One day late, but better late than never, eh? (I knew I should’ve gone online yesterday! I just knew it.) We here at Portman Source would like to wish Natalie Portman a happy 27th birthday on June 9 2008! Congratulations, Nat! We think you’re fab.

Exciting news, y’all! Natalie has been confirmed as one of the Feature Film jury members at the 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival! Congratulations to Natalie for this tremendous honor!

Of course, this means Natalie will be attending the festival (=new public appearance photos!). The film festival will take place on May 14-25 2008 in Cannes, France.

Natalie herself may not care much for these sexiest-listings - but we do, a little. Especially, when Natalie makes the number one spot, as is the case with Maxim’s Sexiest Vegetarian listing, leaving behind such names as Alyssa Milano, Petra Nemcova and Pamela Anderson(!). Thanks to Aaron of You Got Gossip for the heads-up! From Maxim.com:

1. Natalie Portman
The object of every nerd’s fantasies has been a herbivore since she was 8 years old, even coming out with a vegan collection of shoes. Believe us, they fit better than they taste.

People.com has published a 30s public service announcement in which Natalie encourages you to vote in the name of democracy, because “voting’s how our democracy works.” You’ll recognize her look from the February The Other Boleyn Girl interview with The Movie Guy. Watch the clip at People.com!

Personally, although the commercial itself isn’t terribly impressive, I have to give Natalie some credit for not tooting the horn of her favorite U.S. presidential candidate everywhere, even though she has (upon being asked, mind you) said in public she’s found Hillary Clinton a smart, worthy candidate.

Renowned director Anthony Minghella has unexpectedly died at the age of 54. According to the New York Times, Minghella died of complications of surgery to treat tonsil cancer.

Among many other critically acclaimed films, Minghella directed the 2003 American civil war drama Cold Mountain, in which Natalie starred in a small supporting role as Sara. Portman Source would like to offer our condolences to Mr. Minghella’s family and friends at this difficult time.

Here’s something all of us Natalie fans can be proud of. Many news sources, including e.g. The Daily Telegraph, report Natalie Portman is one of many high-profile celebrities who have lobbied for the removal of a Heath Ledger drug video from television distribution. From The Daily Telegraph:

The Entertainment Tonight and The Insider programs’ decision to show the video yesterday caused a furore in Hollywood, a community in grieving over 28-year-old Heath Ledger’s still unexplained death on January 22.

It has now emerged that the programs - after first broadcasting the tape in New York and on the US east coast - soon learned of growing anger in Hollywood, in particular among many movie stars of the same generation as Heath Ledger.

While the stars are saying they did not threaten to boycott the popular gossip entertainment shows, Hollywood insiders say Entertainment Tonight and The Insider feared this was a real possibility - and that view had been expressed to them by some.

Other celebrities that have been named alongside Natalie include her The Other Boleyn Girl co-star Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Jessica Parker and Josh Brolin.

The votes are in - Natalie has been chosen AskMen.com’s 15th Most Desirable Woman of 2008, beating e.g. her Star Wars Episode I co-star Keira Knightley, who placed 39th. Check out the full list at AskMen.com. Meanwhile, here’s what they had to say on our Nat:

Natalie Portman’s 2007 was quite busy… she starred in four flicks, including My Blueberry Nights and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, and she still has quite a few big roles to look forward to, like 2008’s The Other Boleyn Girl and Brothers. Natalie Portman’s star qualities are so obvious that she has every Hollywood producer knocking at her door. She’s beautiful, extremely talented, down-to-earth, and a superstar.

Well, its January 15, and Natalie’s shoe collection for Té Casan is now available for pre-order at the label’s official site! The site now features previews of the shoes and their respective prices, and you can place your order(s) here. From Té Casan:

Natalie Portman, Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning actress, fashion muse, style icon and humanitarian, was born in Jerusalem. A Harvard grad, noted for charitable pursuits, noticed the absence of fashionable animal-friendly footwear and collaborated with Té Casan for her debut collection.

Not one to merely lend her name, Portman worked closely throughout to maintain the quality standards and an exceptional design aesthetic. Dazzling, playful, elegant and free of animal products, each shoe exudes the starlet’s own personal style. All of Portman’s proceeds will be donated to the Nature Conservancy, a non profit that works tirelessly to protect ecologically fragile lands and bodies of water.

“As a vegan, it’s been challenging finding designer shoes made of alternative materials. This collection offers a great selection without compromising quality or style.” - Natalie Portman

The updated Té Casan website also came with a new promotional photo of Natalie, a preview of which you’ll find above. For more information on the Nature Conservancy and their work, please visit www.nature.org.