Shira Haas On The Enormous, Amazing Reaction To Unorthodox: I Always Believed In The Show – Deadline
Posted By admin on July 11, 2020
The day Shira Haas auditioned for the role of Esty Shapiro on Unorthodox, she got drenched in the rain. When she arrived at the venue, she cleaned herself up, took a few deep breaths, walked into the audition and sang Jeff Buckleys Hallelujah. A year and-a-half after the Israeli actress nailed the audition, shes received praise and acclaim for her arresting performance as a young woman who leaves the Hasidic Satmar community in Brooklyn to make her own way in Berlin. Speaking by phone from Tel Aviv, Haas discusses the experience of shooting the Netflix hit series and what she learned in the process.
DEADLINE: What has stood out to you about the way Unorthodox has been received?
SHIRA HAAS: I was not expecting it; the amount of love and support its received is enormous and its amazing. I always believed in the show, andfor me, when I first read it, I really loved the fact that it is a specific story about a specific community. But at the same time, me reading it as a secular person, I wasnt familiar with the community as much as I am now. When I read it back then, I certainly thought its a very universal story. I really felt connected to it. And I really felt like I could see myself as Esty and relate to her, even though shes coming from a different world. I only could have hoped that other people will feel the same way, but I never expected it to be like that. We are getting comments from people from Argentina and Arab countries, and the UK, and the States, [both] secular and religious. It touches so many peoples hearts, and so many different people, and different ages as well.
Related Story'Unorthodox' Team Talks Cultural Impact Of Netflix Limited Series And Shining A Respectful Light On The Satmar Community - Deadline Virtual House
DEADLINE: Youve been building your career, both in Israel and abroad, from Natalie Portmans directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness to The Zookeepers Wife in 2017. How did your career up until Unorthodox prepare you to play Esty?
HAAS: Yeah, this project is basically the biggest job that Ive done, especially for an international audience. I have been acting for something like eight and-a-half, almost nine years, but I feel like every project in a way prepared me for the next one. Its almost kind of like a ladder actually in a strange way. I took so much experience, for example, from the Natalie Portman movie, the first international role that I did, which was a very small role. But it gave me a hunger, and wanting to understand more. And then The Zookeepers Wife came among other Israeli projects that I did. I was really a teenager when I started acting, so I really grew up with all these parts. But also, for experience and meeting people, and meeting directors, and playing in different languages, it really gave me a lot of tools, especially The Zookeepers Wife, doing the accent there, and working with Jessica Chastain. It did help me to have a lot of experience, a lot of confidence, when I approached Unorthodox. And hopefully now Unorthodox will prepare me for the next show.
DEADLINE: Esty has to shave her head and there was some nudity too. Did those things give you pause?
HAAS: I remember I read in the beginning, even before it was official that I was going to do it, it had a [head] shaving scene, and it had a nudity scene, and there was going to be singing. I knew all this stuff before I was approached, and then I got the script and it was so obvious to me, forexample the shaving scene, why its so crucial, why its so needed. Also, the other scenes it was obvious to me that theyre such an important part of the role. To be honest, for me, if I really believe in a story and in a character, and I want to tell something, and I want to share a story, if I feel its justified and it needs to be there, then there will be a lot of things that Im willing to do in order to tell it, if I find it very important and appropriate. So, it never scared me. Of course, when I got to specific scenes like the shaving scene and other stuff, I had my butterflies and I was also nervous. I think it will be a lie if any actor would say that he felt nothing. Even though its a character, its still happening to you in a way, any way you look at it. So of course, I was also nervous and scared. But I really believed in what Im doing and I was really excited and willing to do it. I wasnt questioning it at any point.
DEADLINE: You also learned Yiddish.
SHIRA HAAS: If you will tell me to have a conversation in Yiddish, I wont, unfortunately know how to do it. But I will understand a lot of it. It was really important for me, first of all, to know all my lines. But not just to know all my lines, but to know really what each word means. I read a lot of Yiddish poetry, and I had an amazing teacher, Eli Rosen. He also played the rabbi in the show and he was our religious consultant. He really helped me so much, with my lines, and also with understanding this language. I recorded him and I recorded myself, and I wrote my lines, and I listened to it, because I wanted to be really like Esty. I wanted to be free to be the character.
