Maia Morgenstern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maia Morgenstern
Morgenstern in November 2018
Born	Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern (1962-05-01) 1 May 1962 (age 63) Bucharest, Romania
Alma mater	I. L. Caragiale Institute of Theatre and Film
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1980–present
Known for	The Blessed Virgin Mary in The Passion of the Christ
Television	Aniela (2009) Iubire și onoare (2010–11) Las Fierbinți (2012–14)
Spouse(s)	Claudiu Istodor ​ (m. 1983⁠–⁠1999)​ Dumitru Băltățeanu ​ (m. 2001⁠–⁠2015)​
Children	3, including Tudor Aaron
Parents	Usher Morgenstern (father) Sara Rappaport (mother)

Maia Morgenstern in concert, singing Jewish songs in Timișoara, Romania, 2010.

Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern (born May 1, 1962) is a famous Romanian actress. Many people see her as a very important person in Romanian theater and movies. Around the world, she is best known for playing the Blessed Virgin Mary in the movie The Passion of the Christ.

In Romania, she became well-known after her role as Nela in the 1992 film Balanța. This movie is also known as The Oak in the United States. The story takes place during the final years of Communist Romania, a time when the government controlled many things. On May 1, 2011, Maia Morgenstern received a special star on the Romanian Walk of Fame in Bucharest.

About Maia Morgenstern's Life

Maia Morgenstern was born in Bucharest, Romania. She grew up in a Jewish family. She went to the Zoia Kosmodeminskaia High School in Bucharest. Later, she studied at the Film and Theatre Academy of Bucharest. She finished her studies in 1985.

After graduating, she acted at the Teatrul Tineretului (Youth Theatre) in Piatra Neamț until 1988. She also performed at the Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest. From 1990 to 1998, she was part of the Romanian National Theatre company. Since 1998, she has been with Teatrul Bulandra, another theater in Bucharest. She still acts at the Jewish State Theatre and other theaters in Romania.

One of her famous stage roles was in a Romanian version of The Blue Angel. She played the character Lola Lola, a role made famous by Marlene Dietrich. She also played Kathleen Hogan in a play called Park Your Car in Harvard Yard.

Maia Morgenstern's Film Roles

Maia Morgenstern has acted in many movies. Most of her roles are in Romanian. In The Passion of the Christ, she spoke Aramaic. She learned her lines by listening and repeating them. She has said she was very proud to play the Virgin Mary.

Her last name, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German. This is also a special name for the Virgin Mary. Mel Gibson, the director of The Passion of the Christ, thought this was very meaningful when he chose her for the role. Maia Morgenstern has defended the movie against claims of being unfair to Jewish people. She explained that the movie showed leaders, not all Jewish people, as being against new ideas.

Maia Morgenstern's Family Life

Maia Morgenstern has been married two times. Her first marriage was to Claudiu Istodor from 1983 to 1999. Her second marriage was to Dumitru Băltățeanu from 2001 to 2015. She has three children. One of her children is the actor Tudor Aaron.

Awards and Recognition

Maia Morgenstern has won many important awards for her acting. Here are some of them:

• Best Actress for Cei care platesc cu viața (1991) from the Romanian Filmmakers Union.
• UNITER (Romanian Theatrical Union) Lucia Sturdza Bulandra Prize (1990). This was for her role as Medea in Trilogia antică.
• Best Actress for Balanța (1992) at the European Film Awards.
• Best Actress for Balanța (1992) at the Cinéma Tout Ecran (Geneva Film Festival).
• Best Actress for Balanța (1992) from the Romanian Filmmakers Union.
• UNITER best actress award (1993) for her role in Ghetto.
• UNITER award (1995) for her performance in Lola Blau.
• Best Film Actress for The Passion of the Christ (2004). This was from the Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards (EMMA Awards) in the UK.

Maia Morgenstern's Movies and TV Shows

Here is a list of some of the movies and TV shows Maia Morgenstern has been in. If a title is italicized, it means that is the English name for the film.

See also

In Spanish: Maia Morgenstern para niños