Clara Khoury (, ; born 29 December 1976) is an American actress of Palestinian origins. She works in film, television and theater. She grew up in

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

, and now lives in California, US.

Biography

Clara Khoury is a

Palestinian American Palestinian Americans () are Americans who are of full or partial Palestinian descent. There are around 160,000 Palestinian American refugees according to the 2023 American Community Survey, making up around 0.05% of the U.S. population. Th ...

actress born in

, Israel. She is the daughter of the award-winning actor

Makram Khoury Makram Jamil Khoury (, ) is an Israeli-Arab actor, born 30 May 1945 in Jerusalem. He was the youngest artist and the first Arab to win the Israel Prize, the highest civic honor in Israel. Biography Makram J. Khoury was born into a Palestin ...

. Her family is

Greek Orthodox Christian Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Roma ...

. She studied cinema at the Open University in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

and drama at the

Beit Zvi Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts, and Theater () is a school of acting and theatre arts, located in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel, established in 1950, and is named after Zvi Klir, who fell in the War of Independence. The ...

Acting School.

Acting career

Khoury has worked in a variety of roles on stage including the lead in ''Antigone'' by Jean Anouih, ''The Glass Menagerie'' by Tennessee Williams and ''Salome'' by Oscar Wilde, in Arabic as well as in Hebrew and English. Her television work includes the series ''Parashat Hashavua'', written by

Ari Folman Ari Folman (; born December 17, 1962) is an Israeli film director, screenwriter, animator, and film-score composer. He directed the Oscar-nominated animated documentary film '' Waltz with Bashir'' (2008) and the live-action/animated film '' The ...

, and ''

Arab Labor ''Arab Labor'' (, ''Avoda Aravit''; , ''Shughl Arab'') is an Israeli sitcom television series, created by Sayed Kashua. History The series premiered on Keshet Channel 2 in Israel in 2007. The second season was broadcast in 2008 and the third ...

'' written by

Sayed Kashua Sayed Kashua (, ; born 1975) is an author and journalist. He is a Palestinian people, Palestinian citizen of Israel, born in Tira, Israel. He is known for his books and humorous columns in Hebrew and English. Early life Kashua was born in Tira, ...

. She made her big screen debut in 2002 in ''

Rana's Wedding ''Rana's Wedding'', also known as ''Jerusalem, Another Day'' (Arabic, القدس في يوم آخر ), is a Palestinian film released in 2002. It was produced in partnership with the Netherlands and funded by the Palestinian Film Foundation. The ...

'' by

Hany Abu-Assad Hany Abu-Assad (; born 11 October 1961) is an Israeli and Dutch film director and screenwriter of Palestinian origin. He has received two Academy Award nominations: in 2006 for his film '' Paradise Now'', and again in 2013 for his film '' Omar ...

(director of the Oscar-nominated ''

Paradise Now ''Paradise Now'' () is a 2005 psychological drama film directed by Hany Abu-Assad. It follows the story of two Palestinian men preparing for a suicide attack in Israel. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and recei ...

'') which premiered in the

International Critics' Week Critics' Week (), until 2008 called International Critics' Week ('), is a parallel section to the Cannes Film Festival organized by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics. History Critics' week was created in 1962, after the French Syndicate of ...

section at the 55th Cannes Film Festival representing Palestine. In 2005 she gained international recognition for her role in ''

The Syrian Bride ''The Syrian Bride'' () is a 2004 film directed by Eran Riklis. The story deals with a Druze wedding and the troubles the politically unresolved situation creates for the personal lives of the people in and from the village. The film's plot looks ...

'', portraying a young

Druze The Druze ( ; , ' or ', , '), who Endonym and exonym, call themselves al-Muwaḥḥidūn (), are an Arabs, Arab Eastern esotericism, esoteric Religious denomination, religious group from West Asia who adhere to the Druze faith, an Abrahamic ...

woman who risks losing her family by entering an arranged marriage with a Syrian national. Directed by

Eran Riklis Eran Riklis (; born October 2, 1954) is an Israeli filmmaker. His films include Cup Final (film), ''Cup Final'' (1991), ''The Syrian Bride'' (2004), Lemon Tree (2008 film), ''Lemon Tree'' (2008) and ''Dancing Arabs'' (also known as ''A Borrowed I ...

