Moran Atias

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Moran Atias
Atias in 2014
Born (1981-04-09) 9 April 1981 (age 43)
Haifa, Israel
Citizenship
  • Israel
  • United States
Occupation(s)Actress, model
Children1
RelativesShani Atias (sister)
Modeling information
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Hair colorBlack
Eye colorBrown
AgencyAnonymous Content

Moran Atias[pronunciation?] (Hebrew: מורן אטיאס; born 9 April 1981) is an Israeli actress and model. She gained fame in the Italian films Gas, Oggi sposi, and Mother of Tears. She is best known for her work with Paul Haggis in the 2008 TV series Crash and the 2013 film Third Person. She also starred on the FX television series Tyrant.

Early life[edit]

Atias was born in Haifa, Israel, to parents of Moroccan Jewish descent.[1][2] Her grandfather was a rabbi.[3] She appeared on the youth television programme Out of Focus at age 15. Her plan to serve as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces was frustrated by a diagnosis of meningitis at age 17. She pursued modelling instead in Germany and then in Italy, where she was discovered and became a model for Roberto Cavalli.[2] Her younger sister is Israeli actress Shani Atias.

Career[edit]

Modelling[edit]

Atias first appeared on television when she was 15, starring in the Israeli youth program Out of Focus. By the age of 17, she went to Germany to launch her modelling career. She modelled for Roberto Cavalli, D&G, and BBG jewellers. Later, she hosted an Italian talk show.[4]

Acting, other film work[edit]

Israel and Italy[edit]

After establishing herself as a model, she was encouraged to pursue a career in acting.[2] She has appeared in English-, Italian-, Hebrew-, and Spanish-language films, and was nominated for Best Actress at the Festival Sguardo al Femminile for her role in Menahem Golan's 2005 Israeli film Days of Love.[4] Her work in these films led to her being cast in the Italian feature film Gas, in which she played a provocative drug addict tasked with seducing a gay drug addict. She followed that up with the romantic comedy Oggi Sposi, directed by Luca Luncini and Mother of Tears, the third and final installment of Dario Argento's supernatural trilogy of horror The Three Mothers. Mother of Tears premièred at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and the Rome Film Festival.

United States[edit]

In 2008, she was cast in the role of the illegal immigrant Inez in the drama series Crash, based on Paul Haggis's Oscar-winning film. After one season, she became the female lead opposite Dennis Hopper. Working with Haggis led to her being cast in his film The Next Three Days.

In 2011, Atias worked with Cynthia Mort on the television project Radical, playing to role of Ana, which Mort had written specifically for her.[citation needed] In 2012, she was cast in the critically acclaimed Israeli television series Allenby Street, directed by Assaf Bernstein of Fauda fame, where she played the stripper Mika, a formerly Orthodox Jewish girl who avoids her childhood secret while living a complex nightlife.[5] She also served as a producer and worked to adapt it into a US series. She was cast in the new FX series Tyrant by the creators of the successful television series Homeland by creator and fellow Israeli, Gideon Raff.[dubious – discuss][6]

Her work on the film The Next Three Days led to Third Person, a project that Atias pitched and helped develop with Paul Haggis. She was chosen to play the role of 'Monika,' a Romanian gypsy. To prepare for the role, she lived in Italy for four months and immersed herself in the gypsy lifestyle, living without the basics of running water or electricity. She studied with Michael Margota at the Italian Actor's Studio to perfect the Italian and Romanian accents. She also served as a co-producer and a co-consultant for the script. The film premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Humanitarian work[edit]

In Italy, she was the 2005–06 spokeswoman for the City of Milan in their campaigns against graffiti and animal cruelty in the city.[4]

Atias participated in the Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) volunteer mission with Sean Penn following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, in which she assisted the evacuation of refugees to Florida.[2] During her second trip to Haiti, she took part in a workshop at Ciné Institute in Jacmel. In May 2010, she worked with APJ and hosted and organized a charity event at the Cannes Film Festival. In November 2010, she hosted and organized a charity event for APJ in New York, with proceeds going to the first free high school for the children of the slums of Haiti.

She is a goodwill ambassador for IsraAid, and took part in humanitarian work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there.

In April 2020, Atias volunteered at the COVID-19 patients ward in Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv.

Personal life[edit]

In February 2017, Atias became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[7] In 2022 Moran gave birth to a daughter.[8]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role(s) Notes
2005 GAS Monica
Days of Love Sigal
2006 The Roses of the Desert Aisha
2007 Mother of Tears Mater Lachrymarum
2008 You Don't Mess with the Zohan Eti Uncredited
2009 Land of the Lost Pakuni Woman Uncredited
Oggi sposi Alopa
2010 Kavod Ronit
The Next Three Days Erit
2012 Crazy Eyes Ex
2013 Third Person Monika Also co-producer
2018 Speed Kills Contessa

Television[edit]

Year Title Role(s) Notes
2008–09 Crash Inez Main role
2009 Il bene e il male Elisabetta 2 episodes
2010 CSI: NY Marina Garito Episode: "Rest in Peace, Marina Garito"
2011 Rules of Engagement Sophia Episode: "Anniversary Chicken"
CSI: Miami Olivia Hunter Episode: "G.O."
2012 White Collar Christie Episode: "Deadline"
2014–16 Tyrant Leila Al-Fayeed Main role
2017 24: Legacy Sidra Recurring role
2018 The Resident Renata Morali Main role (season 1)
2019 The Village Ava Behzadi Lead role
2022 Animal Kingdom Louise Thompson Recurring role

Television[edit]

Hosting[edit]

  • Kdam Eurovision (2005) – First Channel, Israel
  • Deal or No Deal
  • Game programme (13 total), (2005) – Channel 10, Israel
  • "Cinderella" Biographical documentary of Moran Atias, prime time (2004) – Channel 10, Israel

TV series[edit]

Italian TV programmes as sidekick[edit]

  • "Carramba Che Fortuna" – RaiUno, Italy (2000)
  • "Superconvenscion" – RaiDue, Italy (2000–01)
  • "Italiani" – Canale 5, Italy (2001)
  • "Matricole & Meteore" – Italia 1, Italy (2003)
  • "I Raccomandati" – RaiUno, Italy (2003–04)
  • "Natalino Balasso Show" – Italia 1, Italy (2004–05)

Magazines[edit]

Radio work[edit]

  • Shaker – Radio RTL 102.5 – a radio programme created and presented by Moran Atias (2005)

Awards[edit]

2014 – Capri Mediterranean Award for her role in Third Person[9]

2014 – LA Femme Filmmaker Award Humanitarian Award[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Freedman, Adrianna (21 May 2019). "Meet The Jewish TV Star Who Uses Her Israeli Identity To Play An ICE Victim". Retrieved 10 July 2022. Born in Haifa to parents of Moroccan ancestry, her Jewish identity, she says, has never been separate from her acting.
  2. ^ a b c d Brinn David (10 February 2011). "Not Just A Pretty Face". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Israeli Actress Moran Atias Moves into 'The Village'". 13 March 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Moran Atias - Fashion Models". Bellazon. 10 March 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  5. ^ "TNT Brazil to Adopt Hit Israeli Drama". Haaretz. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  6. ^ Tyrant (TV Series 2014–2016) - IMDb, retrieved 15 January 2024
  7. ^ "מורן אטיאס קיבלה אזרחות אמריקנית" (in Hebrew). 16 February 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Minimi: Moran Atias reveals her daughter for the first time – similarities?". Time News. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Capri, Hollywood (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  10. ^ "LA Femme International Film Festival (2014)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 January 2024.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Moran_Atias&oldid=1219124195"