Let’s be real for a second. If you grew up in the late nineties or early 2000s, you probably couldn’t walk through a toy aisle without seeing Natalie Portman’s face staring back at you from a plastic bubble. But it wasn't just "Natalie Portman." It was that iconic, white-painted face, the elaborate red robes, and that strangely deep, monotone voice.
So, who does Natalie Portman play in Star Wars exactly?
Basically, she plays Padmé Amidala.
But saying she just plays "Padmé" is a bit of an oversimplification. Over the course of the prequel trilogy—The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005)—Portman actually portrays a character who holds three very different roles: a Queen, a Senator, and a secret wife.
Honestly, the layers to this character are kind of wild.
The Queen Who Wasn't Always the Queen
When we first meet her in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Portman is introduced as Queen Amidala of Naboo. She's only fourteen years old in the story. Portman herself was only sixteen when she filmed it, which is pretty crazy when you think about the pressure of carrying a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Here is the kicker that confused a lot of people back in '99: Portman wasn't the only one playing "The Queen."
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In the movie, Padmé uses a decoy system to protect herself from assassins. Most of the time you see the Queen in her full regal gear, with the heavy makeup and the "widow's peak" lip paint, it’s actually a handmaiden named Sabé (played by a then-unknown Keira Knightley).
Meanwhile, the "real" Padmé—the one Natalie Portman is playing—is disguised as a simple handmaiden blending into the background. It’s a classic shell game. Portman spent a good chunk of that first movie acting like a servant while Knightley acted like the royal.
Why the weird voice?
You might remember the Queen having a very deep, almost robotic way of speaking. That wasn't Portman's natural voice. George Lucas actually had her lower her pitch significantly to make the Queen sound more mature and authoritative. In post-production, they even digitally enhanced it to sound deeper. When she’s "disguised" as the handmaiden, she uses her normal, higher-pitched voice.
It’s a subtle bit of acting that often gets overlooked.
From Royalty to the Galactic Senate
By the time Attack of the Clones rolls around, Padmé’s term as Queen is over. In the Star Wars universe, the Naboo monarchy is actually an elected position—kind of weird, right?—so she moves on to become Senator Amidala.
This is where the character really starts to drive the plot of the entire saga.
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As a Senator, she’s a political firebrand. She’s the one leading the opposition against creating a Grand Army of the Republic. She’s also the target of multiple assassination attempts, which leads to her being placed under the protection of a now-grown-up Anakin Skywalker.
This is the "forbidden romance" phase.
Portman has talked before about how difficult these scenes were to film. She was basically acting against blue screens 90% of the time. She once described it as being like a kid playing in a refrigerator box, pretending there are aliens and spaceships around you when it's really just a bunch of guys in green spandex suits holding poles.
The Tragic Secret of the Prequel Ending
In Revenge of the Sith, Portman’s role becomes much more internal and, frankly, tragic. She is the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker and is pregnant with the twins who will eventually become the heroes of the original trilogy: Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.
There’s a lot of debate among fans about how her story ended.
She "dies of a broken heart" after Anakin turns to the dark side and becomes Darth Vader. Some fans find it a bit frustrating that such a strong, capable leader ended her story that way. However, her legacy is the entire point of the later movies. She represents the "good" that Luke still sees in his father decades later.
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Did she play anyone else?
Actually, yes. In a weird "blink and you’ll miss it" moment in Attack of the Clones, Portman also technically played Cordé.
Cordé was another one of her decoys. At the very beginning of the movie, a ship lands on Coruscant and a woman dressed as the Senator steps off, only to be killed in an explosion. For a split second, that's Portman playing the decoy, before the "real" Padmé reveals herself in a pilot’s uniform.
Why Her Role Still Matters in 2026
It’s easy to dismiss the prequels as just CGI spectacles, but Natalie Portman’s performance as Padmé is the glue that holds the Skywalker tragedy together. Without her, Anakin’s fall doesn't make sense. Without her, there’s no Rebellion (she was one of the original founders in the deleted scenes).
If you're looking to dive deeper into the character beyond the movies, here are the best places to look:
- The Clone Wars (TV Series): This show does a much better job of showing Padmé as a political mastermind and a frontline diplomat. Even though Portman doesn't voice her here (that's Catherine Taber), the character is based entirely on her portrayal.
- The E.K. Johnston Trilogy: There’s a series of novels—Queen’s Shadow, Queen’s Peril, and Queen’s Hope—that focus entirely on Padmé’s life between the movies. They’re great for understanding the handmaiden decoy system.
- Star Wars: Revelations: Check out recent comics where Darth Vader actually visits Padmé’s tomb on Naboo. It’s a haunting look at how much her character still haunts the Star Wars universe.
Next time you watch the prequels, keep an eye on the outfits. Every single one of those elaborate costumes was designed to tell a story about her political status or her emotional state. Natalie Portman didn't just play a character; she built a legendary figure that defines half the Star Wars timeline.
Actionable Insight: If you want to see the full "decoy" twist in action, re-watch the first 30 minutes of The Phantom Menace. Look for the girl in the yellow handmaiden outfit standing behind the Queen—that's the real Natalie Portman.