Portman named Best Actress for ‘Black Swan’ role

 Portman poses on the red carpet as she arrives at the 83rd Academy Awards in Hollywood, California.


Natalie Portman won the best actress Academy Award today (Sunday night local time) for her role as an unhinged ballerina in “Black Swan.”

The 29-year-old Israeli-American was considered the strong favourite for the award, having dominated the various awards shows leading up to the Oscars.


Portman trained five hours a day for six months to prepare for “Black Swan,” a project she and director Darren Aronofsky first discussed about nine years ago. When they started shooting the film in 2009, it had not secured any financing.

Her character, desperately insecure and possibly still a virgin, contends with professional jealousies and rivalries as she secures the dual lead roles in “Swan Lake.”

The film was a commercial and critical hit, with worldwide ticket sales of more than US$200 million (RM600 million). As a bonus, Portman last year announced she was pregnant and would marry the baby’s father, a dancer she met on the “Black Swan” set. She previously received an Oscar nomination in 2005, for her supporting role in “Closer.”

Portman’s rivals were four-time nominee Annette Bening for “The Kids Are All Right,” previous Oscar winner Nicole Kidman for “Rabbit Hole,” Jennifer Lawrence for “Winter’s Bone,” and Michelle Williams for “Blue Valentine.”

Portman named Best Actress for ‘Black Swan’ role

 Portman poses on the red carpet as she arrives at the 83rd Academy Awards in Hollywood, California.


Natalie Portman won the best actress Academy Award today (Sunday night local time) for her role as an unhinged ballerina in “Black Swan.”

The 29-year-old Israeli-American was considered the strong favourite for the award, having dominated the various awards shows leading up to the Oscars.


Portman trained five hours a day for six months to prepare for “Black Swan,” a project she and director Darren Aronofsky first discussed about nine years ago. When they started shooting the film in 2009, it had not secured any financing.

Her character, desperately insecure and possibly still a virgin, contends with professional jealousies and rivalries as she secures the dual lead roles in “Swan Lake.”

The film was a commercial and critical hit, with worldwide ticket sales of more than US$200 million (RM600 million). As a bonus, Portman last year announced she was pregnant and would marry the baby’s father, a dancer she met on the “Black Swan” set. She previously received an Oscar nomination in 2005, for her supporting role in “Closer.”

Portman’s rivals were four-time nominee Annette Bening for “The Kids Are All Right,” previous Oscar winner Nicole Kidman for “Rabbit Hole,” Jennifer Lawrence for “Winter’s Bone,” and Michelle Williams for “Blue Valentine.”

Oscar 2011 The winners of the shortest frocks and celebrity oscar pictures.

 Different shades of black: Kate Beckinsale keeps it classy in black - unlike Jena  Malone who wore a see-through lace number

 Alone: Jessica Biel arrived at the party solo after her boyfriend Justin Timberlake took his mother rather than her to the Oscars ceremony earlier in the evening - but her singer boyfriend joined her later

 Young love: Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were also on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles last night

 Still together: Jessica and boyfriend Justin Timberlake cosy up on the sofa at the Vanity Fair party

Back to black: Kate Beckinsale and her husband Len Wiseman looked loved up in matching black at the glitzy bash

 Party people: Mick Jagger and his model girlfriend L'Wren Scott were also on the red carpet, along with Jude Law and his friend Robert Downey Jnr and wife Susan

 

 Golden couples: True Blood's Stephen Moyer and his onscreen and offscreen partner Anna Paquin and Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey 

 Bobbydazzlers: Taylor Swift, left, shimmered in a short gold strapless gown with matching shoes, whereas Cameron Diaz, right, was wearing a tight off-the-shoulder monochrome print dress with black shoeboots

 All that glisters: Golden girl Taylor made a grand entrance in her sparkling gold frock

 Ladies in red: Previous Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock looked stunning in vivid scarlet while comedy actress Leslie Mann was classy in claret 

 Time to shine: Glee star Lea Michele, Emma Roberts and Claire Danes all had different ideas of red carpet glamour 

