Ayelet Zurer

Ayelet Zurer was born on 28 June 1969 and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, by a Jewish family. Her mother was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the Holocaust by hiding in a convent, later immigrating to Israel in the 1950s. Her Israeli-born father is of Russian-Jewish descent. In her youth, she studied theater at the 14th Municipal High School and also participated in the Tel Aviv Scouts band. 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 Yoram Loewenstein Performing Arts Studio. She moved to the United States, to the city of Los Angeles, 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. 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 Israeli television show, Florentine. Her character, Shira, shared the first-ever lesbian kiss on Israeli television with Nicole (Ronit Elkabetz). She then appeared in several Israeli television series, including Zinzana in 2000, and then both Shalva and Ha'Block in 2002. 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. She won an Israeli Academy Award for Best Actress for this role. In 2004, she was cast in Steven Spielberg's Munich. In 2005, she starred in the Israeli television series, Betipul. She played Na'ama Lerner. 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. In 2005, Zurer appeared in the film Munich, where she played Avner Kaufman's wife in the American thriller Vantage Point. In 2007, she starred in Fugitive Pieces. In April 2008, Zurer was cast as the female lead, Vittoria Vetra, in The Da Vinci Code sequel, Angels & Demons. She also played a nurse who falls in love with the title character in Adam Resurrected (2008). In 2011, she played the lead role in the film Hide Away. and she 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 Elisheva Rotstein. In 2015, she starred in Daredevil as Vanessa Marianna-Fisk, 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 is starring as Dr. Amalia Levy alongside Amos Tamam in the Israeli drama series, The Best Worst Thing on Keshet 12.