Portman recently starred with Susan Sarandon in Wayne Wang's upcoming Anywhere But Here for Fox 2000 Pictures. Adapted from Mona Simpson's novel by Academy Award-winner Alvin Sargent (Ordinary People), Anywhere But Here tells the story of a mother and daughter who must come to terms with their volatile relationship in the midst of a move from the Midwest to Beverly Hills.
Last year, Portman completed her Broadway debut run in the title role of The Diary of Anne Frank. Directed by James Lapine and adapted by Wendy Kesselman, the production took a fresh look at the play, incorporating new material from The 1995 Definitive Edition of Anne Frank's diaries.
Portman received international acclaim for her feature debut in Luc Besson's The Professional. Starring opposite Jean Reno and Gary Oldman, Portman played Mathilda, a young girl who seeks refuge from a hitman after her parents are killed by a corrupt DEA officer. Her performance was hailed by critics and she received a "Best Actress in a Drama" for The Hollywood Reporter-sponsored YoungStar Awards.
Portman received critical acclaim for her scene-stealing performance in the Miramax film Beautiful Girls. Directed by Ted Demme, the bittersweet comedy also starred Timothy Hutton, Uma Thurman, Rosie O'Donnell, and Matt Dillon.
Other feature credits include Woody Allen's musical Everyone Says I Love You, co-starring Julia Roberts, Goldie Hawn, Alan Alda and Drew Barrymore; Tim Burton's black comedy Mars Attacks! with Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close; and Michael Mann's Heat with Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer.
JAKE LLOYD (Anakin Skywalker) starred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in Jingle All the Way, released by Twentieth Century Fox. The ten-year-old thespian made his feature film debut in the Nick Cassavetes film Unhook the Stars, which starred Gena Rowlands and Marisa Tomei.
Lloyd had a recurring role on the hit television drama ER as a character who periodically visited the hospital due to his mother's illness. He also appeared on television in The Pretender, and was seen in the telefilms Virtual Obsession for director Mick Garris (The Stand, The Shining) and Apollo 11 for the Family Channel.
In addition, Lloyd appeared in numerous national television commercials for such companies as Kodak, Snickers, Oreos, Sara Lee, All detergent, KFC, Ford Windstar and Visa.
When not working, Lloyd can be found riding a bike, playing video games, rollerblading and walking his dog, J.J. (named after his character in Unhook the Stars).
Lloyd is in the fourth grade and lives with his mother Lisa, a development executive, and his father Bill, an E.M.T. set medic. His seven year-old sister Madison also appears in Episode I as a young princess.
IAN McDIARMID (Senator Palpatine) has a very successful career as an actor and director, and is joint Artistic Director of the highly acclaimed Almeida Theatre in Islington, north London.
McDiarmid first worked with Lucasfilm playing the Emperor in Return of the Jedi. Additional film credits include Dragonslayer, Gorky Park, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, directed by Frank Oz, Restoration, Annie: A Royal Adventure and Tim Burton's upcoming Sleepy Hollow.
His theater credits include Ivanov, Tartuffe, School For Wives, Creditors and Kurt Weill Concerts at the Almeida Theatre, Henry V, The Merchant of Venice, The Party, The War Plays, Crimes In Hot Countries and The Castle for the RSC, Danton for the RSC and Almeida, Hated Nightfall and Love of a Good Man at the Royal Court, Raft of the Medusa at the Barbican/Radio 3, Edward II and The Country Wife at the Royal Exchange; The Black Prince at the Aldwych, and Peer Gynt and Mephisto at the Oxford Playhouse.
On television McDiarmid's credits include Hillsborough, Rebecca, Karaoke, Gwyn Thomas - A Few Selected Exits, Heart of Darkness, Final Warning, Creditors, The Nation's Health, Richard's Things and The Professionals, amongst many others.
His directing credits include Venice Preserved, Siren Song, A Hard Heart, Hippolytus, Lulu and The Possibilities at the Almeida Theatre, The Rehearsal at the Almeida and West End, and Don Juan at the Royal Exchange.
Swedish actress PERNILLA AUGUST (Shmi Skywalker) won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1992 for her performance in The Best Intentions, directed by Bille August and written by Ingmar Bergman.
Additional film credits include Fanny and Alexander, directed by Bergman, Tuppen, directed by Lasse Hallstrom, Jerusalem, directed by Bille August, and The Private Confession, directed by Liv Ullman and written by Bergman.
August's theater credits include The Dream Play, Hamlet, for which she won the British Drama Magazine's Best Supporting Actress Award playing Ophelia, The Doll's House and The Winter's Tale, all directed by Bergman, and performed at the National Theater of Sweden. Other theater credits include Master of Strindberg, The Last Yankee and Three Sisters.
Her television roles have included Play, written and directed by Bergman, The Young
