Moran Atias Biography

Moran Atias is a former model and Israeli actress probably best known for her work on the TV series “Tyrant” and the film “The Next Three Days.” She gained fame in the Italian films Gas, Oggi sposi, and Mother of Tears. She is best known for her work with Paul Haggis in the 2008 TV series Crash and the 2013 film Third Person. She also starred on the FX television series Tyrant.

Early Life

Atias was born in the city of Haifa in northern Israel, to Israeli-born parents of Moroccan-Jewish descent. She appeared on the youth television programme Out of Focus at age 15, although her plan to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces was frustrated by a diagnosis of meningitis at age 17. She pursued modeling, instead, in Germany and then Italy, where she was discovered and became a model for Roberto Cavalli. Her little sister is actress Shani Atias.

Career

Atias first appeared on television when she was 15, starring in the Israeli youth program Out of Focus. By the age of 17, she went to Germany to launch her modeling career. She modeled for Roberto Cavalli, D&G, and BBG jewelers.

Later, she hosted an Italian talk show. After establishing herself as a model, she was encouraged to pursue a career in acting. She has appeared in English, Italian, Hebrew, and Spanish films, and was nominated for Best Actress at Festival Sguardo al Femminile for her role in Days of Love.

Her work in these films led to her being cast in the Italian feature Gas in which she played a provocative drug addict tasked with seducing a gay drug addict. She followed that up with the romantic comedy Oggi Sposi, directed by Luca Luncini and Mother of Tears, the third and the final installment of Dario Argento’s supernatural horror trilogy The Three Mothers. Mother of Tears premièred at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and the Rome Film Festival.

In 2008, she was cast in the role of the illegal immigrant ‘Inez’ in the drama series Crash, based on Paul Haggis‘s Oscar-winning film. After one season, she became the female lead opposite Dennis Hopper. Working with Haggis led to her being cast in his film The Next Three Days.

In 2011, Atias worked with Cynthia Mort on the television project Radical, playing to role of ‘Ana’ which Mort had written specifically for her. She was cast in the critically acclaimed Israeli television series Allenby in 2012, where she played ‘Mika,’ an ex-orthodox Jewish girl who avoids her childhood secret while living a complex nightlife. She also served as a producer and worked to adapt it into a United States series. She was cast in the new FX series Tyrant by the creators of the successful television series Homeland by creator and fellow Israeli, Gideon Raff.

Moran Atias is of Moroccan Jewish descent and she can speak Hebrew, English and Italian. As for Italian, she said, “It’s such a rich language. There are so many metaphors and visuals in the way you speak. It’s so poetic, it’s like you’re drawing while you’re speaking.”

Moran Atias currently resides in Los Angeles.

Profile

Full Name: Moran Atias
Born: April 9, 1981
Birth Place: Haifa, Israel
Occupation: Actress, Model
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Agency Anonymous Content

Filmography:

Movies

The Next Three Days (2010)
Land of the Lost (2009)

TV

White Collar
CSI: Miami (2011)
Rules of Engagement (2011)
CSI: NY (2010)
Crash (TV series) (2008-2009)

Quotes

I like a guy who’s sarcastic, serious, sensitive – even just silent. But you have to do it at the right times. That’s sexy. To me, it reflects intelligence.
My dream was to study psychology in Israel. It’s a long journey – it’s seven years of study.
I had a very exciting life in Italy, and I was doing lots of variety shows.
There’s always a common attraction to universal needs of love and a feeling of worthiness.
I always liked creativity, whether it was to draw or sew – any creative assignment I was getting from school, or just on my own.
Whenever there’s a role that scares me, I get panicked and nervous. I know that greatness might come because I’m going to get out of my own element and comfort zone.
I left Israel to work as a model, to just make money – I didn’t care if I was doing an ad for toilet paper or diapers, I just really wanted to allow myself to go to school, to go to university without waitressing, because when I’m in a school environment I just really like to study and have the best grades and learn as much as I can.
As actors, we get to hide. You can change your hair and your accent, and it’s not you. You have tricks, these masks.
Italy was a surprise in my life. I went there just to make money and then go back to Israel and study psychology. The arts wasn’t something I grew up with or thought I could be part of.
I liked to explore different arts. But when I started acting, I knew this was the medium I want to be in for the rest of my life. Stories onscreen affect me the most.
If a guy treats me respectfully and the waiter demeaningly, I’m turned off.
Take responsibility and make a relationship the best it can be. We’re all afraid of being hurt. Get rid of that fear. Be in the moment and enjoy the relationship – or you’ll ruin it.
A relationship takes time, and you really have to work hard at it. I’m devoted to my profession, but when I find the right guy, I’ll work just as long and hard for him.
Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren, Meryl Streep – I love actresses that are strong and fragile at the same time. They bring complexity to their roles.