DEADLINE: The series is based on the 2012 book by Deborah Feldman, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, but there are some liberties taken as well. How did you and the director work on creating a true story that youre also fictionalizing in some parts?
HAAS: It was the first time doing a character that is really based on or inspired by a real person. Were talking about a lady not that much older than me. She came to set a few times, and I met her, only while shooting, not before. It was a big responsibility. Of course, Ive read the book a million times, and I took a lot from it. But at the same time, because the story was different, and only inspired by [the book], it was important for me to do it differently. It was a conversation also with the creators and the director, that we wanted to be inspired by Deborahs story and life, but at the same time, we never wanted to try to imitate, or to be her. It was really important to bring a new person to life, to bring Esty, which is a person on her own, to life.
DEADLINE: When Esty walks into the lake in Berlin and takes off her wig, how did you prepare for that amazing scene?
HAAS: It was a very important scene for me. All of these scenes were very, very symbolic, especially the time in Berlin. I think it really shows Estysemotional point of view, what shes going through there. Its like her first real step of stepping into her new future. I had the most amazing DP [Wolfgang Thaler], and it was already the last shooting day so we had such a good connection and really felt each other. We talked about it, the director [Maria Schrader] and I, but I didnt know what would happen, if I would toss the wig, if I would put it aside. Then I just walked in the water, and it was freezing, and I remember just taking it off. For a second, I thought about tossing it away strongly, but then I was like No, and I just gently put it aside, like saying Thank you for making me who I am. Ill take some of it, but now Im going to my own way, and went into the water. It was really such an important moment for me. I was really excited to do it. And I remember the scream of cut from the shore. It was also the end of the shooting. She ran into the water and we hugged. So, it was not only on screen, but also offscreen, a very emotional shooting day.
DEADLINE: Unorthodox doesnt vilify Amit Rahavs character, Estys husband Yanky. You also knew Amit before, how did that help you?
HAAS: Ive known Amit for, like, 10 years. Its so funny, today I went out with my mask on and I just was just walking down the street and I saw Amit, and we actually took a selfie. I swear. Its on my Instagram.
DEADLINE: I saw that!
HAAS: Hes a neighbor of mine and hes a really good friend of mine. We met at a party, and we immediately bonded. Amit is the funniest person alive. We always said, Someday, we will act together on a project, and then it happened, 10 years later. I definitely feel like our relationship in real life helped us on the screen. We are actors even if you give me someone that I dont know, we can make it work. But the fact that we do know each other and trust each other so much, and with a lot of things that are very sensitive when we didnt have much rehearsals, it just really helps to have such a good friend, and also an amazing actor. I think the fact that Yanky is so lovely and lovable is also because it was very important for everyone to not try to make him bad or good. And also Amit is so lovable, and he has such a nice energy as well, and we know that he also brought this to the character.
See the rest here:
Shira Haas On The Enormous, Amazing Reaction To Unorthodox: I Always Believed In The Show - Deadline
- Yehuda 'Yudi' Dukes, Hasidic father of 6, is dead after 10-month battle with COVID - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - January 22nd, 2021
- Once Again, Video Shows Ultra-Orthodox Jews at Crowded Maskless Wedding - Friendly Atheist - Patheos - January 22nd, 2021
- Police chief says trend of Haredi violence against cops only getting worse - The Times of Israel - January 22nd, 2021
- Thousands attend Hasidic wedding in Brooklyn, many from Europe and Israel - The Jerusalem Post - January 20th, 2021
- On Ultra-Orthodox social media, the messiah is almost here. - Forward - January 20th, 2021
