1. Leon: The Professional (1994)
The number 1 and 2 entries in this list are almost interchangeable and almost bookend Portmans career so far. Theyre 2 wonderful yet hugely different performances with The Professional just edging out Black Swan on account of the iconic nature of her part as Mathilda alongside Jean Renos Leon in Luc Bessons classic thriller. History has shown that this performance was no fluke, but who knew that at the time? Anyone seen Haley Joel Osment recently? In her first acting role, for which she
auditioned when she was 11, Natalie Portman almost steals the show even though shes got Gary Oldman to contend with. As most are aware, Leon is the story of a professional hit man who befriends a 12-year-old girl, Mathilda, when her family are murdered. Despite all the killing, the relationship between the two leads is the film, Gary Olmans performance is fun-as-hell but inconsequential if the relationship between Leon and Mathilda doesnt work, but thankfully it does. Thankfully Natalie Portman went to that audition and thankfully she was cast. The conceit is fairly high-concept yet the central relationship is complex and layered, without anyone but Portman in the role of Mathilda the film becomes a very different beast. From her cold stare to her precociousness, Mathilda is deadly serious and Portman demands that she is taken seriously. If this part is poorly cast the movie potentially goes from classic to run-of-the-mill, perhaps even comical, as the audience has to buy into Mathildas plight and thanks to Portman they do.