“I completely fell in love with acting. I really felt like I found a place to express myself and found things within myself that I didn't even know that I wanted to express.”

— SHIRA HAAS

PHOTOGRAPHY KEVIN SINCLAIR STYLING  ELISE SANDVIK  INTERVIEW DAVID GARGIULO

Shira Haas has a way of drawing you into a story, making you feel every joy, every sorrow, every moment of triumph and despair as though it were your own. “She [director Tali Shalom Ezer] taught me a lot about acting, especially about expressing emotions without using words, with only expression or in between the lines or without even any lines,” Shira explains. Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, Shira grew up in a traditional Jewish household, where her shyness might have suggested a life far from the spotlight. But a love for storytelling and a determination to express herself led her to audition for roles at just 16 years old. It didn’t take long for her talent to shine through. Her breakthrough came early with Princess (2014), a daring indie film that garnered her critical acclaim, followed by Foxtrot (2017), Israel’s Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film. Then, in 2020, came Unorthodox that catapulted her to global fame. Her portrayal of Esty Shapiro—a young woman breaking free from the constraints of her insular religious upbringing—earned her an Emmy nomination and widespread recognition. In Asia (2020), her performance as Vika—a terminally ill daughter grappling with her independence—was a masterclass in emotional nuance. The role earned her the Best Actress award at the Tribeca Film Festival. Despite her growing international fame, Shira remains deeply connected to her roots and her craft. Whether it’s portraying a rebellious Hasidic woman, a terminally ill daughter, or stepping into the superhero spotlight as Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World. Her latest role, balancing resilience and empathy, serves as a powerful reminder that even in the toughest times, we all have the strength to be our own heroes—building a brave new world that is fairer, more inclusive, and true to who we aspire to be.

David Gargiulo __ What drew you to acting and how do you think growing up in Israel influenced your career choices?

Shira Haas __ I was quite a shy child, so it was surprising to me that I ended up acting. I enjoyed writing and always imagined I'd pursue writing, psychology, or graphic design—something creative. I never envisioned myself as a performer at the center of attention. I was studying at a famous art school in Israel, and a casting director reached out to me on Facebook because she saw that I was studying theater and acting. I auditioned and got the part in the movie Princess, which was my first film. Working with director Tali Shalom Ezer on this project made me fall in love with cinema. She taught me a lot about acting, especially about expressing emotions without using words, with only expression or in between the lines or without even any lines. Through this experience, I realized the power of acting and felt I had found my place. I felt a sense of belonging. After that, I got an agent in Israel. When Princess was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, I also got an agent abroad and this is kind of like how things rolled. I then did A Zookeeper's Wife, and of course, years ago I did Unorthodox, and that was a life-changing moment. I was very lucky to take part in it. So yeah, that's how it all started. I completely fell in love with acting. I really felt like I found a place to express myself and found things within myself that I didn't even know that I wanted to express.

DG __ You mentioned that you originally wanted to study psychology, and that actually complements acting quite well. It allows you to truly delve into those areas, particularly when portraying characters who are different from yourself, as you did in Unorthodox.

SH __ Yes, absolutely.

DG __ How did projects like Unorthodox and Asia shape your approach to acting?

SH __ Every role I've played has broadened my approach to acting.  The characters in the two roles you mentioned are very different, but both taught me a lot. Acting can make you feel exposed because your face and expressions are on display. Sometimes it’s way too close! [laughs] Every wrinkle, everything in your face and your mimics, is out there, but it’s no longer Shira; I'm the character's name. People don't know where Shira begins, or Esther in Unorthodox, or Vika in Asia, and where I end. I know which parts of her I brought from my personal life or my experience, but honestly, sometimes I’m even surprised. Both of those roles were very different for me, but I found parts of myself in them. I related to Esther’s willingness to be free and find her voice; I wanted to do justice to her story. The movie Asia goes into deep psychological themes, like relationships at the end of life and what truly matters. It helped me explore deep and sometimes scary emotions within myself. Both projects pushed me to explore extreme and bold aspects of myself as an actor.

DG __ And how do you prepare yourself, both mentally and emotionally, for such challenging roles?

“Ruth is a strong, complex, and cool character. I believe that both women and men will be excited to see such a kick-ass woman in this movie.”

