Moran Atias (; ; born 9 April 1981) is an Israeli actress and model. She gained fame in the Italian films ''Gas'', '' Oggi sposi'', and '' Mother of Tears''. She is best known for her work with

Paul Haggis Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners ''Million Dollar Baby'' (2004) and ...

in the 2008 TV series '' Crash'' and the 2013 film '' Third Person''. She also starred on the FX television series ''

Tyrant A tyrant (), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to ...

''.

Early life

Atias was born 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 ...

, Israel, to parents of

Moroccan Jewish Moroccan Jews (; ; ) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman times. Jews began immigrating to the region as early as 70 CE. They were much later met by a second wave of migrants fro ...

descent. Her grandfather was a

rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

. She appeared on the youth television programme ''Out of Focus'' at age 15. Her plan to serve as a soldier in the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

was frustrated by a diagnosis of

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

at age 17. She pursued modelling instead in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and then in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, where she was discovered and became a model for

Roberto Cavalli Roberto Cavalli (; 15 November 1940 – 12 April 2024) was an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He was known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The Roberto Cavalli fashion house sells luxury clothing, perf ...

. Her younger sister is Israeli actress Shani Atias.

Career

Modelling

Atias first appeared on television when she was 15, starring in the Israeli youth program ''Out of Focus''. By the age of 17, she went to Germany to launch her modelling career. She modelled for

, D&G, and BBG jewellers. Later, she hosted an Italian talk show.

Acting, other film work

Israel and Italy

After establishing herself as a model, she was encouraged to pursue a career in acting. She has appeared in English-, Italian-, Hebrew-, and Spanish-language films, and was nominated for Best Actress at the ' for her role in

Menahem Golan Menahem Golan (; May 31, 1929 – August 8, 2014, originally Menachem Globus) was an Israelis, Israeli film producer, screenwriter, and director. He co-owned The Cannon Group with his cousin Yoram Globus. Cannon specialized in producing low-to-mid ...

's 2005 Israeli film ''Days of Love''. Her work in these films led to her being cast in the Italian feature film ''Gas'', in which she played a provocative drug addict tasked with seducing a gay drug addict. She followed that up with the romantic comedy ''Oggi Sposi'', directed by Luca Luncini and ''Mother of Tears'', the third and final installment of

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. His influential work in the horror film, horror and giallo genres during the 1970s and 1980s has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the ...

's supernatural

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...

of horror ''The Three Mothers''. ''Mother of Tears'' premièred at the 2007

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

and the

Rome Film Festival International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma. From 2022, the festival was officially recognized as a competitive festival by the Internation ...

United States

In 2008, she was cast in the role of the illegal immigrant Inez in the drama series '' Crash'', based on Paul Haggis's

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

. After one season, she became the female lead opposite

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. He was considered one of the key figures of New Hollywood. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Internatio ...

. Working with Haggis led to her being cast in his film ''

The Next Three Days ''The Next Three Days'' is a 2010 American crime thriller film written and directed by Paul Haggis, starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks. A remake of the 2008 French film ''Pour elle'' ('' Anything for Her'') by Fred Cavayé, the plot foll ...

''. In 2011, Atias worked with Cynthia Mort on the television project ''Radical'', playing to role of Ana, which Mort had written specifically for her. In 2012, she was cast in the critically acclaimed Israeli television series ''Allenby Street'', directed by

Assaf Bernstein Assaf Bernstein (; born 8 July 1970) is an Israeli screenwriter, film director and film producer. Life and works Bernstein was born in Israel and graduated cum laude from NYU Film School. Bernstein began his film career with two documentary ...

Fauda ''Fauda'' (, from ''fawḍā'', meaning "chaos" or "mess") is an Israeli television series developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It tells the story of Doron, a commander in ...

fame, where she played the stripper Mika, a formerly

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tra ...

girl who avoids her childhood secret while living a complex nightlife. She also served as a producer and worked to adapt it into a US series. She was cast in the new FX series ''

'' by the creators of the successful television 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 ...

'' by creator and fellow Israeli, Gideon Raff. Her work on the film ''The Next Three Days'' led to '' Third Person'', a project that Atias pitched and helped develop with

. She was chosen to play the role of 'Monika,' a Romanian

gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

. To prepare for the role, she lived in Italy for four months and immersed herself in the

lifestyle, living without the basics of running water or electricity. She studied with Michael Margota at the Italian Actor's Studio to perfect the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

and

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

accents. She also served as a co-producer and a co-consultant for the script. The film premiered at the 2013

Humanitarian work

In Italy, she was the 2005–06 spokeswoman for the City of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

in their campaigns against

graffiti Graffiti (singular ''graffiti'', or ''graffito'' only in graffiti archeology) is writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from simple written "monikers" to elabor ...

and

animal cruelty Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction of suffering or Injury, harm by humans upon animals, either by omission (neglect) or by commission. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm ...

in the city. Atias participated in the Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) volunteer mission with

Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...

following the

2010 Haiti earthquake The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake that struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (departm ...

, in which she assisted the evacuation of refugees to

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. During her second trip to Haiti, she took part in a workshop at Ciné Institute in

Jacmel Jacmel (; ) is a commune in southern Haiti founded by the Spanish in 1504 and repopulated by the French in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est, 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Port-au-Prince across the Tiburon Peninsula, and ...

