Name: Natalie Portman

Age: 14

Rumor has it: She just might be the next Winona.

Where you've seen her: Odds are you haven't--her first movie, 1994's The Professional, rated two thumbs up with the critics but wasn't exactly a blockbuster of the Happy-Meal-promo-at-McDonald's variety (and probably never made it to a mall near you).

Where to look: Next month she plays Al Pacino's stepdaughter in Heat, then steals the spotlight from Uma Thurman as a 13-year-old going on 30 in January's Beautiful Girls. (Also watch for her in a future Woody Allen film.)

Why she doesn't do takeout: "A guy from a cosmetics company came up to me in a pizza parlor and asked if I wanted to be a model, but I told him I was way more into acting. He introduced me to an agent, and I started auditioning."

But hold the pepperoni: Natalie has been a strict vegetarian since she was 8, when her doctor dad took her along to a medical conference. "They were talking about animal testing, and all I could think about was my dog, Noodles. I never ate meat again."

Coolest stamps in her passport: Natalie was born in Israel and has traveled to Japan and Australia.

Where she'd blow her allowance: at Urban Outfitters for shrunken tees and baby jewelry ("I think I dressed better when I was a baby"); the boy's department for blazers and flat-front plaid pants (she's over kilts); and the music store for CDs.

But no Metallica, please: "I love girl singers like Juliana Hatfield, Bjork and PJ Harvey. You can really relate to their lyrics, and they have such angelic voices. Most heavy-metal guys just scream."

What's in the star's stars: "I'm a Gemini, so I'm always changing my mind. Like, last week I was a grungehead, and this week I'm totally into preppy."

On acting: "I like it for now. But after seeing Apollo 13, what I really want to be is an astronaut. I'm dying to go to space camp next summer!"