<P> Revenge of the Sith does not explain how Leia remembers her "real mother". Film critic Peter Travers of Rolling Stone applauds Lucas's attempt to link the two trilogies in Revenge of the Sith's final scenes, but says, "It's too little and too late ." He explains, "To hail Revenge of the Sith as a satisfying bridge to a classic is not just playing a game of the Emperor's New Clothes, it's an insult to what the original accomplished ." </P> <P> When Lucas drafted the script for The Phantom Menace, he envisioned a "link between Padmé and Princess Leia, the daughter who follows so closely in her footsteps ." According to Natalie Portman, "It definitely did come into play how strong and smart a character Carrie Fisher portrayed, because I think that a lot of that is passed on from parent to child . I think George wrote Amidala as a strong, smart character, but it helped to know that I had this great woman before me who had portrayed her character as a fiery woman ." Paul McDonald notes that there are "inevitable comparisons" between the two characters: "both develop soft spots for rogue pilots, and both have a knack for slipping into and out of stilted British accents ." Despite being diplomats, each is also the best marksman of her respective trilogy, rarely missing . </P> <P> George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and casting director Robin Gurland auditioned over 200 actresses for the part of Padmé Amidala . They chose 16 - year - old actress Natalie Portman to play the role . According to The Phantom Menace production notes, "The role required a young woman who could be believable as the ruler of that planet, but at the same time be vulnerable and open ." Portman's performances in The Professional (1994) and Beautiful Girls (1996) impressed Lucas . He stated, "I was looking for someone who was young, strong, along the lines of Leia . Natalie embodied all those traits and more ." </P> <P> Portman was a unique choice because she was unfamiliar with Star Wars . "My cousins had always been obsessed with the films, yet I hadn't even seen them before I got the part," she says . "When it all happened for me, my cousins were exclaiming,' Oh, my God, you're in Star Wars!"' She told a CNN interviewer, "I really wasn't aware of how big a deal Star Wars was...and when I saw the films, I really liked them, but I still didn't really understand how many...were passionate fans of this film ." Portman was, however, enthusiastic over being cast as the queen of Naboo, a character she expected to become a role model: "It was wonderful playing a young queen with so much power . I think it will be good for young women to see a strong woman of action who is also smart and a leader ." </P>

Who played padme in star wars the phantom menace