Maia Morgenstern
- Actress
Maia Morgenstern is a Romanian film and stage
actress, described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian
theater and film." In the English-speaking world, she is probably best
known for the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Mel Gibson's The
Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been nationally known since
her 1992 role as Nela in Balanta, a film known in the United States as
The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania.
Born in Bucharest, in a Jewish family, she graduated from the Film and
Theatre Academy of Bucharest in 1985. She then played at Teatrul
Tineretului (Youth Theater) in Piatra Neamt; until 1988, and at the
Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest 1988-1990.
From 1990-1998 she was a member of the company of the National Theatre
in Bucharest, and since 1998 of Teatrul Bulandra, also in Bucharest; in
addition, she continues to act at the State Jewish Theatre and other
Bucharest theaters and elsewhere in Romania. Among her notable stage
roles in recent years, in a Romanian-language production of The Blue
Angel (Ingerul Albastru in Romanian) at Bucharest's Odeon Theater, in
2001-2002 she played (to great critical acclaim) Lola Lola, the
character made famous by Marlene Dietrich. At the same time, she was
also playing the role of Kathleen Hogan in a Romanian-language
production of Israel Horovitz's Park Your Car in Harvard Yard at the
State Jewish Theater.
Morgenstern has appeared in numerous films, primarily in Hungarian and
Romanian-language roles. In The Passion of the Christ, she performs a
role in Aramaic, but like the other actors in the cast of that film,
she simply memorized her lines phonetically.
Her surname, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German, a title of
the Virgin Mary, the character she played in The Passion of the Christ.
Mel Gibson, a devout Traditionalist Catholic, thought this of great
significance when casting her. In interviews, she has defended The
Passion against allegations of anti-Semitism, saying that the high
priest Caiaphas is portrayed not as a representative of the Jewish
people, but as a leader of the establishment, adding that "Authorities
throughout history have persecuted individuals with revolutionary
ideas."
She has been married twice, and has 3 children: Tudor Aaron, Eva Leea
Cabiria and Ana Isadora.
actress, described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian
theater and film." In the English-speaking world, she is probably best
known for the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Mel Gibson's The
Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been nationally known since
her 1992 role as Nela in Balanta, a film known in the United States as
The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania.
Born in Bucharest, in a Jewish family, she graduated from the Film and
Theatre Academy of Bucharest in 1985. She then played at Teatrul
Tineretului (Youth Theater) in Piatra Neamt; until 1988, and at the
Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest 1988-1990.
From 1990-1998 she was a member of the company of the National Theatre
in Bucharest, and since 1998 of Teatrul Bulandra, also in Bucharest; in
addition, she continues to act at the State Jewish Theatre and other
Bucharest theaters and elsewhere in Romania. Among her notable stage
roles in recent years, in a Romanian-language production of The Blue
Angel (Ingerul Albastru in Romanian) at Bucharest's Odeon Theater, in
2001-2002 she played (to great critical acclaim) Lola Lola, the
character made famous by Marlene Dietrich. At the same time, she was
also playing the role of Kathleen Hogan in a Romanian-language
production of Israel Horovitz's Park Your Car in Harvard Yard at the
State Jewish Theater.
Morgenstern has appeared in numerous films, primarily in Hungarian and
Romanian-language roles. In The Passion of the Christ, she performs a
role in Aramaic, but like the other actors in the cast of that film,
she simply memorized her lines phonetically.
Her surname, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German, a title of
the Virgin Mary, the character she played in The Passion of the Christ.
Mel Gibson, a devout Traditionalist Catholic, thought this of great
significance when casting her. In interviews, she has defended The
Passion against allegations of anti-Semitism, saying that the high
priest Caiaphas is portrayed not as a representative of the Jewish
people, but as a leader of the establishment, adding that "Authorities
throughout history have persecuted individuals with revolutionary
ideas."
She has been married twice, and has 3 children: Tudor Aaron, Eva Leea
Cabiria and Ana Isadora.