US actress Natalie Portman,33, has always been praised for her smarts. At 18, she went to Harvard University following the release  of her film Star Wars: Episode I in 1999. Four years later, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Then she took graduate courses at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She speaks six languages and has twice been published in scientific journals. You may think she has achieved all of these things easily thanks to her fame as actress, but only Portman herself knows what she has been through.  In late May, the Oscar winner revealed that her time at Harvard had some "dark moments" when she gave a speech to graduating Harvard students. "I felt like ... that I wasn't smart enough to be in this company, and that every time I opened my mouth I would have to prove that I wasn't just a dumb actress," she said. It was that fear that helped her carve out her own path, Portman admitted  "My belief that I could handle these things (her own limitations) ... was half the battle. The other half was very hard work," she said. "Sometimes, your insecurities  and your inexperience may lead you to take on other people's expectations, standards, or values," she added. How did Portman overcome her disadvantages?
By her fame and education. By means of her belief and hard work. Through her beauty and smarts. With her fear and inexperience.