. In May 2010, she worked with APJ and hosted and organized a charity event at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

. In November 2010, she hosted and organized a charity event for APJ in New York, with proceeds going to the first free high school for the children of the slums of Haiti. She is a goodwill ambassador for

IsraAid IsraAID (The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid) is an Israel-based non-governmental organization that responds to emergencies all over the world with targeted humanitarian help. IsraAID was founded by Shachar Zahavi and Mully Dor. T ...

, and took part in humanitarian work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there. In April 2020, Atias volunteered at the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

patients ward in

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (), commonly referred to as Ichilov Hospital () is the largest teaching hospital and general hospital serving Tel Aviv, Israel and its metropolitan area and is the second-largest hospital complex in the country. T ...

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 ...

Personal life

In February 2017, Atias became a naturalized U.S. citizen. In 2022 Moran gave birth to a daughter.

Filmography

Film

Television

Hosting

*'' Kdam Eurovision'' (2005) – First Channel, Israel *''

Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a ...

'' *Game programme (13 total), (2005) – Channel 10, Israel *"Cinderella" Biographical documentary of Moran Atias, prime time (2004) – Channel 10, Israel

TV series

* '' Crash'', a Starz network series, recurring cast (2008), and second season (2009) regular cast * '' CSI: NY'', guest star (2010) * '' Rules of Engagement'' episode "Anniversary Chicken", guest star as Sophia (2011) * ''

White Collar White collar may refer to: * White-collar worker, a professional who performs office-based or similar service-based jobs, as opposed to a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor * White-collar boxing * White-collar crime The term ...

'', role of Christie (2011) * ''

'', role of Leila Al-Fayeed (2014–2016) * 24: Legacy, role of Sidra (2017) * Animal Kingdom, role of Louise Thompson (2021)

Italian TV programmes as sidekick

*"Carramba Che Fortuna" – RaiUno, Italy (2000) *"Superconvenscion" – RaiDue, Italy (2000–01) *"Italiani" –

Canale 5 Canale 5 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel of Mediaset, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It was the first private television network to have national coverage in Italy in 1980. On 4 December 2012, Mediaset launched Canale 5 HD, a ...

, Italy (2001) *"Matricole & Meteore" –

Italia 1 Italia 1 (Italian pronunciation ) is an Italian free-to-air television channel on the Mediaset network, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It is aimed at both a young adult and adult audience. Italia 1 was launched on 3 January 1982 and, was or ...

, Italy (2003) *"I Raccomandati" – RaiUno, Italy (2003–04) *"Natalino Balasso Show" –

, Italy (2004–05)

Magazines

*''

Men's Health ''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst Communications, Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries; it is the bestselling men's magazine on American newsstands. Started as a men's health magazin ...

'' United States *'' Nylon Guys'' United States *'' Gioia'' magazine cover *'' Vanity Fair'' Italy *''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

'' – Covers for Spain, Israel, Serbia, Mexico *''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment *Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim ...

'' United States *''Maxim'' Israel Cover *''Flaunt'' United States *''

Men's Fitness ''Men's Fitness'' was a men's magazine published by American Media, Inc and founded in the United States in 1987. The premier issue featured Michael Pare from the television series '' The Greatest American Hero''. The magazine's slogan was "How ...

'' United States *''

944 Year 944 ( CMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Byzantine forces are defeated by Sayf al-Dawla. He captures the city of Aleppo, and extends his c ...

'' USA *''60 Magazine'' – writing a monthly column for an established fashion magazine for the female audience. *''Rosh 1'' – teen magazine *''

Photo A photograph (also known as a photo, or more generically referred to as an ''image'' or ''picture'') is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor. The process and pra ...

'' Italy,

Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

'' Italy 2002–2004, ''

Corriere della Sera (; ) is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average circulation of 246,278 copies in May 2023. First published on 5 March 1876, is one of Italy's oldest newspapers and is Italy's most read newspaper. Its masthead has remain ...

'' Special Moda, ''

Capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

'' Italy, ''Class'' Italy, Onda TV, Happy Web, ''Leisha'' Israel, ''AT'' Israel, ''

Pnai Plus ''Pnai Plus'' (, lit. ''Leisure Plus''), or ''Pplus'', is one of the major Israeli magazines published weekly that covers the world of entertainment and television worldwide as well as the local Israeli television and celebrities scene. Created in ...

'' Israel, '' GO Magazine'', Blazer Israel, ''Olam HaIsha'' Israel, '' Yedioth'' and ''

Maariv ''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'', or ''Arbit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or at night. It consists primarily of the evening '' Shema'' and ''Amidah''. The service will often begin with two ...

'' Israeli newspapers

Radio work

*''Shaker'' – Radio

RTL 102.5 RTL 102.5 is a private Italian radio station. Despite its name, this radio station is not endorsed or affiliated with RTL Group (it is owned by Lorenzo Suraci, and RTL is an acronym of (''Lombardy Radio Broadcasting''), the original name of this s ...

– a radio programme created and presented by Moran Atias (2005)

Awards

2014 – Capri Mediterranean Award for her role in Third Person 2014 – LA Femme Filmmaker Award Humanitarian Award

References

External links

*
Moran Atias photos
on ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Atias, Moran 1981 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American female models American film actresses American people of Moroccan-Jewish descent American radio actresses American television personalities Israeli emigrants to the United States Israeli expatriates in Italy Israeli female models Israeli film actresses Israeli people of Moroccan-Jewish descent Israeli radio actresses Israeli television personalities Jewish American actresses Jewish female models Jewish Israeli actresses Models from Haifa Actresses from Haifa Naturalized citizens of the United States 20th-century American Sephardic Jews 21st-century American Sephardic Jews