- I Know Why Haredi Jews Joined Neo-Nazis at the Trumpist Riot - The Daily Beast - January 20th, 2021
- Fiddler Cast's God Bless America in Yiddish - Forward - January 20th, 2021
- An NYPD official is suspended without pay after being connected to racists posts on a message board - ABC17News.com - January 14th, 2021
- Ukrainian rabbi listed in ranking of top 100 influential Ukrainians - The Jerusalem Post - January 14th, 2021
- The spa resort where European rebbes spent their summer vacations - Forward - January 6th, 2021
- Developer proposes 205,000-sq.-ft. business park off Route 208 in South Blooming Grove - Times Herald-Record - January 6th, 2021
- Exposing the Visceral Lies of Jew-Haters - The Media Line - January 6th, 2021
- In 1800s Poland, Hasidic runaway girls spurred a Jewish school revolution - The Times of Israel - January 4th, 2021
- The War Against the Haredim - City Journal - December 30th, 2020
- How To Overcome COVID Vaccine Hesitancy: Try Truth From Trusted Messengers : Shots - Health News - NPR - December 30th, 2020
- Why 'Unorthodox' scared Shira Haas and how she got over it - Los Angeles Times - December 30th, 2020
- Hasidic rapper Nissim Black on his creative process and Covid recovery - The Jewish News of Northern California - December 19th, 2020
- From 'The Crown' to 'The Last Dance,' 11 of the year's best TV shows and films inspired by real people - The Spokesman-Review - December 19th, 2020
- Hanukkah Takes On Special Meaning As COVID-19 Vaccines Begin To Distribute - Wyoming Public Media - December 19th, 2020
- Times Bares Its Anti-Hasidic Bias in Covering COVID-Era Weddings - Algemeiner - December 5th, 2020
- Quebec judge rules against Hasidic couple in trial over secular education - CBC.ca - December 5th, 2020
- Village officials agree to hold another hearing in January on 600-home Clovewood proposal - Times Herald-Record - December 5th, 2020
- The Gov. vs. the Supreme Court | Yakov Saacks | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - December 5th, 2020
- Across Texas, the show of outdoor Hanukkah festivities must go on - The Jewish News of Northern California - December 5th, 2020
- 911 Call Spurs Fear and Evacuation, but Montreal Police Report No Threat - The New York Times - November 19th, 2020
- EVERFI and ADL Join Forces to Teach High School Students About the Consequences of Antisemitism and Hate - Yahoo Finance - November 19th, 2020
- Judge orders insurer to cover town's legal bills for discrimination case by developers of Greens at Chester - Times Herald-Record - November 7th, 2020
- 'The Rabbi Goes West' in SLIFF's Jewish-oriented films - St. Louis Jewish Light - November 7th, 2020
- Virus Rate Fell to 2% From 34% in One Area. But Did Anything Change? - The New York Times - November 7th, 2020
- State will let Kiryas Joel schools reopen if all students and staff are tested for virus - Times Herald-Record - November 1st, 2020
- Hasidic Jews feel like the only minority New York officials are comfortable targeting - Religion News Service - October 24th, 2020
- Hasidic Wedding Scheduled For Monday In Williamsburg Could Test Resolve Of COVID Enforcement - CBS New York - October 24th, 2020
- Police Release Photos Of Individuals Wanted In Connection To Attack On Hasidic Jewish Man In Williamsburg - CBS New York - October 24th, 2020
- A Hasidic villages coronavirus tests went from 34% positive to 4% in a month. The county health commissioner is asking how. - Forward - October 24th, 2020
- I blew the whistle on the planned 10000 person Satmar wedding. Here's why. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - October 24th, 2020
- NY Health Officials Order Shutdown of 10,000 Person Wedding in Brooklyn - NBC New York - October 24th, 2020
- The future of religious gatherings in the COVID-19 era - Arab News - October 24th, 2020
- In Israel, journalists are being attacked while covering the pandemic in haredi Orthodox communities - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 24th, 2020
- NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio: I regret how I handled that Orthodox funeral in April - Forward - October 24th, 2020
- Dont call Hasidim anti-science. They kept COVID at bay all summer. - Forward - October 2nd, 2020
- Police warn Hasidim they will break up planned massive Sukkot events - World Israel News - October 2nd, 2020
