a limited-edition timepiece with proceeds supporting WE Charity. During WE Day California 2019 Portman gave a pro vegan speech in front of the student audience, linking vegan lifestyle and feminism. In December 2019, she visited Kenya a second time with WE Charity and spoke with young girls determined to improve their lives through access to education. In 2006, Portman served as
20904-586: Was appointed an ambassador of WE Charity (formerly known as Free The Children), an international charity and educational partner, spearheading their Power of a Girl campaign. She hosted a contest challenging girls in North America to fundraise for one of WE Charity's all-girl schools in Kenya. As incentives for the contest winner, Portman offered the designer Rodarte dress she wore to the premiere of Black Swan , along with tickets to her next film premiere. It
21060-512: Was born on 9 January 1954 in Nairobi , at that time serving as capital city of the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya (modern-day Republic of Kenya ), the second daughter of Elaine (Wedd) and Arthur Percy Gregory, a radio operator and navigator for East African Airways . When she was two years old, her family moved to Bristol , UK. She was a "rebel" at Colston's Girls' School where she obtained
21216-493: Was briefly paused when the crew received threats of violence. Continuing her collaboration with Apple TV+, Portman will next star in Fountain of Youth , an adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie . Portman, who is an advocate for animal rights , became a vegetarian at age eight; the decision came after she witnessed a demonstration of laser surgery on a chicken while attending a medical conference with her father. She became
21372-589: Was cast opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann 's Romeo + Juliet (1996), but she dropped out during rehearsals when studio executives found her too young for the role. Luhrmann said "Natalie was amazing in the footage, but it was too much of a burden for her at that age". She was also offered Adrian Lyne 's Lolita , based on the novel of the same name , but she turned down the part due to its excessive sexual content. She later bemoaned that her parts in The Professional and Beautiful Girls prompted
21528-569: Was directed by Mike Nichols and co-starred Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman . Linda Winer of Newsday wrote that the "major surprises come from Portman, whose Nina transforms with astonishing lyricism from the girl with ambition to Chekhov's most difficult symbol of destruction". Also in 2001, Portman was among several celebrities who made cameo appearances in the comedy Zoolander . The following year she reprised her role of Amidala in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of
21684-502: Was entered in the Intel Science Talent Search . Following production on The Phantom Menace , Portman initially turned down a lead role in the coming-of-age film Anywhere but Here (1999) after learning it would involve a sex scene, but the director Wayne Wang and actress Susan Sarandon (who played Portman's mother in the film) demanded a rewrite of the script. She was shown a new draft, and decided to accept
21840-485: Was established in 1993 when Gregory was in The Gambia, researching for her book A Respectable Trade . Since then the charity has dug almost 200 low technology, low budget and therefore easily maintained wells, which are on-stream and providing water to irrigate school and community gardens to provide meals for the poorest children and harvest a cash crop to buy school equipment, seeds and tools. In addition to wells,
21996-521: Was excited by the opportunity to work opposite another actress her age, bemoaning that such casting was rare in film. Derek Elley of Variety was critical of Portman's English accent and wrote that she "doesn't quite bring the necessary heft to make Anne a truly dominant power player". The film had modest box-office earnings. She served as a jury member of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and also launched her own production company, named handsomecharlie films, after her late dog. Portman's directorial debut,
22152-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin
22308-498: Was his first English-language film. For her role as a gambler, she trained with a poker coach. Richard Corliss of Time magazine believed that "for once she's not playing a waif or a child princess but a mature, full-bodied woman" and commended her "vibrancy, grittiness and ache, all performed with a virtuosa's easy assurance". Her next appearance was in Hotel Chevalier , a short film from Wes Anderson , which served as
22464-415: Was in the brief part of a young mother in the war film Cold Mountain . Portman began 2004 by featuring in the romantic comedy Garden State , which was written and directed by its star Zach Braff . She was the first actor to sign on to the film after finding a connection with her part: a spirited young girl suffering from epilepsy. Her role in it was described by Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club . as
22620-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach
22776-610: Was married to dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied from 2012 to 2024, with whom she has two children. Natalie Hershlag was born on June 9, 1981, in Jerusalem , to Jewish parents with roots in Poland , Russia , Austria , and Romania . She is the only child of Shelley Stevens, an Ohio-born artist, and Avner Hershlag, an Israeli-born gynecologist. Her maternal grandparents were American Jews , whereas her paternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants to Israel. Portman
22932-482: Was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won a Golden Globe for playing a mysterious stripper in the romantic drama Closer . Portman's career further advanced with her starring roles as Evey Hammond in V for Vendetta (2005), Anne Boleyn in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), and a troubled ballerina in the psychological thriller Black Swan (2010), for which she won
23088-513: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as
23244-473: Was performed at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds . Gregory has said that her "commitment to historical accuracy" is a hallmark of her writing. This is disputed by historians. Historian David Starkey , appearing alongside Gregory in a documentary about Anne Boleyn , described her work as "good Mills and Boon ", adding that: "We really should stop taking historical novelists seriously as historians. The idea that they have authority
23400-585: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of
23556-578: Was released in 1999, when she was in her senior year of high school. Portman was unfamiliar with the franchise when she was cast, and watched the original Star Wars trilogy before filming began. She worked closely with the director George Lucas on her character's accent and mannerisms, and watched the films of Lauren Bacall , Audrey Hepburn , and Katharine Hepburn to draw inspiration from their voice and stature. Filming in arduous locations in Algeria proved challenging for Portman. She did not attend
23712-601: Was released in the same year. Based on Israeli author Amos Oz 's autobiographical novel of the same name which is set in Jerusalem during the last years of the British Mandate of Palestine , the Hebrew-language film starred Portman who also produced and co-wrote it. She had wanted to adapt the book since she first read it a decade ago, but postponed it until she was old enough to play the leading role of
23868-422: Was shot during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike , and Portman found it challenging to shoot certain scenes without a written script. Claudia Puig of USA Today found her to be "subdued and reactive in a part that doesn't call for her to do much else". After producing and co-starring alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the black comedy Hesher (2010), Portman played a ballerina overwhelmed with
24024-498: Was ten years old, a Revlon agent spotted her at a pizza restaurant and asked her to become a child model. She turned down the offer but used the opportunity to get an acting agent. She auditioned for the 1992 off-Broadway Ruthless! , a musical about a girl who is prepared to commit murder to get the lead in a school play. Portman and Britney Spears were chosen as understudies for star Laura Bell Bundy . Six months after Ruthless! ended, Hershlag auditioned for and secured
24180-526: Was to be given for services rendered in the UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use
24336-517: Was to give a speech at the ceremony. She is also a member of the One Voice movement . In January 2018, she donated $ 50,000 to the Time's Up initiative. Portman took part in the 2018 Women's March in Los Angeles, where she spoke about the "sexual terrorism" she experienced at age thirteen after the release of her film Léon: The Professional . She told the crowd, "I understood very quickly, even as
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