Shira Haas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shira Haas
שירה האס
Haas in 2022
Born	(1995-05-11) 11 May 1995 (age 30) Tel Aviv, Israel
Nationality	Israeli
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2010–present

Shira Haas (Hebrew: שירה האס; born May 11, 1995) is a talented actress from Israel. She first became well-known in Israel for her roles in local movies and TV shows. She has won two Israeli Ophir Awards, which are like the Israeli Oscars. In 2020, she became famous around the world for her role in the Netflix show Unorthodox.

For her amazing acting in Unorthodox, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In the same year, Shira Haas won the Tribeca Film Festival Award for Best International Actress. This was for her part in the Israeli movie Asia (2020). She has also starred in the Netflix science fiction series Bodies (2023).

Early Life and Childhood

Shira Haas was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. Her family has roots in Poland.

Her grandparents were Holocaust survivors. This means they lived through a very difficult time during World War II. Her grandfather was held in a camp called Auschwitz concentration camp. Her grandmother moved to Israel from Hungary. Shira's first name, "Shira," means "poetry" or "singing" in Hebrew. When she was one year old, her family moved to Hod HaSharon, Israel, where she grew up with her older sister and brother.

When Shira was two, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. She bravely fought the illness and recovered two years later after many treatments. In 2022, her mother, Ariela Haas, passed away from cancer at age 61.

Shira went to the Thelma Yellin High School of Arts in Givatayim, Israel. She focused on theatre there. After high school, she volunteered for a short time in the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) performance unit. This was special because she was medically excused from regular army service.

Shira Haas's Acting Journey

Starting Out: 2010–2019

Shira began acting in plays at the Tel Aviv's Cameri Theater when she was 14. Some of her early plays included Ghetto (2010) and Richard III. In 2013, she made her TV debut in the Israeli drama series Shtisel. She played a Haredi girl named Ruchami Weiss.

In 2014, when Shira was still in high school, a casting director found her on Facebook. This led to her first main movie role in the Israeli film Princess (2014). She was only 16 when she got this part. Critics praised her acting, with The New York Times calling her performance "truly remarkable." The Hollywood Reporter noted how well she fit the role of a 12-year-old character. For this role, she won Best Actress awards at the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Peace & Love Film Festival. She was also nominated for an Israeli Ophir Award.

Shira Haas appeared in her first international film, A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015). This movie was directed by Natalie Portman. Shira also acted with Jessica Chastain in the movie The Zookeeper's Wife (2017). This led to her first appearance on an American talk show, The Today Show, in 2016. She even auditioned for the role using a Skype call!

She received another Israeli Ophir Award nomination for her role in Foxtrot (2017). This movie was even considered for an Academy Award. In 2018, Shira was nominated for two Ophir Awards. She won Best Supporting Actress for Noble Savage (2018). She also appeared in Mary Magdalene (2018) and Esau (2019) with Harvey Keitel. In 2019, Forbes magazine included her in their list of "30 under 30" young talents in Israel.

Becoming World Famous: Unorthodox and Beyond (2020–Present)

To prepare for her role in the 2020 Netflix series Unorthodox, Shira Haas moved to Berlin, Germany, two months before filming. She learned to speak Yiddish, the main language used in the show. She also shaved her head and took piano and singing lessons. In the series, she played Esther "Esty" Shapiro, a young woman who leaves her Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. The story is based on the real-life experiences of Deborah Feldman.

Critics loved Shira's performance. The New York Times called her "a phenomenon, expressive and captivating." The Guardian described her as "mesmerising" and "outstanding." Forbes said she gave "an incredible performance." At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Shira Haas was nominated for Best Lead Actress. She was the first Israeli actress to be nominated for an acting Emmy Award!

Shira also starred in the Israeli film Asia (2020). She played a daughter who uses a wheelchair. The movie premiered online at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Shira won the Best International Actress award for this role. The jury praised her, saying her face was "a never-ending landscape" and that she was "an incredibly honest and present actress." Her work in Asia also earned her another Israeli Ophir Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In September 2022, Marvel Studios announced that Shira Haas will play the first Israeli superheroine, Sabra. She will appear in the upcoming Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World, set for release in 2025. In 2024, Shira also played Nancy in the new musical Opening Night in London's West End.

Personal Life

As of April 2020, Shira Haas lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2014	Princess	Adar / Daughter
2015	A Tale of Love and Darkness	young Fania Mussman / Kira
2017	Foxtrot	Alma
	The Zookeeper's Wife	Urszula
2018	Mary Magdalene	Leah
	Noble Savage	Anna
2019	Broken Mirrors	Ariela
	Esau	Teen Leah
2020	Asia	Vika
2025	Captain America: Brave New World	Ruth Bat-Seraph / Sabra	Post-production

Key

Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Television

Stage

Awards and Nominations

Ophir Awards (Israeli Film Academy Awards)

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Shira Haas para niños

• List of Israelis
• List of Jewish actors
• List of Jews in the performing arts