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 Emilia Ninel Morgenstern (born May 1, 1962) is a famous Romanian actress. She has starred in many films and plays. People often call her "a symbol of Romanian theater and film."

Internationally, she is best known for playing the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she became well-known for her role as Nela in the 1992 film Balanța, also known as The Oak. This movie shows life in Romania during the end of the Communist era. On May 1, 2011, Maia Morgenstern received a star on the Romanian Walk of Fame in Bucharest.

About Maia Morgenstern

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

Maia Morgenstern was born in Bucharest, Romania. She comes from a Jewish family. She studied acting at the Film and Theatre Academy of Bucharest and graduated in 1985.

After graduating, she started her acting career in theaters. She performed at the Youth Theatre in Piatra Neamț and the State Jewish Theatre in Bucharest. From 1990 to 1998, she was part of the National Theatre in Bucharest. Later, she joined the Teatrul Bulandra company. She still acts in various theaters across Romania, including the Jewish State Theatre.

Famous Roles in Theater

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

Acting in Movies

Maia Morgenstern has appeared in many films. Most of her roles are in Romanian. However, in The Passion of the Christ, she spoke Aramaic. She learned her lines by memorizing the sounds. She has said she felt very proud to play the Virgin Mary.

Her last name, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German. This is also a special title for the Virgin Mary. Mel Gibson, the director of The Passion of the Christ, found this very meaningful when he chose her for the role.

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, and one of them is also an actor named Tudor Aaron Istodor.

Awards and Achievements

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

• Best Actress for the film Cei care platesc cu viața (Those who pay with their lives) in 1991.
• UNITER Lucia Sturdza Bulandra Prize in 1990 for her role as Medea in the play Trilogia antică (Ancient Trilogy).
• Best Actress for the film Balanța in 1992 at the European Film Awards.
• Best Actress for Balanța in 1992 at the Cinéma Tout Ecran (Geneva Film Festival).
• UNITER Best Actress Award in 1993 for her role in Ghetto.
• UNITER Award in 1995 for her performance in the play Lola Blau.
• Best Film Actress for The Passion of the Christ in 2004 at the Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards (EMMA Awards) in the UK.

Filmography

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

See also

In Spanish: Maia Morgenstern para niños