Léon: The Professional
Portman stars as Mathilda in the 1994 drama Léon: The Professional. The actress makes her Hollywood debut at the age of 11, alongside actors Jean Reno and Gary Oldman. Mathilda is a young New York girl whose entire family is killed by a corrupt cop. She finds shelter in her neighbor Léon’sapartment and uncovers his secret profession of being a hitman. On reading her script for the first time:
I read it and I was crying by the end. I was a very emotional kid.