When celebrities do charity you often hear about it, especially if it involves some kind of foreign fact-seeking trip. They may seem genuinely changed afterwards, or at least more concerned about life outside their rarefied bubble. As much as people find it predictable, celebrities bring awareness to important causes and it’s not like many of us average people are traveling overseas to dedicate ourselves to charity. I have a couple of friend who were in the Peace Corps and they sacrificed a lot in the spirit of adventure and helping others. It’s not something I think I could ever do and you have to admire that kind of dedication. When celebrities go for a few days or a week somewhere it’s different of course, but they’re still sticking their neck out for a cause.

The rest of us are content to help out in ways that benefit our community and it’s not something we get much credit for other than the satisfaction of helping others. It’s kind of refreshing to hear about a celebrity who has been quietly volunteering with sick kids without any publicity at all. Natalie Portman has been been visiting sick children at an LA hospital three days a week. She did get some press this Spring for a trip she made to Uganda to help publicize a microcredit finance charity she supports, FINCA, but this time we’ve barely heard anything about her volunteerism. It sounds like she’s doing it for the pure joy of helping others:

According to a source [Natalie Portman] volunteers about three times a week at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to cuddle sick kids. “Natalie loves that she’s doing something entirely removed from the entertainment industry,” says the pal. This is just the latest example of her wanting to make major changes in her life, adds the source. [Portman], who recently split from her folk rocker beau Devendra Banhart, has sold her West Village home and intends to relocate to L.A. in search of “a new beginning.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 20, 2008]

Portman, 27, has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and has always struck me as mature compared to her careless peers. Portman is also a practicing vegan and has not eaten meat since the age of 9. That’s really touching that she’s visiting sick children and that no one has heard about it until now. It’s also kind of surprising that she’s moving to LA from NY, as the Star article mentions, but maybe she wants to get away from her ex and the memories in NY. There are a lot of kids in the hospital who are probably grateful that she’s decided to make the life change.

Natalie Portman is shown at the Giambattisa Valli Spring/Summer 2009 fashion show in Paris on 10/2/08. Credit: ANG/ Fame Pictures

Natalie Portman and the hottie hiding under the long hair and beard she was dating, Devendra Banhart, 27, have broken up. In Touch reports the news and says they first started dating in March when Natalie appeared in a music video for Devendra. Natalie, 27 moved to LA to be near Devendra, but according to In Touch it wasn’t to be:

In Touch can exclusively reveal that Natalie Portman has split with her boyfriend, musician Devendra Banhart. “Yes, they have broken up,” a source close to Devendra tells In Touch. The couple met and fell in love while the actress, 27, filmed a role in Devendra’s music video, “Carmensita,” in March. Natalie, a native New Yorker, even moved to LA to be closer to the folk singer, 27. A friend of Devendra’s says, “Natalie and Devendra will remain friends but need some space and time away.”

[From In Touch]

It’s too bad that they didn’t work out. Natalie is young but at 27 she may be thinking about marriage and family and it’s possible Devendra wasn’t at that point yet. She’s a rare type of celebrity who seems both educated and grounded. She also manages to keep her private life under wraps. I was going to say “Natalie will find the right guy and settle down,” but then I realized how patronizing that sounds and how it’s not the ultimate goal of womankind to pair up. Most of us would be happy to reach even a small portion of Portman’s success.

Natalie Portman and Devendra Banhart are shown out in NY on 4/14/08. Credit: FPZ/Fame Pictures

I’m pretty sure the single greatest advantage to being a celebrity is getting to date other celebrities. Let’s face it, they’re hot, they’re rich, and the odds are pretty good you won’t have to be with them more than a year or two. Talk about variety. Plus you can use them in your projects (advantageous if they’re hotter than you) or try to talk them into using you in their projects (advantageous if you’re hotter than them).

I’m not going to say who’s less hot (and thus reaping the greater advantage) in the Natalie Portman/Devendra Banhart relationship (though we’ve all got eyes and know it’s clearly the latter), but the two have joined together to create the music video for Banhart’s latest single “Carmensita.”

Folk rocker Devendra Banhart has enlisted girlfriend Natalie Portman in his latest project: the music video for his new single, “Carmensita.”

Styled as a Bollywood send-up – with cheeky subtitles and silly special effects to boot – the musician casts Portman as a princess whom he must save with his “rebellious beard.” (You just have to see it!)

When they’re not in sync onscreen, battling snakes and fire, the happy couple have been spotted together, hanging out everywhere from New York’s West Village to Israel.

[From People]

Banhart and Portman have been dating since about March, according to most reports. They’re frequently spotted around New York City looking all lovey-dovey, but not in a nauseating, I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face way. Because Natalie Portman is too classy for that.

Here’s their new music video.

