Shira Haas

Shira Haas was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to a Polish Jewish family. She began acting at the age of 14, performing in plays at the Tel Aviv’s Cameri Theater, her first play being Ghetto in 2010. She made her television debut as Ruchama in the Israeli drama series Shtisel in 2013. She played the character for 30 episodes, from 2013 to 2021.

While in school, Shira was approached by a casting director and was encouraged to audition for the lead role in the Israeli film Princess (2014). She booked the role at the age of 16 and was praised by several outlets, including The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter. She won awards for Best Actress at both the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Peace & Love Film Festival.

Shira made her international film debut in Natalie Portman’s directorial debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015). She also appeared in The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) with Jessica Chastain.

That same year she appeared in the Israeli film Foxtrot (2017), where she was nominated for the Israeli Ophir Award for Best Supporting Actress, which is the Israeli equivalent of the Academy Awards.

In 2020 she starred in the Netflix limited series Unorthodox. To prepare for the role she studied the Yiddish language, took piano and singing lessons, and shaved her head. She played the role of Esther Shapiro, who runs away from her arranged marriage and Ultra-Orthodox community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her performance received high praise from critics, and she was nominated for Best Actress in a Limited Series at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and Emmys, where she became the first Israeli actress nominated.

In 2024, she made her debut in London’s West End, playing the role of Nancy in the musical Opening Night.

In 2025, she was seen in her most high-profile role yet. She played the former Black Widow assassin, Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World (2025), with Anthony Mackie.

Filmography:

Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Asia (2020)
Esau (2019)
Broken Mirrors (2018)
Noble Savage (2018)
Mary Magdalene (2018)
Foxtrot (2017)
The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)
A Tale of Love and Darkness (2015)
Princess (2014)