New York, NY :: Actress Natalie Portman, 24, made an appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live show at the MTV Times Square Studios this past afternoon where she was interviewed by MTV VJ Damien Fahey, 25.  Two contestants vied for a chance to have their picture taken in TRL’s Photo Booth with Natalie Portman as they dueled it out in the ‘N for Natalie’ trivia contest. These questions were asked of the contestants —

What did Natalie major in at Harvard?  Psychology.
What city was Natalie born in? Jerusalem.
How many siblings does Natalie have?  Zero.
What was the name of the Natalie’s character in her Oscar-nominated role in Closer? Alice.
Name one band or artist that Natalie introduced at last summer’s Live 8 concert.  Dave Matthews Band & Alicia Keys and Coldplay.
Natalie played the lead in what Broadway play that debuted in December of 1997.  The Diary of Anne Frank.

The losing contestant, who turned out to be more of the winner because he got more air time, had his head shaved (like Natalie’s character Evey in V for Vendetta) on national television. V for Vendetta opens in theaters and IMAX nationwide this Friday, March 17.  More pictures in the gallery!

Natalie Portman laughs at the sight of the "losing contestant"
 getting his head shaved on live national television.

Dressed in Lanvin, Portman hugged Susan Sarandon, her co-star in 1999’s Anywhere But Here, on the red carpet and gamely answered questions about the locks she shaved off to play Evey in Vendetta, which opens Friday. In the film, her character joins forces with terrorist V and goes about toppling a corrupt totalitarian British regime. Her shorn tresses may be in a bag, the actress says, but she’s not sure. "I have it somewhere, but I actually don’t know where it is," she adds, laughing. "I should find it. It’s dangerous."

New York, NY :: Last night’s V for Vendetta premiere was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  And yes, above is a heavily bearded Hugo Weaving, best-known as the unctuous Agent Smith in The Matrix movies, hugging Natalie Portman.  V for Vendetta opens in theaters and IMAX nationwide this Friday, March 17. More pictures in the gallery!

Actress Natalie Portman, 24, stood under her V for Vendetta branded umbrella in the rain in front of London’s Houses of Parliament yesterday afternoon for a V for Vendetta photocall.  She posed alongside co-stars Stephen Fry, John Hurt and Stephen Rae (pictured after the jump). V for Vendetta, opens in theaters nationwide next Friday, March 17.  More pictures in the gallery!

[Columbia student BWOG chimes in with] a sampling of the truths Ms. Portman imparted in the 20-minute Q&A session following a somber Frontline documentary on Al Qaeda, Guantanamo and the CIA’s counterterrorism tactics:

• "My immediate reaction is that torture is wrong."
• "I don’t think it’s right to take down the Twin Towers."
• "Censorship is bad."

New York City, NY :: Harvard University alumni Natalie Portman, 24, made a guest appearance yesterday afternoon to Professor Stuart Gottlieb’s "Terrorism and Counterterrorism" class at Columbia University (702 Hamilton Hall) in promotion for her latest flick, V for Vendetta, opening next Friday, March 17. In V for Vendetta, Natalie Portman plays the character of Evey Hammond, a staunch ally to vigilante freedom fighter V (Hugo Weaving), who battles facism in a futuristic totalitarian society.  This guest lecture event was organized and produced by MTV-U, MTV’s college-focused subsidiary telvision network.  Thanks, Audrey. More pictures in the gallery including some high-definition screen captures and collages of Natalie Portman hosting Saturday Night Live this past weekend!  And just ’cause, here’s a funny promo commerical quote — "Hi, I’m Natalie Portman and I’ll be hosting SNL tomorrow with musical guest Fallout Boy. Oooh, it’s Oscar Week and they got everyone at NBC gift bags. [Takes Cheese Whiz out of gold bag] Mmm, spray cheese!"

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself–and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

V for Vendetta starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving opens in theaters (and IMAX!) nationwide in exactly one month, March 17th, 2006. The V for Vendetta official site has a 37-minute video from the Berlin press conference.  Check out the ginormous gallery of 47 V for Vendetta pictures after the jump!