('' Lemon Tree'') the film won the Audience Prize at the

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

. Khoury starred in ''

Lipstikka ''Lipstikka'' () is 2011 Israeli drama film directed by Jonathan Sagall. The film premiered In Competition at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival and was nominated for the Golden Bear. Cast * Daniel Caltagirone * Clara Khoury as Lara * ...

'', a British / Israeli psychological drama by

Jonathan Sagall Jonathan Sagall (; born 23 April 1959) is a Canadian-born Israeli actor, director, producer and screenwriter.Berlinale The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

2011. At the Al-Midan Arabic Theater in Haifa she starred in

Juliano Mer-Khamis Juliano Mer-Khamis (; ; born Juliano Khamis; 29 May 19584 April 2011) was an Israeli–Palestinian actor, director, filmmaker, and political activist of Jewish and Palestinian Eastern Orthodox Christian parentage. On 4 April 2011, he was assass ...

's adaptation of Roman Polanski's 1994 movie ''Death and The Maiden'' after the play by Chilean playwright

Ariel Dorfman Vladimiro Ariel Dorfman (born May 6, 1942) is an Argentine-Chilean- American novelist, playwright, essayist, academic and human rights activist. A citizen of the United States since 2004, he has been a professor of literature and Latin American s ...

. Her film repertoire includes

Hiam Abbas Hiam Abbass (; ; born 30 November 1960), also spelled Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and film director with Israeli and French citizenship. She is known for her roles in films such as ''The Syrian Bride'' (2004), ''Paradise Now'' (2005), ...

’s ''

Inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

'' and Susan Youssef's ''Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf'' and ''Amsterdam to Anatolia'' on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

. Khoury starred in the acclaimed mini series '' Baghdad Central'' for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

and

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

and the series ''

Homeland A homeland is a place where a national or ethnic identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethnic natio ...

'' for

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

Film

*'' The Inheritance'' - (2012)

Hiam Abbass Hiam Abbass (; ; born 30 November 1960), also spelled Hiyam Abbas, is a Palestinian actress and film director with Israeli and French citizenship. She is known for her roles in films such as ''The Syrian Bride'' (2004), '' Paradise Now'' (2005) ...

* Marjoun and the flying headscarf - (2019) Susan Youssef * Amsterdam to Anatolia - (2019) by Susan Yousef * A Letter to a Friend in Gaza - (2019)

Amos Gitai Amos Gitai () is an artist and an Israelis, Israeli filmmaker, born 11 October 1950 in Haifa, Israel. Gitai's work was presented in several major retrospectives in Pompidou Center in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Lincoln Center for ...

Laila in Haifa ''Laila in Haifa'' is a 2020 Israeli-French drama film directed by Amos Gitai. It was selected to be shown in the main competition section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival. Cast References External links

* * 2020 fi ...

- (2020)

*''

'' - (2011) by

Jonathan Sagall Jonathan Sagall (; born 23 April 1959) is a Canadian-born Israeli actor, director, producer and screenwriter.Dusty Road'' - (2009) Rukaya Sabbah *'' Body of Lies'' - (2008)

Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is an English film director and producer. He directs films in the Science fiction film, science fiction, Crime film, crime, and historical drama, historical epic genres, with an atmospheric and highly co ...

*'' Liebesleben'' - (2007)

Maria Schrader Maria Schrader (born 27 September 1965) is a German actress, screenwriter, and director. She directed the award-winning 2007 film ''Love Life'' and the 2020 Netflix miniseries '' Unorthodox'', for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Ou ...

*''

Forgiveness Forgiveness, in a psychology, psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may have felt initially wronged, victimized, harmed, or hurt goes through a process of changing feelings and attitude regarding a given ...

