Maia Morgenstern

Maia Morgenstern in concert, singing Jewish songs. Timișoara, Romania, 25 May 2010.

Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern (; born 1 May 1962) is a Romanian film and stage actress. Internationally, she is best known for portraying the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her role as Nela in the 1992 film Balanța, known in the United States as The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania. In 2007, she was described by Florin Mitu of AMOS News as "a symbol of Romanian theater and film".

Biography Born in Bucharest, Romania, to a Jewish family, and graduated from the Film and Theatre Academy of Bucharest in 1985. Her father was a Bessarabian Jew. She then played at Teatrul Tineretului (Youth Theatre) in Piatra Neamț until 1988, and at the Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest 1988, 1989, and 1990. From 1990 to 1998 she was a member of the company of the National Theatre in Bucharest, and since 1998 of Teatrul Bulandra, also in Bucharest. She continues to act at the Jewish State Theatre, other Bucharest theatres She reported that she felt really proud to portray the Virgin Mary.

Her surname, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German, is a title of the Virgin Mary, the character she played in The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson, a devout Traditionalist Catholic, thought this of great significance when casting her. In interviews, she has defended The Passion of the Christ against allegations of antisemitism, saying that the high priest Caiaphas is portrayed not as a representative of the Jewish people, but as a leader of the establishment, adding that "Authorities throughout history have persecuted individuals with revolutionary ideas."

On 29 March 2021, a Romanian man was arrested after Morgenstern received an email stating "I intend to throw her in the gas chamber".

Personal life She has been married twice, first to Claudiu Istodor (1983–1999), and then to Dumitru Băltățeanu (2001–2015). She has three children, one of them being actor Tudor Aaron.

Awards, recognition She has won several major awards as an actress: Best Actress for: Cei care platesc cu viața ("Those who pay with their lives", 1991), Romanian Filmmakers Union UNITER (Romanian Theatrical Union) Lucia Sturdza Bulandra Prize (1990) for her stage role as Medea in Trilogia antică (Ancient Trilogy), directed by Andrei Șerban. Best Actress for: Balanța (1992), Cinéma Tout Ecran (Geneva Film Festival)

Filmography Where translations of titles are italicized, it indicates use of the translated title for the film in English-language release.