Noa Cohen (Hebrew: נֹועָה כֹּהֵן; born 3 August 2002) is an Israeli actress and model who is known for her portrayal of the Virgin Mary in the 2024 epic biblical film Mary.
Noa Cohen | |
|---|---|
 Cohen in 2024 | |
| Born | 3 August 2002 |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, model, television host |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Early and personal life
editCohen was raised in a Jewish-Israeli family and is a practitioner of yoga.[1][2]
She partnered with Starting Over Sanctuary, an Israeli non-profit-organization focused on pets and animal safety.[3]
Career
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Cohen modeled for various fashion and cosmetic brands, such as Veet, Jennyunique, Bar Refaeli's hoodies brand, Smashbox Cosmetics (by Estée Lauder), Essence Cosmetics and BananHot.[3][2]
She began her media career working for Channel Reshet 13.[4] She began acting professionally in 2018, landing her first television role in the sitcom My Sister Skipped A Grade.[4] She went on to appear in various Israeli television shows including My Nephew From Hell (2021), Infinity (2022) and 8200 (2024).[4] In 2022, she made her film debut in the spy thriller Silent Game.[4]
In 2024, Cohen was cast as the Virgin Mary in D. J. Caruso's epic Christian biblical film Mary, starring alongside Ido Tako and Sir Anthony Hopkins.[2] Her casting, as a Jewish-Israeli woman was criticized on social media, some arguing that the role should have been given to a Palestinian actress.[5][6] Caruso stated, "It was important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity."[7]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Silent Game | Shiryn | |
| 2024 | Mary | Mary of Nazareth |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | My Sister Skipped A Grade | 2 episodes | |
| 2021 | My Nephew From Hell | Neta Abecassis | |
| 2022 | Infinity | Gili | 5 episodes |
| 2024 | 8200 | 8 episodes |
References
edit- ^ "'A disgusting Jew': Uproar after Netflix casts Jewish-Israeli actress to play Mary, Jesus's mom". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 14 November 2024. Archived from the original on 16 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Fox, Mira (15 November 2024). "An Israeli woman in playing Mary in a Netflix movie — and the outcry is getting weird". The Forward.
- ^ a b "Who is Noa Cohen? Meet the protagonist of Netflix's upcoming faith-based thriller Mary".
- ^ a b c d Felt, Klein (14 November 2024). "Meet Noa Cohen, Netflix's New Mother Mary Actress". The Direct.
- ^ "'Jesus was Palestinian': Netflix's 'Mary' ignites storm over casting of Israelis". www.israelhayom.com. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "'Mary' Controversy: Why Netflix Is Under Fire For Casting Noa Cohen In Anthony Hopkins Starrer". news.abplive.com. 15 November 2024. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (15 October 2024). "The mother of Jesus Christ goes on the run in 'Mary' first-look photos". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.