Maia Morgenstern
Encyclopedia
Maia Morgenstern (ˈmaja ˈmorɡənʃtern; born May 1, 1962) is a Romania
n film and stage actress, described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian theater and film". In the English
-speaking world, she is probably best known for the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Mel Gibson
's The Passion of the Christ
. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her 1992 role as Nela in Balanţa
, a film known in the United States
as The Oak
, set during the waning days of Communist Romania
.
, in a Jewish family, she graduated from the Film and Theatre Academy of Bucharest in 1985. She then played at Teatrul Tineretului (Youth Theater) in Piatra Neamţ
until 1988, and at the Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest 1988-1990. From 1990–1998 she was a member of the company of the National Theatre in Bucharest, and since 1998 of Teatrul Bulandra, also in Bucharest; in addition, she continues to act at the Jewish State Theatre and other Bucharest theaters and elsewhere in Romania. Among her notable stage roles in recent years, in a Romanian-language
production of The Blue Angel (Îngerul Albastru in Romanian) at Bucharest's Odeon Theater, in 2001-2 she played (to great critical acclaim) Lola Lola, the character made famous by Marlene Dietrich
. At the same time, she was also playing the role of Kathleen Hogan in a Romanian-language production of Israel Horovitz
's Park Your Car in Harvard Yard at the State Jewish Theater.
Morgenstern has appeared in numerous films, primarily in Hungarian
and Romanian-language roles. In The Passion of the Christ, she performs a role in Aramaic, but like the other actors in the cast of that film, she simply memorized her lines phonetically.
Her surname, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German, a title of the Virgin Mary
, the character she played in The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson, a devout Traditionalist Catholic
, thought this of great significance when casting her. In interviews, she has defended The Passion against allegations of antisemitism, saying that the high priest Caiaphas
is portrayed not as a representative of the Jewish people, but as a leader of the establishment, adding that "Authorities throughout history have persecuted individuals with revolutionary ideas."
She has been married twice, and has 3 children: Tudor Aaron
, Eva Leea Cabiria and Ana Isadora.
She has won several major awards as an actress:
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n film and stage actress, described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian theater and film". In the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-speaking world, she is probably best known for the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
's The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her 1992 role as Nela in Balanţa
The Oak
The Oak is a 1992 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie. It was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Maia Morgenstern as Nela* Răzvan Vasilescu as Mitica* Victor Rebengiuc as Village mayor...
, a film known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as The Oak
The Oak
The Oak is a 1992 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie. It was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Maia Morgenstern as Nela* Răzvan Vasilescu as Mitica* Victor Rebengiuc as Village mayor...
, set during the waning days of Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
.
Biography
Born in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, in a Jewish family, she graduated from the Film and Theatre Academy of Bucharest in 1985. She then played at Teatrul Tineretului (Youth Theater) in Piatra Neamţ
Piatra Neamt
Piatra Neamț , , ; is the capital city of Neamţ County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania...
until 1988, and at the Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest 1988-1990. From 1990–1998 she was a member of the company of the National Theatre in Bucharest, and since 1998 of Teatrul Bulandra, also in Bucharest; in addition, she continues to act at the Jewish State Theatre and other Bucharest theaters and elsewhere in Romania. Among her notable stage roles in recent years, in a Romanian-language
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
production of The Blue Angel (Îngerul Albastru in Romanian) at Bucharest's Odeon Theater, in 2001-2 she played (to great critical acclaim) Lola Lola, the character made famous by Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
. At the same time, she was also playing the role of Kathleen Hogan in a Romanian-language production of Israel Horovitz
Israel Horovitz
Israel Horovitz is an American playwright and screenwriter.-Theatre career:An American dramatist, Horovitz has written more than 70 produced plays, many of which have been translated and performed in more than 30 languages worldwide . The 70/70 Horovitz Project was created by NYC Barefoot Theatre...
's Park Your Car in Harvard Yard at the State Jewish Theater.
Morgenstern has appeared in numerous films, primarily in Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
and Romanian-language roles. In The Passion of the Christ, she performs a role in Aramaic, but like the other actors in the cast of that film, she simply memorized her lines phonetically.
