Mili Avital

Mili Avital
מילי אביטל

Mili Avital in Me'ever Layam in 1992
Native name מילי אביטל
Born (1972-03-30) 30 March 1972
Jerusalem, Israel
Occupation Actress
Years active 1992-present
Spouse(s) Charles Randolph (2004–present)

Mili Avital (Hebrew: מילי אביטל; born 30 March 1972) is an Israeli-American actress. Avital built a successful international career. She started in her native Israel, starring on stage, film and Television, winning the Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1992, and nominated for Best Actress in 1994. That year she moved to New York and started to work almost immediately in America. She has maintained her career in both countries since.

Personal life

Avital was born in Jerusalem, the daughter of graphic designers Noni and Iko Avital. Her family is Jewish.[1] She was raised in Tel Aviv and Ra'anana. She attended the Thelma Yellin High School of Arts in Givatayim. She moved to New York in 1994, and continues to reside there with her husband, screenwriter Charles Randolph (The Life of David Gale, The Interpreter, Love & Other Drugs), and their two children.

Avital served as a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Haifa from 2009 to 2013.

American career

In 1993 she arrived in New York City to study acting at the "Circle in the Square Theatre School". The following year, discovered by an agent while working as a waitress, she was cast as the female lead in Stargate, 1994, for which she received a Sci-fi Universe award. She has appeared in films such as Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man opposite Johnny Depp, Doug Ellin's Kissing a Fool, Polish Wedding opposite Clair Danes, and Robert Benton's The Human Stain. In 1999, she portrayed a rape victim from overseas in the pilot episode of the long-running NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Avital returned to the series in 2012 as the worried mother of an abducted child in the episode "Manhattan Vigil". Her television work includes Scheherazade in the Emmy-nominated ABC miniseries Arabian Nights to rave reviews, Jon Avnet’s Uprising, and After the Storm . In 2009-2010 Avital appeared in the FX TV show Damages, in a recurring role as the mistress to the husband of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close). She recently appeared in the 2012 ABC television series 666 Park Avenue.[2]

In theater, Avital played Cordelia in King Lear at the Electric Lodge (Venice, California), 2006, directed by Patsy Rodenburg.

Her directorial debut, a short documentary I Think Myself I am All the Time Younger,[3] received its world premiere at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Israeli career

As one of the most highly regarded actresses in her native Israel, Avital has achieved international success with her diverse starring roles in film and television. She began her professional career on stage, during her senior year in high school, in Dangerous Liaisons at the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv.

Avital was first introduced to Israeli audiences in the title role of Yael's Friends, a highly popular television film, to rave reviews. She won the 1992 Israeli Film Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first feature film role, in Me'ever Layam (Over the Ocean). Her recent work in Israel includes the cult comedy Ahava Colombianit (Colombian Love), as well as Noodle, for which she received the 2007 Israel's Critics' Circle Award for Best Actress, the Israeli Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and Israel's Person of the Year nomination for 2006.[4] Avital stars in Prisoners of War (aka Chatufim), a Keshet prime-time Israeli TV series, on which the American television series Homeland is based. Avital was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series (first season) for her work. The massively successful show won Best Drama Series in the Israeli TV Awards.

Avital recently completed a comedy series, Landing on Their Feet, for Keshet, alongside Shani Cohen (Eretz Nehederet).

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Me'ever Layam Miri Goldfarb
1993 Groupie
1994 Stargate Sha'uri
1995 Dead Man Thel Russell
1996 Invasion of Privacy Theresa Barnes
1997 End of Violence, TheThe End of Violence Featured Performer
1998 Polish Wedding Sofie
1998 Animals with the Tollkeeper Fatima
1998 Kissing a Fool Samantha Andrews
1999 Young Girl and the Monsoon, TheThe Young Girl and the Monsoon Erin
1999 Minotaur Thea
2000 Bad Seed Emily Tylk
2003 Human Stain, TheThe Human Stain Young Iris
2004 Ahava Colombianit Tali Shalev
2005 When Do We Eat? Vanessa
2007 Noodle Miri Calderone

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Marta Stevens Episode: "Payback"
2000 Arabian Nights Scheherezade TV miniseries
2001 After the Storm Coquina TV film
2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ava Parulis / Irina Parulis Episode: "Parasites"
2001 Uprising Deworah Baron TV film
2002 Shabatot VeHagim Noa Episodes: "El Ha-Ma'ayan", "Air Guitar"
2009 Damages Anna Mercado Episodes: "I Agree, It Wasn't Funny", "London. Of Course"
2009-2012 Prisoners of War Nurit Halvei-Zach Recurring role (11 episodes)
2010 Damages Anna Mercado Episode: "The Dog Is Happier Without Her"
2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lenore Abrigaille Episode: "Palimpsest"
2012 666 Park Avenue Danielle Tyler Episode: "Murmurations"
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Laurie Colfax Episode: "Manhattan Vigil"
2015 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Laurie Colfax Episode: "Depravity Standard"

References

External links

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