Shira Haas (born ) is an Israeli actress. She first rose to local prominence for her role in the television series '' Shtisel'' (2013–2021). Her international breakthrough came with her portrayal of Esther "Esty" Shapiro in the

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miniseries '' Unorthodox'' (2020), for which she received Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations, becoming the first Israeli actress to be nominated for the latter. After appearing in theatre productions as a child, she transitioned to film making her debut in ''

Princess Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...

'' (2014). She has since starred in multiple films including '' A Tale of Love and Darkness'' (2015) and ''

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'' (2020). She also appeared in the Netflix

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

television series '' Bodies'' (2023) and played Ruth Bat-Seraph in the

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film '' Captain America: Brave New World'' (2025).

Early life

Haas was born 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 ...

, Israel, on 11 May, 1995, to a Polish Jewish family. Two of her grandparents are Holocaust survivors; her grandfather was imprisoned in the

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

in occupied

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, whereas her grandmother had immigrated to Israel from

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. In

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

, her first name literally means the noun "poetry", "singing" or "her song". When she was one year old, her family moved to the city of Hod HaSharon, Israel, where she grew up with her older sister and brother. At age two, Haas was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and recovered two years later after a series of severe treatments. On 2 August 2022, her mother Ariela "Leah" Haas died of cancer, after weeks in hospice, at age 61. She attended the Thelma Yellin High School of Arts in Givatayim, Israel, majoring in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

, before completing a short period of volunteer service 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 ...

' (IDF) theatre unit, despite being medically exempted from mandatory conscription.

Career

2010–2019: Early work and breakthrough

At age 14, she began performing in plays at the Tel Aviv's Cameri Theater, such as '' Ghetto'' (2010) and ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

''. She made her television debut as the role of Haredi girl Ruchami Weiss in the Israeli drama series '' Shtisel'' in 2013. While attending Thelma Yellin, Haas was approached by an Israeli casting director by the name of Esther Kling via

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message in 2014. She encouraged Haas to audition for the lead role in the Israeli film ''Princess'' (2014). After getting her debut role at the age of 16, Haas was praised by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' for her "truly remarkable lead performance", and was admired by ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' for fitting the part of a 12-year-old character with her "petite frame and baby-smooth complexion". The role won her the awards for Best Actress at both the

Jerusalem Film Festival The Jerusalem Film Festival (, ) is an international film festival held annually in Jerusalem, It was established in 1984 by the Director of the Jerusalem Cinematheque and Israeli Film Archive, Lia van Leer, Lia Van Leer, and has since become th ...

and the Peace & Love Film Festival, as well as a nomination for Best Leading Actress at the Israeli

Ophir Award The Ophir Awards (), full name: the Israel Film Academy Award, sometimes also known as the Israeli Oscars or the Israeli Academy Awards, are film awards for excellence in the Israeli film industry awarded by the Israeli Academy of Film and Tele ...

s. Haas made her first appearance in an international film when she played the role of young Fania in compatriot

Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...

's directorial-debut, ''A Tale of Love and Darkness'' (2015). Haas also appeared alongside

Jessica Chastain Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in projects with Feminism, feminist themes, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Jessica Chastain, various ...

Niki Caro Nikola Jean Caro (born 20 September 1966) is a New Zealand film, television, and music video director and screenwriter. Her 2002 film ''Whale Rider'' was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals. She directe ...

's ''The Zookeeper's Wife'' (2017), which led to her American talk show debut on ''The Today Show'' in 2016. Haas auditioned for the role over

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call. She earned her second Israeli

nomination for Best Supporting Actress in ''

Foxtrot The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a time ...

'' (2017), which made the final shortlist for the 90th Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. At the 2018 Israeli

s, Haas was nominated for both Best Leading Actress for '' Broken Mirrors'' (2018) and Best Supporting Actress for ''

Noble Savage In Western anthropology, Western philosophy, philosophy, and European literature, literature, the Myth of the Noble savage refers to a stock character who is uncorrupted by civilization. As such, the "noble" savage symbolizes the innate goodness a ...

