Israeli Teen to Play Virgin Mary in Passion Prequel
May 29, 2012
Israeli teen actress Odeya Rush has been picked to play a young Virgin Mary in a Hollywood prequel to Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
The 15-year-old is to star in the film “Mary, Mother of the Christ” opposite Ben Kingsley and Julia Ormond. She has been cast to personify the title character at the ages of 8, 15 and 19. The film is expected to be announced at the Cannes Film Festival in the coming days.
Rush has left her family in Israel in favor of the United States at the age of 9, and has played parts on television shows like “Law and Order” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She has also snagged a central role in “The Odd Life of Timothy Green,” a Disney movie starring Jennifer Garner that is set to be released this summer.
“Mary” chronicles the life of Jesus Christ’s mother from childhood. Gibson has no part in this epic, which was penned by “Passion” screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald. Instead, the film is to be directed by Alister Grierson. The casting directors decided against splitting the role of young Mary between three actresses, picking Rush for the job. She reportedly beat out several Hollywood starlets who contended for the gig.
Filming is expected to begin in August, and is set to take place in Malta, Jordan and California.
Rush said that she was somewhat reluctant when she was initially handed the script, but found it completely devoid of anti-Semitic sentiment.
“On the contrary,” she said. “The film emphasizes the suffering inflicted on the Jews by the Romans in those days. It is very exciting for me.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4230610,00.html
Similar posts
-
Women's Empowerment in Israel
December 15, 2023In recent decades, Israel has witnessed a remarkable evolution in the status and empowerment of wom...
-
Female Israeli Soldiers Who Defeated 100 Terrorists
December 6, 2023In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, the valiant all-female unit of the Israeli Defense Force...
-
Israel's Remarkable Female Soldiers
July 26, 2023Introduction When we think of the Israeli military, we often conjure up images of well-trained s...
-
About Gal Gadot's Cleopatra Movie
July 18, 2023By Katy Rath Gal Gadot's new Cleopatra movie has been steeped in both anticipation and controver...
-
Israel is Leading the World in Women’s Health
July 20, 2022Femtech is a field gaining popularity. So much so that a conference for female technological innova...
-
Women to Serve in Combat Roles in Elite IDF Unit
May 27, 2022Unit 669 is one of the four special forces of the IDF. An estimated 90% of the positions in the IDF...
-
IDF Women Not Afraid To Go To Battle
December 14, 2021Sgt. Ofir Weingold, a technician in the IDF's 53rd Armored Battalion, in a tank | Photo: IDF Spo...
-
Record Number of Women to be Protecting Israel's Borders
August 5, 2021Over 300 young women to begin their Border Police training. Due to high demand, the corps is plannin...