 Contrasts: Emma Stone, who stars in the forthcoming The Amazing Spider-Man, wore an interested purple patterned dress, whereas former Road House and Drugstore Cowboy star Kelly Lynch kept it simple in black

Purple patch: 77-year-old Joan Collins looked glamorous as ever in a lilac gown and Rita Wilson was feeling the colour in a patterned silk frock too  

She's got legs: The star was one of the most dazzling at the magazine's post Academy Awards event

 Hot ticket: Colin Firth arrives with his Best Actor Oscar and wife Livia Giuggioli

 Just swell: A beaming Natalie Portman arrived at the bash proudly holding her Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Black Swan

 Past and present: Mick Jagger poses with Justin and then the teen star excitedly shows the snap to girlfriend Selena

 Odd choices: Designers Donna Karan, left, and Diane Von Furstenberg, both missed the mark when it came to style despite their day jobs

 Cam here often? Ms Diaz wasn't shy to show off her stunning physique at the West Hollywood party

Going for gold: Gwyneth Paltrow looked stunning in a shimmering gold asymmetric gown

Black tie, white tie: Mad Men star Jon Hamm and girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt looked the business at the bash as Cameron caught up with friend Jude Law 

Young love: Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were also on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles last night

Oscar 2011 The winners of the shortest frocks and celebrity oscar pictures.

 Different shades of black: Kate Beckinsale keeps it classy in black - unlike Jena  Malone who wore a see-through lace number

 Alone: Jessica Biel arrived at the party solo after her boyfriend Justin Timberlake took his mother rather than her to the Oscars ceremony earlier in the evening - but her singer boyfriend joined her later

 Young love: Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were also on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles last night

 Still together: Jessica and boyfriend Justin Timberlake cosy up on the sofa at the Vanity Fair party

Back to black: Kate Beckinsale and her husband Len Wiseman looked loved up in matching black at the glitzy bash

 Party people: Mick Jagger and his model girlfriend L'Wren Scott were also on the red carpet, along with Jude Law and his friend Robert Downey Jnr and wife Susan

 

 Golden couples: True Blood's Stephen Moyer and his onscreen and offscreen partner Anna Paquin and Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey 

 Bobbydazzlers: Taylor Swift, left, shimmered in a short gold strapless gown with matching shoes, whereas Cameron Diaz, right, was wearing a tight off-the-shoulder monochrome print dress with black shoeboots

 All that glisters: Golden girl Taylor made a grand entrance in her sparkling gold frock

 Ladies in red: Previous Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock looked stunning in vivid scarlet while comedy actress Leslie Mann was classy in claret 

 Time to shine: Glee star Lea Michele, Emma Roberts and Claire Danes all had different ideas of red carpet glamour 

 Contrasts: Emma Stone, who stars in the forthcoming The Amazing Spider-Man, wore an interested purple patterned dress, whereas former Road House and Drugstore Cowboy star Kelly Lynch kept it simple in black

Purple patch: 77-year-old Joan Collins looked glamorous as ever in a lilac gown and Rita Wilson was feeling the colour in a patterned silk frock too  

She's got legs: The star was one of the most dazzling at the magazine's post Academy Awards event

 Hot ticket: Colin Firth arrives with his Best Actor Oscar and wife Livia Giuggioli

 Just swell: A beaming Natalie Portman arrived at the bash proudly holding her Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Black Swan

 Past and present: Mick Jagger poses with Justin and then the teen star excitedly shows the snap to girlfriend Selena

 Odd choices: Designers Donna Karan, left, and Diane Von Furstenberg, both missed the mark when it came to style despite their day jobs

 Cam here often? Ms Diaz wasn't shy to show off her stunning physique at the West Hollywood party

Going for gold: Gwyneth Paltrow looked stunning in a shimmering gold asymmetric gown

Black tie, white tie: Mad Men star Jon Hamm and girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt looked the business at the bash as Cameron caught up with friend Jude Law 

Young love: Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were also on the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles last night