Natalie Portman wins Oscar for best actress

Natalie Portman won the Oscar for best performance by an actress for her role in the ballet drama The Black Swan, dpa reported.

"This is insane," said Portman, 29, in accepting her first Oscar. "I am so grateful to be able to do the job I do. I love it so much."

A Jerusalem-born actress, Portman, moved to the United States from Israel as a 3-year-old and rose to prominence at the age of 17 when she was cast as Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She was also a budding young scientist and a psychology undergraduate at Harvard University.

Her other films include V for Vendetta, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and The Other Boleyn Girl. In Black Swan, she plays a ballet dancer who is driven to madness by her role in Swan Lake.