Unorthodox Star Shira Haas on Portraying the Hasidic Community and That Emotional Head-Shaving Scene – Variety
Posted By admin on July 3, 2020
Shira Haas has catapulted herself into the zeitgeist with her moving performance as Esther Esty Shapiro on Netflixs Unorthodox.
The series sees Esty married off to a man whom she barely knows (played by Haas real-life friend Amit Rahav) and forced to shave her head as Satmar tradition dictates. Haas recalled shooting that emotional haircut scene on the very first day on set, describing it as one heck of a beginning during an interview for an upcoming episode of the Varietyand iHeart podcast The Big Ticket.
You see 20 seconds of this scene in the episode, but it took eight minutes nonstop, two cameras, one take, thats it, Haas told host Marc Malkin. I just had the rollercoaster of emotions and, of course, it was also real.
Variety caught up with Haas from her home in Tel Aviv to talk about her unconventional path into acting, how close she feels to her character of Esty, and the importance of the series covering the Hasidic community with authenticity.
When do you decide that you wanted to be an actor?
Pretty late. I was a very shy child, believe it or not. I was into writing, and I loved watching movies, and I love theater, but I never thought I would be in this professional life, being the center of attention. Going on stage seemed like an awful thing for me. But then, I went to a theater major in high school. I really loved it, but it was more of a hobby, not something like that.Then, a casting director approached me on Facebook, actually. Thats not a good message, maybe, but thats the truth. I Googled her, so its safe. She was casting a movie, and I didnt have agent, I didnt have anything, but she just told me that shed seen that I studied this major, and she thinks that I can work out. I went there, and it was my first movie, it was Princess.
When you auditioned, did you know it was for Unorthodox? Had you read Deborah Feldmans book?
I didnt know. They told me this is for a TV series called The Orchestra for a German network platform. I was like okay, cool. I read the scenes, and I thought its amazing. I went there and I did it, and I felt good, and I thought the dialogues were amazing, and I enjoyed playing it, and then a few days later, I got the phone call from my agent, and she was like, Okay, so they loved you. Theyre coming to Israel in a few days, and its for Netflix. Its called Unorthodox.'
What do you like about Esty as a character?
Every time someone asks me if Im similar to her, I always answer that I hope. I really think that even though she comes from difficult circumstancesshes very, very present. Shes really in the here and now, which we know about it, we talk about it, and we read books about it, and we go to psychologists and think, but shes without knowing it really aware of her feelings. She really knows what she feels. She really knows what she wants. She really knows when she doesnt want something, and thats also her curse in a wayI also love the fact that shes so complex, because even when I got one scene or two scenes in the beginning of the audition, I felt shes both very strong and tough, but also so vulnerable, and she also wants to fit in, but she doesnt want to be there. Shes very gentle.
How much responsibility did you feel in depicting this community?
A lot. It was a never-ending discussion in the production, in me, that I shared also with the creators and the director. You need to root for the lead character in a series, you need to understand her struggles, but at the same time, you need to understand, to see the whole picture, to have empathy to this place that shes coming from. Its more interesting as a story when something is not black and whiteAs a Jew, as an Israeli person, I felt responsibility to have something to say, because were doing art, and thats part of it, and its important not to be scaredYou need to have a moral sensitivity because its real peopleI think that there are beautiful sides to show, and that there is complexity, and that there are both sides of the coin.
Talk about your bedroom scenes with Amit, what was shooting those like?
Im an actress, Ive had intimacy scenes before. Its not the first one that I had, but every time, even if you know the person before, even if you dont know, its kind of like a stage that you need to go through to feel comfortable, to talk about things, or not to talk, but just to feel comfortable, to be you and to say stuff and to act without thinking too much. I think the fact that I knew Amit was really, really helpfulWe always laugh that we kind of had like our secret language. We talk Hebrew, no one understood, they know German and some Yiddish, but no one understands us. We always had this, we had our laughs together. But it was also very professional.
I know youve talked about it a lot, but I do have to ask you about the head shaving. Your face during that was so real. How much did you sit there and grieve while it was happening?
When I start a new production, Im very excited, and I want it to be good, and Im happy to do these things. I was ready for it. I knew about it a long time before, even in the audition process. At the same time, Ive always had the longest hair. I never cut my hair. I love my hair. It was scary. How does my head, shaved, look? Even before we started filming, I really felt nervous and scared alongside excited, just like Esty in a way. Then, when we arrive on action, I remember [director] Maria Schrader told me, I think it was few hours before, or a day before, she was like, I know that you love to be prepared for scenes, which I do, but she was like, dont be prepared for it too much, because theres no right and wrong in that scene. All of the emotions that will come are correct. Shes right. You see 20 seconds of this scene in the episode, but it took eight minutes nonstop, two cameras, one take, thats it. I just had the rollercoaster of emotions and, of course, it was also real.
Unorthodox is available on Netflix.
You can also listen to The Big Ticket at iHeartRadioor wherever youdownload you favorite podcasts.
Continued here:
- 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
- Shira Haas On The Enormous, Amazing Reaction To Unorthodox: I Always Believed In The Show - Deadline - July 11th, 2020
- Interfaith: In dark times, a prayer of thanks - Ventura County Star - July 11th, 2020
- Shira Haas finds the complexity within her 'Unorthodox' role - Los Angeles Times - July 7th, 2020
- Uman mayor speaks against this year's Hasidic pilgrimage over COVID-19 concerns - UNIAN - July 5th, 2020
- Unorthodox Star Shira Haas Talks Shaving Her Head and Emmy Buzz - Teen Vogue - July 5th, 2020
- EDITORIAL: Were all for diversity, but what does it mean? - Times Herald-Record - July 5th, 2020
- We are all a bunch of weirdos Q-&-A with Doug Gertner, the grateful Jewish Deadhead - Forward - July 5th, 2020
- Court push to open Jewish sleepaway camps goes before judge on Tuesday - Times Herald-Record - July 3rd, 2020
Comments