Her surname, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German, a title of the Virgin Mary
Titles of Mary
Mary is known by many titles , epithets , invocations and other names ....
, the character she played in The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson, a devout Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
, thought this of great significance when casting her. In interviews, she has defended The Passion against allegations of antisemitism, saying that the high priest Caiaphas
Caiaphas
Joseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
is portrayed not as a representative of the Jewish people, but as a leader of the establishment, adding that "Authorities throughout history have persecuted individuals with revolutionary ideas."
She has been married twice, and has 3 children: Tudor Aaron
Tudor Aaron Istodor
Tudor Aaron Istodor is a Romanian actor. He played Dinu Caragea in the Romanian police drama Băieţi buni.-Movies:...
, Eva Leea Cabiria and Ana Isadora.
She has won several major awards as an actress:
- Best Actress for: Cei care platesc cu viaţa ("Those who pay with their lives", 1991), Romanian Filmmakers Union
- UNITERUNITERUNITER or Uniter is a Romanian organization, created as a professional association of theater employees...
(Romanian theater association) Lucia Sturdza Bulandra Prize (1990) for her stage role as MedeaMedeaMedea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
in Trilogia antică (Ancient Trilogy), directed by Andrei Şerban. - Best Actress for: BalanţaThe OakThe Oak is a 1992 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie. It was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Maia Morgenstern as Nela* Răzvan Vasilescu as Mitica* Victor Rebengiuc as Village mayor...
(1992), European Film Awards - Best Actress for: Balanţa (1992), Cinéma Tout EcranCinéma Tout EcranCinéma Tous Ecrans , is an international film festival held annually in the city of Geneva, Switzerland since 1995. The current Artistic and General Director is Claudia Durgnat....
(GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
Film Festival) - Best Actress for: Balanţa (1992), Romanian Filmmakers Union
- UNITER best actress award (1993), for her role in Ghetto at the Romanian National Theatre.
- UNITER (1995) award for her performance in the stage production of Lola Blau.
- Best Film Actress for: The Passion of the Christ (2004), Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards (EMMAEMMAEMMA is an Organization which raises awareness of discrimination through media campaigns, social networking, and the EMMA Awards....
Awards), UK
Filmography
Where translations of titles are italicized, it indicates use of the translated title for the film in English-language release.| Film | Year | Role | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fata din Transilvania | 2011 | Romanian short | |
| La fin du silence | 2011 | La mere | French drama |
| Sange Tanar, Munti Si Brazi | 2011 | Mama | Romanian drama |
| Luna verde | 2010 | Simona | Romanian drama |
| Iubire si onoare (tv series) | 2010–2011 | Marieta | Romanian |
| Aniela (tv series) | 2009–2010 | Maica Stareţa | Romanian |
| The House of Terror | 2008 (pre-production) | Eszter Somos | English |
| Eva | 2009 | Maria | English |
| The Fence | 2007 (in production) | Herman's Mother | English |
| Mansfeld | 2006 | Mrs. Mansfeld | Hungarian / English / Russian / German |
| Margo | 2006 | Margo's Stepmother | Romanian |
| Visuri otrăvite ("Poisoned Dreams") | 2006 | Ada's mother | Romanian |
| 15 | 2005 | Irene | Romanian / French |
| L'Homme pressé | 2005, TV | Bonne de Bois de Rose | French |
| Orient Express | 2004 | Amalia Frunzetti | Romanian |
| Damen tango | 2004 | Romanian | |
| The Passion of the Christ The Passion of the Christ The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John... |
2004 | Mary | Aramaic |
| Căsătorie imposibilă ("Impossible marriage") | 2004, TV series | Romanian | |
| Bolondok éneke (Fool's Song) | 2003 | Gina | Hungarian / French / Romanian |
| A Rózsa énekei (Rose's Songs) | 2003 | Olga | Hungarian |
