Ayelet Zurer

Ayelet Zurer (איילת זורר; born June 28, 1969) 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.

Biography
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".

In her youth, she studied theater as part of a school at the 14th Municipal High School and 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 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.

Acting career


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.