Natalie Portman swans off with best actress Oscar

Natalie Portman has won the best actress Oscar for her performance as the lead in Black Swan, a psychological horror film based in the world of ballet. Many people had the 30-year-old Jerusalem-born star down as the frontrunner for the prize after she took the best actress awards at the Golden Globes and the Baftas. And the Academy judges met these expectations, opting for Portman ahead of rival nominees such as Annette Bening and Nicole Kidman. Portman had previously been an uncrowned Oscar nominee in 2005, when she was shortlisted for best supporting actress for her performance in Closer.