| Patul lui Procust (Procust Procrustes In Greek mythology Procrustes or "the stretcher [who hammers out the metal]", also known as Prokoptas or Damastes "subduer", was a rogue smith and bandit from Attica who physically attacked people by stretching them or cutting off their legs, so as to force them to fit the size of an iron bed... 's Bed) After the novel Patul lui Procust, by Camil Petrescu Camil Petrescu Camil Petrescu was a Romanian playwright, novelist, philosopher and poet. He marked the end of the traditional novel era and laid the foundation of the modern novel era.- Life :... |
2001 | Doamna T. | Romanian |
| Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula is a horror-war television film, which premiered in the United States on the USA Network on Halloween, October 31, 2000... |
2000, TV | Woman at Fountain | English |
| Marie, Nonna, la vierge et moi | 2000 | Nonna | French |
| Kínai védelem (Chinese Defense) | 1999 | Hungarian | |
| Faţă în faţă (Face to Face) | 1999 | Romanian | |
| Triunghiul morţii ("Triangle of Death") | 1999 | Regina Maria Marie of Edinburgh Marie of Romania was Queen consort of Romania from 1914 to 1927, as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.-Early life:... |
Romanian |
| Az Álombánya>1998, TV, short | Hungarian | ||
| Witman fiúk The Witman Boys The Witman Boys is a 1997 Hungarian drama film directed by János Szász. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Maia Morgenstern - Mrs... (Witman Boys) |
1997 | Mrs. Witman | Hungarian |
| Omul zilei (The Man of the Day) | 1997 | Romanian | |
| Ulysses' Gaze Ulysses' Gaze Ulysses' Gaze is a 1995 Greek film directed by Theo Angelopoulos. The actor Gian Maria Volonté died during the filming. He was replaced by Erland Josephson.-Plot:... (original Greek Greek language Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;... title: Το Βλέμμα του Οδυσσέα, To Vlemma tou Odyssea) |
1995 | playing opposite Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The... as Ulysses' wife |
English / Greek |
| Siódmy pokój (The Seventh Room) | 1995 | Edith Stein Edith Stein Saint Teresia Benedicta of the Cross, sometimes also known as Saint Edith Stein , was a German Roman Catholic philosopher and nun, regarded as a martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church... (the starring role) |
Hungarian |
| Nostradamus | 1994 | Helen | English |
| Trahir (Betrayal, Romanian title: A trada) | 1993 | Woman in Prison | French / Romanian |
| Casa din vis ("The House from the Dream") | 1993 | Romanian | |
| Cel mai iubit dintre pămînteni ("The Earth's Most Beloved Son") After the novel Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni Cel mai iubit dintre pamânteni Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni is the last, and perhaps most elaborate, novel by the Romanian author Marin Preda. Written in 1980, it is an intricate fresco of Communist Romania and the horrors of the Stalinist era... , by Marin Preda Marin Preda Marin Preda was a Romanian novelist, one of the best-known post-WWII Romanian writers.Preda was born in Teleorman county, in a village called Siliştea-Gumeşti, into a family of peasants. He first studied at school in his home village, then schools in Abrud and Cristur-Odorhei... |
1993 | Romanian | |
| Balanţa The Oak The Oak is a 1992 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie. It was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Maia Morgenstern as Nela* Răzvan Vasilescu as Mitica* Victor Rebengiuc as Village mayor... (The Oak) |
1992 | Nela (the starring role) | Romanian |
| Rămînerea (Forgotten by God)>1992 | Romanian | ||
| Băiatul cu o singură bretea, also known as Flăcăul cu o singura bretea ("The Boy with a Single Brace") |
1991 | Romanian | |
| Cei care plătesc cu viaţa (Those Who Pay with Their Lives) |
1991 | Romanian | |
| Pasaj | 1990 | Romanian | |
| Marea sfidare ("The great defiance") | 1989 | Romanian | |
| Maria şi marea ("Maria and the Sea") | 1988 | Maria | Romanian |
| Anotimpul iubirii (The Season of Love) | 1986 | Romanian | |
| Secretul lui Bachus (The Secret of Bacchus) |
1984 | The girl in the restaurant (as Maia Morgenstern Istodor) |
Romanian |
| Dreptate în lanţuri (Chained Justice) | 1983 | Romanian | |
| Prea cald pentru luna mai ("Too hot for the month of May") |
1983 | Romanian |
- Source: IMDB, except as noted. Accessed 21 December 2007. IMDB omits certain Romanian letters, which have been corrected.