'' - (2006)

Udi Aloni Udi Aloni (; born December 10, 1959) is an Israeli American filmmaker, writer, visual artist and political activist whose works focus on the interrelationships between art, theory, and action. Biography Udi Aloni is the son of Reuven and Shulam ...

*''

'' - (2004)

*''

'' - (2002)

Theater

*'' Death and the Maiden''—Paulina - (2010)

*'' Hebron, Khalil'' / Rania -- (2007) Oded Kotler *'' Period of Adjustment''—Isabel - (2006) Dedi Baron *'' Cruel and Tender''—Laela - (2005) Artur kogan *''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

''—Salome - (2005)

Ofira Henig Ofira Henig (; born March 1960) is an Israeli theater director. She has served as the artistic director of Jerusalem's Khan Theatre, the Israel Festival, The Laboratory in Jerusalem, and the Herzliya Theater Ensemble. Biography Born in 1960 on ...

*''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mo ...

''—Loura - (2004) Muneer Bakri *'' Gilgamesh, He is not Dead''—Houmbaba - (2003) Francois Abuo-Salem *'' Anigone''—Antigone - (2002) Gdalya Besser *'' Tiger at the Gate''—Andromaque - (2002) Ido Ricklin

Television

*'' On Any Saturday'' - created by Anat Asulin, Rani Blair *'' Kavanot Tovot'' - director

Uri Barbash Uri Barbash ( Hebrew: אורי ברבש; born 24 December 1946) is an Israeli film director and television director, member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. and the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. His film '' Beyond t ...

*''

'' - written by

*''

Maktub Maktub is an Arabic phrase which translates to "it is written". It may also refer to: * Maktub (band), a Seattle, Washington-based music group * ''Maktub'' (2017 film), an Israeli comedy film * ''Maktub'' (2011 film), a Spanish comedy-drama fil ...

'' - director Avi Mussel *'' Papadizi'' - director

Ori Sivan Ori Sivan (Hebrew language, Hebrew: אורי סיון; born July 30, 1963, in San Francisco, California) is an Israeli film and television director and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, he covered feature films, TV drama, TV mo ...

*'' The Police Man'' - director Ram Levi *''

'' - created by

Gideon Raff Gideon "Gidi" Raff (; born 10 September 1972) is an Israeli film and television director, screenwriter, and writer. He is best known for his creation of the Channel 2 thriller drama series ''Prisoners of War'', from which he later co-developed ...

Howard Gordon Howard Gordon (born March 31, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. He is well known for his work on the Fox action series '' 24'' alongside the Showtime thriller '' Homeland'', which he co-developed with Alex Gansa and Gideon Raf ...

, and Alex Gansa *'' Baghdad Central'' - written by

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

, director

Alice Troughton Alice Troughton is a British film and television director known for her work on ''Merlin'', ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs ''Torchwood'' and '' The Sarah Jane Adventures''. In 2023, she made her feature film debut with '' The Lesson''. Care ...

Awards and recognition

Khoury won two

Israeli Academy of Film and Television Israeli Academy of Film and Television is a non-profit organization working in the fields of film and television in Israel. History The Israeli Academy of Film and Television, founded in 1990, is the Israeli equivalent of the US-based Academy o ...

prizes for best actress as Bushra in the television sitcom ''Arab Labor''. She won the Best Actress Award for her leading role in Rana’s wedding at the

Marrakech International Film Festival The Marrakech International Film Festival (FIFM) (, Amazigh: ⴰⵏⵎⵓⴳⴳⴰⵔ ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵖⵍⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵍⴼⵉⵍⵎ ⴳ ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ) is an international film festival held annually in Marrakech, Morocco. It was established i ...

References

External links

''Rana's Wedding'' Official Site

''Forgiveness'' Official SiteYahoo Movies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khoury, Clara Palestinian actresses Palestinian film actresses American people of Palestinian descent Israeli film actresses Israeli stage actresses 1976 births Living people Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts alumni 20th-century Israeli actresses Actors from Haifa 21st-century Israeli actresses Israeli television actresses Israeli Arab Christians Israeli Arab actors