'' (2018), the latter of which she won. In 2018, she appeared as Leah in ''

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

'', written by

Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson (born 1964) is a British playwright, screenwriter and producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for the stage and screen. Early life Edmu ...

and directed by

Garth Davis Garth Davis (born 1974) is an Australian television, advertising, and film director, best known for directing the films ''Lion'' (2016), and biblical drama ''Mary Magdalene'' (2018). He earlier directed episodes of the series '' Top of the Lak ...

. She made the Israeli ''

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'' list of 30 under 30 in February 2019, before appearing alongside

Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...

in the second biblical film in her acting career, ''

Esau Esau is the elder son of Isaac in the Hebrew Bible. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis and by the minor prophet, prophets Obadiah and Malachi. The story of Jacob and Esau reflects the historical relationship between Israel and Edom, aiming ...

'' (2019).

2020–present: International recognition with ''Unorthodox''

In March 2020, Haas starred in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

limited

series '' Unorthodox'' (2020) as Esther "Esty" Shapiro, a young girl who runs away from her arranged marriage and Ultra-Orthodox community in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independe ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Filming for the show occurred in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Germany, with Haas learning the

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

language, shaving her head and also completing both piano and singing lessons prepare for the role. Based on the true life story of Deborah Feldman, the series received critical acclaim. Haas also received critical acclaim for her role, with various publications praising her performance. At the

72nd Primetime Emmy Awards The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was originally to be held at the Microsof ...

, Haas was nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series for this performance, becoming the first Israeli to be nominated for an acting Primetime Emmy Award. זו הפעם הראשונה ששחקנית ישראלית (או שחקן) מקבלת מועמדות לפרס האמי המרכזי. "This is the first time that an Israeli actress (or actor) has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award." Haas acted alongside Alena Yiv in the role of a daughter who becomes reliant on a wheelchair in the Israeli film ''

'' (2020), which premiered online at the 2020

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The role earned Haas the award for Best International Actress at the festival. The jury wrote, "Her face is a never-ending landscape in which even the tiniest expression is heartbreaking; she's an incredibly honest and present actress who brings depth to everything she does." Her performance in the film also earned her the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 30th Israeli

s. In late April 2020, she joined a virtual ceremony celebrating Israel's 72nd Independence Day, alongside

Ben Platt Benjamin Schiff Platt (born September 24, 1993) is an American actor and singer. The son of film and theater producer Marc Platt (producer), Marc Platt and philanthropist Julie Platt, he began his acting career in musical theater as a child and ...

and Josh Malina. Haas was signed to

Creative Artists Agency Creative Artists Agency, LLC (CAA) is an American talent and sports agency based in Los Angeles, California. With 1,800 employees in March 2016, it is regarded as an influential company in the talent agency business and manages numerous client ...

in June 2020. In 2024, Haas appeared in the titular role of historic drama ''Ethel''. Haas was named to Forbes' 2021 list for North America of 30 Under 30 innovators and entrepreneurs in 20 categories. That same year, Haas starred as Nancy in the musical '' Opening Night'' at the

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

's West End. In February 2025, Haas portrayed an iteration of the Israeli superhero Sabra in the

(MCU) film '' Captain America: Brave New World''. The inclusion of her character was met with controversy, due to the

Gaza–Israel conflict The Gaza–Israel conflict is a localized part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict beginning in 1948, when about 200,000 of the more than 700,000 Nakba, Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes settled in the Gaza Strip as ref ...

. Her character, Ruth Bat-Seraph, is portrayed as a former Black Widow assassin. The character received polarising views with many arguing that the MCU's iteration of the character was stripped of her comic counterpart's characteristics and that her Israeli identity was largely downplayed. Haas has also stated that she received multiple anti-Semitic threats during this time.

Personal life

As of April 2020, Haas has resided in

, Israel. In 2025, local media outlets reported that Haas ended her four-year relationship with Israeli film director Ido Weisman. In October 2023, Haas along with hundreds of other actors and entertainment executives from Hollywood, signed an open letter to President Biden calling for support in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas following the group's October 7 attacks against Israel.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haas, Shira 1995 births Living people People from Hod HaSharon Israeli child actresses Israeli film actresses Israeli television actresses Jewish Israeli actresses Thelma Yellin High School of Arts alumni 21st-century Israeli Jews 21st-century Israeli actresses Israeli female military personnel Israeli Ashkenazi Jews Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent Israeli people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Actresses from Tel Aviv Ophir Award winners