2. Natalie Portman - Leon: The Professional
Natalie Portman is one of those actresses that it's hard to believe is under 30, because she started acting so young that it seems like she's been around forever. Capable of a maturity far beyond her years, she shines in Leon: The Professional, her first feature film. What's so impressive about this performance is that everything she does is a conscious acting decision. It's hard enough for a kid to figure out how they would react to a situation and then act that out. It's something else entirely to be able to get in the head of a character and determine how
they would react. Somehow, she's able to pull off this fantastic, complex, multi-faceted performance that feels like a living, breathing girl. She holds her own against co-star Jean Reno, who is no slouch himself in the acting department. I'll never understand why she didn't get more attention for this film around awards time, but I take solace in the fact that most people consider this to be one of the best child performances ever.