SH __ While I have some go-to techniques that I apply to every role, each character requires something unique. For instance, the role in Asia was physically demanding because my character's health deteriorated over time. To keep track, I created a chart that detailed each stage of her decline, using colors to represent the different phases of her illness because when you film, you don’t film chronologically, so I needed to know immediately where I was to jump right into it. For Unorthodox and now Marvel, I found physicality helpful; a lot was in the outfit. I remember taking some outfits of Esther from the wardrobe department to get into character. I took her headpiece—the piece Orthodox jews put on their head when they marry—to feel that physicality. And then references. I like to read books that have to do with the characters or the position; even if it's fiction or a psychological book, it doesn't matter. I make playlists for characters, not necessarily songs that they listen to, but songs that help me get into character. And writing, I write on the scripts; I'm not necessarily even reading it afterward, but I believe in putting things out there, and something comes back inside. And of course, eventually, rehearsals and conversations with the directors and your partners to ensure we're all on the same page. This whole thing together creates this fabric that eventually magically—but at the same time with hard work—brings the character to life.

DG __ You mentioned some books that help you. Do you have any specific ones that you would recommend?

“We would all love to have a superhero who saves our world, don’t we? [...] but we need to be the superheroes. We need to be our own superheroes because no one else is coming to save us. We need to be the best versions of ourselves, with good intentions.”

SH __ There was Stefan Zweig's Beware of Pity, which was a big one for me, and also the psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who talked a lot about the five stages of saying goodbye—either to a breakup or death. Although the series differs significantly, Unorthodox is based on Deborah Feldman's book, so I relied heavily on documentaries about the Orthodox community, such as One of Us on Netflix. I'm always receptive to stories from real life. Sometimes, even while working on a project, you might come across something that's completely different from the material you're dealing with and be like, "Oh that's interesting." So, while not everything is planned, I think you're always subconsciously open to new influences.

DG __ I will definitely look into those titles and I know what you mean about whatever grabs your attention; usually, it's because of what you're going through that something stands out to you.

SH __ Exactly! You attract what you think. Yeah. That's the machine! [smiles]

DG __ Let's jump into Marvel. You’re stepping into the MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe] as Ruth Bat-Seraph in Captain America: Brave New World. So far, we know that in the cinematic adaptation, Ruth is a former Black Widow who works for President Ross. How did you approach bringing her to life, and what aspects of her story, if any, resonated with you personally?

SH __ It started with a Zoom meeting with Julius [Onah], our brilliant director. He talked to me about the character and the overall concept. I was so excited. Then, I started to prepare for it physically. We had extensive training sessions – five times a week for two to three months – which was an amazing and unique experience. This character is incredibly cool and exciting, possessing toughness and badassness — I'm trying not to say too much [laughs] — but at the same time, considering her past, she also has this understanding and empathy for what's different and for people changing. She's a complex character with an internal tension between her toughness and her capacity for empathy, which I found relatable.

DG __ I know we cannot divulge too much about the film at this stage, as it's still confidential. I haven't even had access to screeners, so I'm completely in the dark about the storyline. However, let me ask some questions and see where they lead us.

SH __ Sure, let’s try.

DG __ How does Brave New World differentiate itself from previous Marvel projects?

SH __ It's very different… This is a political thriller! And it features our new Captain America, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. He's a superhero without the serum. He doesn't have superhero traits because it's really his own strength and his heart. So I think that is a big part of the movie, namely him saying, "I'm not Steve Rogers," it's a new world with a brave new Captain America. And there are so many cool and extreme scenes—the fans will be super excited—but at the same time, I think there's also a very human and realistic aspect to this project. Our director, Julius, sent us, before we started, a lot of references from very dramatic and realistic thriller movies to get the vibe so we were all on the same page. By the way, I haven't seen the whole thing myself yet, but from what I know, the film balances this dramatic, human aspect with supernatural and exciting scenes.

DG __ As I understand it, Brave New World is taking elements from the existing franchise and rebuilding them. I also gathered that there's something unique about these superheroes. How has the franchise changed with this new group of superheroes? How do they fit into modern pop culture?

SH __ We would all love to have a superhero who saves our world, don’t we? [candidly smiles] This feeling has only intensified in recent years, especially during the last year when it seems like anything could happen at any moment. It feels like a superhero is really needed. However, I’d like to circle back to the fact that the character of Anthony [Mackie] isn't the kind of superhero we're used to with the suit and all, he's actually a human being. So I think maybe that's a great message to have also for nowadays that we need to be the superheroes. We need to be our own superheroes because no one else is coming to save us. We need to be the best versions of ourselves, with good intentions, just like Sam's character. And that’s what will bring the brave new world that we truly deserve.

