Mili Avital

Mili Avital (; born 30 March 1972) is an Israeli actress. Her career began in Israel, starring on stage, film and television. She won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991, moved to New York in 1993 to study theatre in English, was discovered by an agent while working in a restaurant, and started acting in Hollywood almost immediately. She has maintained her career in both countries since.

Early life Avital was born in Jerusalem while her parents, Iko and Noni Avital, attended Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Avital's father was born in Morocco, whereas her mother was born in Egypt and of Turkish-Jewish descent. She was raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, and in Ra'anana, Israel. She attended the Thelma Yellin High School of Arts in Givatayim, Israel, majoring in Theater. During her senior year in High School she starred in Christopher Hampton's Dangerous Liaisons at The Cameri Theater of Tel-Aviv.

International career

In 1993, Avital arrived in New York City to study acting at the Circle in the Square Theatre School. The following year, discovered by an agent while working as a waitress, she was immediately cast as the female lead in the 1994 science fiction film Stargate, for which she received a Sci-fi Universe award. She has appeared in films such as Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man opposite Johnny Depp, Doug Ellin's Kissing a Fool opposite David Schwimmer, Polish Wedding opposite Claire Danes, and Robert Benton's The Human Stain opposite Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman. In 1999, she portrayed a Bosnian rape victim in the pilot episode of the long-running NBC legal drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Avital appeared in three other episodes of the series: "Parasites", "Manhattan Vigil", and "Depravity Standard". She also appeared in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Palimpsest". Her television work includes Scheherazade in the Emmy-nominated ABC miniseries Arabian Nights to rave reviews, Jon Avnet's Uprising, and After the Storm . In 2009–2010, Avital appeared in the FX TV show Damages, in a recurring role as the mistress to the husband of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close). She appeared in the 2012 ABC television series 666 Park Avenue.

She starred in the Israeli Cult film "Columbian Love" (2004), and in the Chinese-Israeli story "Noodle", for which she was nominated for the Israeli Academy Award for Best Actress, as well as "Person of the Year" (2008).

Avital has starred in Prisoners of War (aka Hatufim) (2009-2012) which The New York Times listed number one in its "Thirty Best International TV Shows of the Decade" (2019); it was later adapted to series Homeland (Showtime).

As a director, her short documentary film, I Think Myself I Am All the Time Younger, was part of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2004.

Avital directed, co-wrote, co-produced Next Stop - A Comedy of Misconnections, at the Broadway Comedy Club (2017-2018), showing briefly in Los Angeles and Palo-Alto, and in 2024 opening at the Habima National Theater in Israel, the only play to ever perform there in the English language.

In 2023 Avital co-wrote "I Hear You" with Shiri Artzi, which she co-produced with Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, for the Theater for the Youth (Sami Levi's Artzi theater), which won Play of the Year, and Best Writers (2024).

For 2024, Avital has completed "Mary" opposite Anthony Hopkins, which will open on Netflix in December, "Kugel" opposite Sasson Gabai ("The Band's Visit), a spin off of the hit series Shtisel, as well as an Italian film based on Meir Shalev's award-winning novel, are both scheduled for release next year.

Personal life Avital is married to Academy Award winning screenwriter Charles Randolph (The Big Short, Bombshell); they have two children. They live in both London and New York.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1991 Me'ever Layam Miri Goldfarb 1993 Groupie 1994 Stargate Sha'uri 1995 Dead Man Thel Russell 1996 Invasion of Privacy Theresa Barnes 1997 Featured Performer 1998 Polish Wedding Sofie 1998 Animals Fatima 1998 Kissing a Fool Samantha Andrews 1999 Erin 1999 Minotaur Thea 2000 Preston Tylk Emily Tylk 2003 Young Iris Silk 2004 Ahava Colombianit Tali Shalev 2005 When Do We Eat? Vanessa 2007 Noodle Miri Calderone 2024 Mary Mariamne I

Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Marta Stevens Episode: "Payback" 2000 Arabian Nights Scheherezade TV miniseries 2001 After the Storm Coquina TV film 2001 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Ava Parulis / Irina Parulis Episode: "Parasites" 2001 Uprising Deworah Baron TV film 2002 Shabatot VeHagim Noa Episodes: "El Ha-Ma'ayan", "Air Guitar" 2009–2010 Damages Anna Mercado Episodes: "I Agree, It Wasn't Funny", "London. Of Course" & "The Dog Is Happier Without Her" 2009–2012 Prisoners of War Nurit Halevi-Zach Recurring role (11 episodes) 2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lenore Abrigaille Episode: "Palimpsest" 2012 666 Park Avenue Danielle Tyler Episode: "Murmurations" 2012, 2015 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Laurie Colfax Episode: "Manhattan Vigil" & "Depravity Standard" 2017 Landing on Their Feet Dana Berger Fine Leading role 2024 Kugel Yidis Shtisel Series regular