Айелет Зурер: от Израиля до Голливуда

Israeli actress

Ayelet Zurer (; born ) is an Israeli actress. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation in Israel, she is recognized for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters and television. She has received numerous accolades, including Best Actress at the Israeli Academy Awards for her role in Nina's Tragedies (2003). In 2006 and 2013, the Israeli Academy of Television awarded her Best Actress awards for her performances in BeTipul and Hostages. A graduate of Yoram Loewenstein Performing Arts Studio in Tel Aviv, she landed an early role as a series regular on the Israeli teen drama, Inyan Shel Zman (1992 1993). She was later cast in the hit Israeli drama series, Florentine (1997 2000) from creator, Eytan Fox. She shared the first lesbian kiss on Israeli television with Ronit Elkabetz in a 2000 episode. She also starred as Elisheva, the love interest of Akiva (Michael Aloni) in the Haredi family drama series, Shtisel (2013), which was broadcast internationally by Netflix. She starred in the Israeli psychological thriller Losing Alice (2020), which was broadcast internationally by Apple TV+. She has appeared in several high profile Hollywood films such as Munich (2005), Vantage Point (2008), Angels & Demons (2009), Man of Steel (2013) and Ben Hur (2016). She also portrays Vanessa Marianna Fisk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Daredevil (2015–2018) and Daredevil: Born Again.

Ayelet Zurer was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a Jewish family. Her mother was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the Holocaust by hiding in a convent. She immigrated to Israel in the 1950s. Her Israeli born father is of Russian Jewish descent. She has described her parents as "working class people". During her service in the Israel Defense Forces, Zurer was a soldier in the military band of the Northern Command. After finishing her military service, Zurer studied acting for three years at the Performing Arts Studio founded by Yoram Loewenstein. She moved to the United States and studied with George Morison at the Actor's Workshop in New York City. In 1991, she returned to Israel. In 2003, she married her surfing instructor, Gilad Londovski. They have a son and reside in Los Angeles.

In 1992, she starred in the television series Inyan Shel Zman, and in 1993, she played Debbie in the Israeli comedy film Nikmato shel Itzik Finkelstein (Revenge of Itzik Finkelstein). During this time, she also participated in the cable television show Yetziat Hirum. From 1997 to 2000, she had a regular role as Shira Steinberg in the pioneering Israeli television show, Florentine. The show created by Eytan Fox and Gal Uchovsky and broadcast Channel 2. Her character, Shira, made history, sharing the first ever lesbian kiss on Israeli television with Nicole (Ronit Elkabetz). Several Israeli television series followed: in 2000, Zinzana, and in 2002, Shalva and Ha'Block. In 1998, she played the lead in the film Ahava Asura (a. k. a. The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field). In 2001, she starred in the movies Laila Lelo Lola and Kikar Ha'Halomot. In 2003, she starred in Nina's Tragedies, portraying the title character, Nina, a young woman who has to rebuild her life after the death of her husband. She won an Israeli Academy Award for Best Actress for this role. In 2004, when she was cast in Steven Spielberg's Munich, she moved with her family to California. In 2005, she starred in another Israeli television series, Betipul, a drama about a psychologist and his patients' therapy process. She plays Na'ama Lerner, a patient who starts a romance with the doctor. The series won her a Best Actress award from the Israeli Television Academy and was remade as the HBO series In Treatment. The following year Zurer participated in an Israeli sketch comedy television show called Gomrot Holchot that deals with the world of young women, relationships, marriage, sex, and career. The show is based on the British sketch comedy show Smack the Pony. Zurer appeared in Munich (2005), where she played Avner Kaufman's wife. She played a terrorist in the American thriller Vantage Point. In 2007, she starred in Fugitive Pieces, in which a troubled young Holocaust survivor falls in love with her character. In April 2008, Zurer was cast as the female lead, Vittoria Vetra, in The Da Vinci Code sequel, Angels & Demons. She played a nurse who falls in love with the title character in Adam Resurrected (2008). She played the lead role in the 2011 film Hide Away (a. k. a. "A Year in Mooring"), and played Superman's mother, Lara Lor Van, in the reboot of the Superman franchise, Man of Steel (2013). In 2013, Zurer starred in the Israeli series Shtisel as an attractive widow, Elisheva Rotstein. In 2015, she starred in Daredevil as Vanessa Marianna Fisk, an art gallery owner. The series is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Zurer reprised her role in the third season (2018) of Daredevil and is set to return in Daredevil: Born Again. In November 2020, Zurer was cast in a recurring role on the third season of the Netflix psychological thriller series You. She starred in the 2021 dramatic thriller Losing Alice on Apple TV+. In 2024, she stars as Dr. Amalia Levy alongside Amos Tamam in the Israeli drama series, The Best Worst Thing on Keshet 12.

Year Title Role Notes 1991 Pour Sacha (a. k. a. For Sasha) Shoshana French drama 1993 Revenge of Itzik Finkelstein (a. k. a. Nikmato Shel Itzik Finkelstein) Debbie 1997 Ahava Asura (Forbidden Love, a. k. a. The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field) Lea 2001 Kikar Ha'Halomot (a. k. a. Desperado Square) Gila (the waitress) 2003 Ish Ha'Hashmal (a. k. a. Rutenberg) Becki Ha'Asonot Shel Nina (Nina's Tragedies) Nina 2004 Mashehu Matok (Something Sweet) Tamar 2005 Munich Daphna Kaufman 2007 Fugitive Pieces Michaela Rak Klavim Ratzim Hofshi (a. k. a. Wild Dogs) Telma 2008 Vantage Point Veronica Adam Resurrected Gina Grey 2009 Ingenious Gina Angels & Demons Vittoria Vetra 2011 Hide Away The Waitress 2012 Darling Companion Carmen 2013 Man of Steel Lara Lor Van 2015 Last Days in the Desert Mother Last Knights Naomi 2016 Ben Hur Naomi Ben Hur 2017 Milada Milada Horáková

Year Title Role Notes 1992 Inyan Shel Zman (a. k. a. A Matter of Time) Noga Caspi 1997 Florentine Shira 1999 Zinzana Hanita Rozen 'Georgi' 2001 Laila Lelo Lola (a. k. a. A Night Without Lola) Oshrit TV movie 2004 Maktub Michal TV movie 2005 BeTipul (a. k. a. In Therapy) Na'ama Lerner 2012 Awake Alina Ananyev Episode: "Nightswimming" 2012 Touch Rosemary Mathis Episode: "Closer" 2012 Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Colonel Mehaffey Web series 2013 Shtisel Elisheva Season 1 Hostages Dr. Yael Danon 2014 Rake Fiona Rinaldi Episode: "Bigamist" 2015, 2018 Daredevil Vanessa Marianna Fisk Main role (season 1); guest role (season 3) 2017 Taken Leah Episode: "Leah" 2017 Transparent Ronit Episode: "I Never Promised You a Promised Land" 2019, 2022 Legacies Seylah 2 episodes 2019 Money Heist Raquel Murillo 2nd English dub 2020 Losing Alice Alice 8 episodes 2021 You Dr. Chandra Recurring role 2022 Moonhaven Maite Voss Main cast 2022 Law & Order: Organized Crime Tia Leonetti 2 episodes 2024 The Best Worst Thing Dr. Amalia Levy Main cast 2025 Daredevil: Born Again Vanessa Fisk Post production