The first reviews are in for Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, which had its much-anticipated premiere at Cannes yesterday, and they’re mixed. A critic for Britain’s Telegraph calls it “creaky” with bad dialog but admits that it has rollicking good special effects. The overall consensus is that it’s a lot of fun, but that the plot leaves something to be desired.

The Pirates of the Caribbean films weren’t well reviewed either, but there was plenty of action and eye candy and they sure cleaned up at the box office. The fourthIndiana Jones movie is likely to do the same.

Here’s the latest trailer. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull is out in the US and in most countries on May 22:

And here are pictures from the premiere yesterday, including Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Salma Hayek, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Aishwarya Rai, Linda Evangelista, Billy Zane and Kelly Brook (who are probably back together) and Goldie Hawn. Cate Blanchett always looks gorgeous.

Natalie Portman was on Good Morning America this morning to talk about her upcoming film in limited release, “My Blueberry Nights,” and she told a moving story about the organization she works with, FINCA, which gives small loans to entrepreneurs in the developing nations to help change their lives. When Portman was in Uganda ten years ago she met an impoverished woman with ten daughters who was beaten frequently by her husband for not bearing him a son. The woman lived on .80 a day from her husband, but she was able to get rid of him and eventually start her own restaurant after a micro loan from FINCA:

When I was in Uganda I was lucky enough to meet this woman, Niema, she had ten daughters, and… her husband was beating her because she couldn’t make a son, and she was living on .80 a day and depending on her husband for it.

She got a small loan from Finca and started her own roadside food stand, and started growing the business… buying a refrigerator and when I met her ten years later she had a restaurant with indoor seating, she had hired 7 other women, and she left her husband…

All of her daughters were in school and one of them was in University. So you see how just given the opportunity, they do all the hard work.

[Transcribed from Portman's appearance on "Good Morning America," 4/7/08, video below]

FINCA is one of many microcredit organizations that is changing lives, one small loan at a time. Impoverished entrepreneurs are given amounts that are usually less than $1,000, from which they can start or expand a business, eventually paying back the loan in full.

My favorite charity for this is Kiva, because you can read the background information and details on people who need loans and specifically donate to them. It’s inspiring to read the stories and realize that your small donation can help make a difference.

Portman also talked about her vegan shoe line on GMA this morning. Portman says she helps design the shoes by bringing in photos and shoes she likes to the designers, and providing feedback for their prototypes. She said she’s been a vegetarian since the age of 9 and made the decision to go vegan after reading “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Portman reminded Diane Sawyer that her husband lent the book to her.

Here’s the video, thanks to clipper monkeyboy on Redlasso:

Portman is shown in the header leaving Good Morning America today, thanks to Splash News. I’m not really liking those pom pon shoes, but some others in her collection are cute.

Today the Daily News reported on an interesting story about a Hasidic actor who was forced to drop out of Natalie Portman’s most recent movie. “New York I Love You” is a film featuring twelve short love stories. Abe Karpen, 25, had to drop out after being ostracized and receiving threats from the Hasidic community. Karpen is a married father of 3, and works as a kitchen cabinet salesman. It’s not clear exactly how he came to be involved in the project, but according to several in the Hasidic community, he should have known better – Hasids are not allowed to watch movies or television, so appearing in them is obviously not a good idea. Trouble first started when Karpen refused to hold Natalie Portman’s hand in the film. Portman plays his wife – and he explained that he’s not even allowed to hold his real wife’s hand in public. Soon Karpen backed out of the film altogether, after receiving much criticism and even threats that his children would be taken out of their religious school.

“I am backing out of the movie,” said Karpen, a kitchen cabinet salesman. “It’s not acceptable in my community. It’s a lot of pressure I am getting. They [the rabbis] didn’t like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood. I have my kids in religious schools and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out,” Karpen said.

While news of Karpen’s withdrawal sent waves of disappointment through the movie set, the Hasidic community was up in arms over Karpen’s acting gig – forcing him to flee for the weekend, a friend said. “This is when I woke up and saw that I made a big mistake. My kids mean everything to me and my community where I live means everything to me,” said Karpen, who comes from a prominent Williamsburg, Brooklyn, family.

His longtime friend Levi Okunov said the Karpens had to flee the city for the weekend. “The community wants to kill him,” he said. Hasidic community activist Isaac Weinberger said Karpen should have known better. “We don’t watch television. We don’t go to the movies, so to be in a movie is the worst thing. It’s a shame for any Hasid,” he said.

[From the New York Daily News]

Karpen did praise Natalie Portman and her acting. He said the two spoke in Hebrew, and Portman told him she wanted to become more religious. He said he didn’t even realize Portman was a big Hollywood star. This story is interesting, and it’s a bit challenging to comment appropriately on someone’s religion. All communities have their own standards, and certainly the Hasidic community’s are much more stringent than most of us are used to. Matisyahu, the Hasidic rapper who had a Top 40 hit a few years ago, hasn’t seen this kind of backlash from the Hasidic community, from what I’ve been able to ascertain. However until recently he was with a Jewish record label. To me it seems a little sad that Karpen received this level of backlash for taking the role.

Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman are in Berlin promoting their upcoming film “The Other Boleyn Girl,” a trashy re-interpretation of the court of Henry VIII. Scarlett and Natalie play sisters Mary and Anne Boleyn, who connive and deceive in order to win the heart of the fat king. I read the book for a book club and although it was probably only mildly historically accurate it was a rolicking good read. There were parts where I felt guilty for reading it because it was so trashy, but that doesn’t seem to deter me from devouring the gossip rags every week.

Johansson compared the gossip magazines to the sex and debauchery that were going on in Henry VII’s court and said that she tries to keep her life separate from the “circus” that goes along with being famous:

She told a packed press conference after the premiere of “The Other Boleyn Girl” at the Berlin Film Festival that being hounded by paparazzi and having her personal life splashed across celebrity magazines was a high price to pay to make films.

“That’s very scary to me and invasive and gross. But that kind of intrigue and frenzy, I guess, could be related to the court in some way — and the rumours and the gossip and this frenetic, frantic energy that goes into the celebrity culture,” she said.

“But would I ever leave because I couldn’t take it? I would hope that I would never allow that to affect my professional life. I try not to live in the court, so to speak, and try to separate my private life from this circus.”

[From News.Yahoo.com]

Natalie Portman talked about the film in more intellectual terms saying that “Human emotion doesn’t change and I think that’s one of the hard things for us to imagine is how history might have been sexy and gossipy and scandalous.”

It’s not so hard to imagine history becoming scandalous. That was a trashy romantic gossip novel disguised as historical fiction. I mean, it wasn’t even a mid-brow read.

Eric Bana, who also stars in the film, says that everyone got along on set when he was asked about it, and that “I hate to break it to you but actors generally do really love each other.”

Scarlet Johansson said that “you can’t be selfish as an actor,” and that you’re not working alone.

It’s a bit ironic that these women are playing in a film that sensationalizes history, but are complaining about how we do that now. It probably was incredibly contentious in Henry VII’s court considering how many wives he went through and had beheaded, but you also can’t deny that there’s a lot of intrigue and things going on now in Hollywood to gossip about.

Johansson knows that if she wants to keep her private life to herself she needs to stay out of the hot spots and she seems to do a pretty good job at that. In that way, she’s staying away from “the court,” where a lot of people get gawked at and talked about.

Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Natalie Portman, and Justin Chadwick are shown in a photo call today for “The Other Boleyn Girl,” thanks to WENN. I really like Natalie Portman’s hair. It has grown out to be very soft and natural-looking.

Natalie Portman has disappointed Star Wars fans and red-blooded males everywhere by saying that she did indeed use a body double for her role in Goya’s Ghosts.

Natalie said: “There’s a long shot of a nude woman, but it’s not me. You do see some parts of me unclothed, but if they end up on websites making it look like I’m nude, I’m going to be really, really angry.”

But she quickly redeems herself with this comment.

She said: “I’ve never a dated a woman or anything like it. But I think it’s much more about the person you fall in love with.

“Why would you close yourself off from 50 per cent of people?”

Stuff

Actually, the nude scenes aren’t sex scenes, but take place during the torture of Natalie’s character during the Spanish Inquisition. Not really masturbation fodder for Star Wars fans! Still, the whole thing has brought out the teenage boy in me.

I am so glad to have someone as beautiful as Natalie Portman coming out and saying they use a body double. Although, with digital retouching and make up and lighting, who needs a body double. We can all look that good.

There is nothing I can imagine more embarrassing than having to act in a difficult scene, naked, in front of a few dozen colleagues. I would have thought body doubles would be standard practice.

Images are from Goya’s Ghost thanks to All Movie Photo.

I hyped that title because there’s no real evidence that British billionaire cad Nat Rothschild actually dated Petra Nemcova other than the fact that he showed up on her arm to the NY premiere of “Black Dahlia” in mid September, signalling the quiet end of her relationship with annoying singer James Blunt.

Now Natalie Portman is said to be dating him because they went out to dinner together.

[via Egotastic]

There probably won’t be much more to this story, considering that billionaire Nat Rothschild is a notorious ladies man and is likely to be out with a different model or starlet next week.

Natalie Portman is going to appear nude in the upcoming “Goya’s Ghost,” and she’s auditioning to play a hooker in another movie so she probably doesn’t care that you can see her nipples through this top she’s wearing. She also shot some nude scenes for “Closer” in 2004 which were cut from the film.

Paris Hilton shows up for every event, has a sex video out and has had scores of nip and vag slips yet she refuses to appear nude on screen. Who do you think people have more respect for, Paris or Natalie?