- NYC Health Department Expresses Concern Over Increased Coronavirus Spread in Hasidic Neighborhoods - One Green Planet - October 2nd, 2020
- Satmar rabbi to skip traditional Brooklyn holiday visit because of virus spread - The Times of Israel - September 19th, 2020
- Kuleba on situation with Hasidic pilgrims: Ukrainian legislation should be respected by everyone - Interfax Ukraine - September 19th, 2020
- Covid Strands Hasidic Pilgrims on Ukraine-Belarus Border - The New York Times - September 17th, 2020
- Ukraine tells Hasidic Jewish pilgrims stuck on its border to turn back - Haaretz.com - September 17th, 2020
- Thousands of Ger Hasidim to hunker down together in Jerusalem over High Holy Days: No worries - Haaretz.com - September 17th, 2020
- Burned out and abused: French COVID-19 testers strike over work conditions - Arab News - September 17th, 2020
- We must end educational neglect in ultra-Orthodox schools. Here's why | Opinion - The Journal News - September 15th, 2020
- EU: Greece-Turkey crisis talks might include other nations - Arab News - September 15th, 2020
- Are weddings behind the COVID-19 spike in NY Orthodox neighborhoods? - The Jerusalem Post - September 13th, 2020
- Danish PM opposes bill banning circumcision, cites her promise to Jews - The Jerusalem Post - September 13th, 2020
- All roads lead to Uman: Bratslav Hasidim will risk their lives to visit rebbe's grave - Haaretz - September 4th, 2020
- Yuyo and the Hasidic - Peacebuilding Fund for Palestinians and Israelis - PRESSENZA International News Agency - September 4th, 2020
- South Nyack police looking for racist, anti-Semitic intruders of government Zoom meeting - The Journal News - September 4th, 2020
- Shofar lessons are becoming a pre-holiday necessity in the age of coronavirus - Religion News Service - September 4th, 2020
- Woman Badly Assaulted In Heart Of Williamsburg Hasidic Community [VIDEO & PHOTO] - Yeshiva World News - August 29th, 2020
- NY's Cuomo vows action against Hasidic Brooklyn weddings over virus concerns - Ynetnews - August 29th, 2020
- Don't bank on herd immunity to save us from COVID-19 - Massive Science - August 29th, 2020
- Exclusive Interview With God's Apostle to the Muslims - Israel Today - August 29th, 2020
- Neo-Hasidic rock opera, Exile and Redemption, may be first of its kind - World Israel News - August 29th, 2020
- Sins of the Father - My Jewish Learning - August 29th, 2020
- A Direct Legacy of Slavery, Domestic Worker Exploitation Is On the Rise In the U.S. - In These Times - August 29th, 2020
- Why the Hasidic pilgrimage to Uman must be stopped - Haaretz - August 24th, 2020
- Illicit Wedding In Borough Park Linked To Uptick In Coronavirus Infections - Gothamist - August 24th, 2020
- Factbox: Latest on the Worldwide Spread of Coronavirus - The New York Times - August 24th, 2020
- Global coronavirus death toll surpasses 800,000, WHO hopes it will be over in two years - NBC News - August 24th, 2020
- Crown Heights riots anniversary shows a surprising rift - Forward - August 24th, 2020
- Unorthodox Star Shira Haas on Her Mixed Emotions Shaving Her Head on Day 1 of Shooting - Yahoo Entertainment - August 24th, 2020
- Brooklyn Hasidic Women Battle Male EMS for an Ambulance of Their Own - THE CITY - August 10th, 2020
- Progress Into the Abyss | Roy Pinchot - First Things - August 10th, 2020
- 150 Jewish gravestones uprooted by the Nazis found in Polish town - Haaretz - August 10th, 2020
- Photos reveal the hidden side of Hasidic weddings - Forward - August 8th, 2020
- Stars of Netflixs Unorthodox freak out over Emmy nomination in adorable video - Yahoo Sports - August 4th, 2020
- Shira Haas of Unorthodox on Sharing the Joys of Her First Emmy Nod - The New York Times - August 2nd, 2020
- South Blooming Grove plans in-person public hearing on 600-home Clovewood project - Times Herald-Record - July 23rd, 2020
- Jewish People Who Have Recovered From COVID Have Donated Half of All the Plasma Used in US Treatments - Good News Network - July 23rd, 2020
- Brooklyn's Hasidic Jews are acting like they have herd immunity. Could they be right? - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - July 11th, 2020
- Unorthodox author: My Hasidic ex-husband followed me to secular life - The Times of Israel - July 11th, 2020
- Interfaith: In dark times, a prayer of thanks - Ventura County Star - July 11th, 2020
Comments