DG __ That’s powerful. So everyone, in their own way, can be part of the upcoming brave new world, that in this case, is a metaphor for humanity’s future.

SH __ As I said, this is a political thriller, but it can also be something that we do with our art as actors or artists. It can be in our daily gestures. We need to be the superheroes; it's on all of us. It doesn't have to be for big things; it can also be for small things in our own lives. We can all make a difference.

DG __ Let’s talk about dualities next. Marvel heroes often grapple with dualities—power and responsibility, identity and belonging, strength and empathy. What internal conflicts did you explore with Ruth in this film?

SH __ The character begins the movie suspiciously, but as the story progresses, something in herself opens up. This journey reflects the duality of the character and her internal conflict. You mentioned belonging and identity; this is exactly the way I approached it, regardless of the plot, Ruth is an ex-black widow, so she wasn’t born in America, but at the same time, she works for the US government and President Ross and she wants to belong, she genuinely wants to help. This inner conflict is central to the character's core and drives her thoughts, dialogue, and actions.

DG __ That's so interesting because my mind races toward characters with moral ambiguity in the MCU. They are superheroes with superpowers and such, and they think that they're doing the right thing using their power and strength, but it's not objectively clear in the storyline. Do you feel that your character has those challenges?

SH __ While I can't reveal too much, I believe her heart is in the right place. [smiles] Even her internal conflicts stem from good intentions. I think the core of who she is and what motivates her, even if done in certain ways, is definitely from a good place. I am sure people will agree [chuckles]. She's cool.

DG __ Let’s talk about physical strength. Marvel roles often require intense physical preparation. You are obviously very well trained, and you look wonderful by the way. What kind of training or preparation did you undergo for Ruth?

SH __ Thank you [smiles]. I always liked sports from a very young age, but I've never worked out even close to as much as I did for this role. It was five days a week of training, mainly weights and not running or cardio because it was about building muscle rather than losing weight, accompanied by a very healthy diet rich in proteins. I had great trainers in Tel Aviv and the US. So, it didn’t matter which country, I kept it going. Getting stronger made me feel like I was getting into the character. When I got to the US before westarted to also do boxing and stunt rehearsals. I had an amazing stunt double, but I did some of the stunts and the fighting myself. I'd never done anything like this before, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the process.

DG __ Are there any aspects from your training for the film that you've incorporated into your life now that filming is complete?

SH __ Not as much as I did back then, but I kept doing the weights and the power training… just not five times a week [laughs]. That was a lot!

DG __ At least in my experience, it energizes me a lot. People think they will be tired if they workout often but …

SH __ no, the other way! It energizes you and makes things easier! I admire tremendously those who can work out five times a week consistently. I just decided to pick my battles! [laughs]

DG __ Speaking of strength, how do you think Ruth’s portrayal as a powerful woman contributes to the ongoing conversation around gender equality and women’s empowerment?

SH __ I think it's exciting to play this new female character in the MCU, especially since she's a strong, complex, and cool character. I believe that both women and men will be excited to see such a kick-ass woman in this movie. That's what I aim for, hope for, and believe in, but ultimately time will tell.

DG __ So the character will come back and stay with us in the MC Universe?

SH __  Who knows?

DG __ How do you hope fans will connect with Ruth, and what kind of legacy do you want her to leave in the MC Universe?

SH __ Big question. I hope the audience will be as excited as I was when I first read about Ruth and started bringing her to life. She's refreshing and exciting, with an interesting backstory, although we don't see much of it since it's a Captain America film and the focus is on the new Captain America. Still, we get glimpses of her backstory, and I hope people will be curious to learn more about her. She is a realistic, authentic, and relatable character. This is what touched my heart when I first read about her.

Photographer Kevin Sinclair, Stylist Elise Sandvik (See Management), Interview and Production David Gargiulo, Makeup Misha Shahzada (A-Frame Agency), Hair David von Cannon (A-Frame Agency), Photo Assistant Anna Istomina, Stylist Assistants Elisia Star and Seneca Kretschek, Talent Shira Haas (Wolf|Kasteler Public Relations)