10 Actors Who Gave Two WILDLY Different Performances In The Same Year
2. Natalie Portman - Garden State & Closer
In 2004, the year before the Star Wars prequel trilogy was due to release its climactic installment, Natalie Portman made a concerted attempted to prove to Hollywood and audiences that she had true dramatic chops - chops which weren't even remotely appreciated on George Lucas' space opera triptych.
In the summer of 2004, Portman played the female lead in Zach Braff's directorial debut Garden State, with her deeply eccentric character Sam basically epitomising what would in later years be termed the "Manic Pixie Dream Girl". Cute, quirky, and absolutely unlike anyone who actually exists in real-life.
At year's end, conversely, Portman appeared in Mike Nichols' drama Closer, playing a decidedly more out-there and less-bookish character - a former stripper by the name of Alice (and later revealed to actually be named Jane).
For Portman to go from playing a charming girl next door-type to a sexually confident, outgoing schemer was truly head-spinning to watch, with the latter proving persuasively eye-opening enough that Portman received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her transformative work.