# Ayelet Zurer

Ayelet Zurer (Hebrew: איילת זורר; born (1969-06-28)28 June 1969) is an Israeli TV and film actress. She began her career on the Israeli teen drama, Inyan Shel Zman and has starred in numerous Israeli tv and film roles. She received awards for Best Actress at the Israeli Academy Awards in 2003 and Best Actress by the Israeli Academy of Television in 2006 and 2013.
Zurer has also appeared in numerous in Hollywood films, such as Munich (2005), Vantage Point (2008), Angels & Demons (2009), Man of Steel (2013), and Ben-Hur (2016). She also portrayed Vanessa Marianna-Fisk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Daredevil (2015–2018) and its revival series Daredevil: Born Again (2025).

## Personal life

Ayelet Zurer was born on 28 June 1969 and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, by a Jewish family. Her mother was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the Holocaust by hiding in a convent, later immigrating to Israel in the 1950s. Her Israeli-born father is of Russian Jewish descent.
Zurer studied theater at the 14th Municipal High School and participated in the Tel Aviv Scouts band. During her service in the Israel Defense Forces, she served in the military band of the Northern Command.
After finishing her military service, Zurer studied acting for three years at the Yoram Loewenstein Performing Arts Studio. She then moved to the United States and studied with George Morison at the Actor's Workshop in New York City. In 1991, she returned to Israel.
In 2003, Zurer married her surfing instructor, Gilad Londovski. The couple have a son and reside in Los Angeles.

## Acting career
### 1991–2000

Zurer landed an early role as a series regular on the Israeli teen drama, Inyan Shel Zman (1992–1993). In 1993, she also played Debbie in the Israeli comedy film Nikmato shel Itzik Finkelstein (Revenge of Itzik Finkelstein). During, this time she also participated in the cable television show Yetziat Hirum.
From 1997 to 2000, she had a regular role as Shira Steinberg in the Israeli television show Florentine. Her character, Shira, shared the first-ever lesbian kiss on Israeli television with Ronit Elkabetz's character Nicole in a 2000 episode.
In 1998, she played the lead in the film Ahava Asura (a.k.a. The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field). She then appeared in the Israeli television series Zinzana in 2000.

### 2001–2010

In 2001, Zurer starred in the movies Laila Lelo Lola and Kikar Ha'Halomot (Desperado Square). She appeared in the television series Shalva and Ha'Block in 2002.
In 2003, she starred in Nina's Tragedies, portraying the title character, Nina, a role for which she won an Israeli Academy Award for Best Actress. In 2005, she starred in the Israeli television series Betipul. She played Na'ama Lerner. The series won her a Best Actress award from the Israeli Television Academy and was remade as the HBO series In Treatment. The following year, Zurer participated in an Israeli sketch comedy television show called Gomrot Holchot.
In 2005, Zurer appeared in Steven Spielberg's Munich, where she played Avner Kaufman's wife. In 2007, she starred in Fugitive Pieces.
In 2008, Zurer appeared in the American thriller Vantage Point. That same year, she was cast as scientist Vittoria Vetra, in The Da Vinci Code sequel Angels & Demons (2009). Additionally, she played a nurse who falls in love with the title character in Adam Resurrected (2008).

### 2011–2020

In 2011, Zurer played the lead role in the film Hide Away and the role of Superman's mother, Lara Lor-Van, in the reboot of the Superman franchise Man of Steel (2013). In 2013, she starred in the Israeli series Shtisel, as Elisheva Rotstein.
In 2015, Zurer starred in the Marvel series Daredevil as Vanessa Marianna-Fisk. She appeared in the Hollywood film Ben-Hur (2016). In 2018, Zurer reprised her role in the third season of Daredevil.
In November 2020, Zurer was cast in a recurring role on the third season of the Netflix psychological thriller series You.

### 2021–present

In 2021, Zurer starred in the Israeli psychological thriller Losing Alice on Apple TV+. In 2024, she starred as Dr. Amalia Levy alongside Amos Tamam in the Israeli drama series The Best Worst Thing on Keshet 12.
In 2025, Zurer reprised the role of Vanessa Marianna-Fisk in Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again.

## Awards

Zurer has received several awards throughout her career including Best Actress at the Israeli Academy Awards for her role in Nina's Tragedies (2003) and Best Actress by the Israeli Academy of Television for her roles in BeTipul and Hostages in 2006 and 2013.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Pour Sacha (a.k.a. For Sasha) | Shoshana | French drama |
| 1993 | Revenge of Itzik Finkelstein (a.k.a. Nikmato Shel Itzik Finkelstein) | Debbie | |
| 1997 | Ahava Asura (Forbidden Love, a.k.a. The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field) | Lea | |
| 2001 | Kikar Ha'Halomot (a.k.a. Desperado Square) | Gila (the waitress) | |
| 2003 | Ish Ha'Hashmal (a.k.a. Rutenberg) | Becki | |
| 2003 | Ha'Asonot Shel Nina (Nina's Tragedies) | Nina | |
| 2004 | Mashehu Matok (Something Sweet) | Tamar | |
| 2005 | Munich | Daphna Kaufman | |
| 2007 | Fugitive Pieces | Michaela | |
| 2007 | Rak Klavim Ratzim Hofshi (a.k.a. Wild Dogs) | Telma | |
| 2008 | Vantage Point | Veronica | |
| 2008 | Adam Resurrected | Gina Grey | |
| 2009 | Ingenious | Gina | |
| 2009 | Angels & Demons | Vittoria Vetra | |
| 2011 | Hide Away | The Waitress | |
| 2012 | Darling Companion | Carmen | |
| 2013 | Man of Steel | Lara Lor-Van | |
| 2015 | Last Days in the Desert | Mother | |
| 2015 | Last Knights | Naomi | |
| 2016 | Ben-Hur | Naomi Ben-Hur | |
| 2017 | Milada | Milada Horáková | Also producer |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Inyan Shel Zman (a.k.a. A Matter of Time) | Noga Caspi | |
| 1997 | Florentine | Shira | |
| 1999 | Zinzana | Hanita Rozen 'Georgi' | |
| 2001 | Laila Lelo Lola (a.k.a. A Night Without Lola) | Oshrit | TV movie |
| 2004 | Maktub | Michal | TV movie |
| 2005 | BeTipul (a.k.a. In Therapy) | Na'ama Lerner | |
| 2012 | Awake | Alina Ananyev | Episode: "Nightswimming" |
| 2012 | Touch | Rosemary Mathis | Episode: "Closer" |
| 2012 | Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | Colonel Mehaffey | Web series |
| 2013 | Shtisel | Elisheva | Season 1 |
| 2013 | Hostages | Dr. Yael Danon | |
| 2014 | Rake | Fiona Rinaldi | Episode: "Bigamist" |
| 2015, 2018 | Daredevil | Vanessa Marianna-Fisk | Main cast (season 1); Guest role (season 3); 11 episodes |
| 2017 | Taken | Leah | Episode: "Leah" |
| 2017 | Transparent | Ronit | Episode: "I Never Promised You a Promised Land" |
| 2019 | Money Heist | Raquel Murillo | 2nd English dub |
| 2019, 2022 | Legacies | Seylah | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Losing Alice | Alice | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | You | Dr. Chandra | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Moonhaven | Maite Voss | Main cast |
| 2022 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Tia Leonetti | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | The Best Worst Thing | Dr. Amalia Levy | Main cast |
| 2025–present | House of David | Ahinoam | Main cast |
| 2025–present | Daredevil: Born Again | Vanessa Fisk | 3 episodes |

## Awards

| Year | Group | Award | Result | Film/Show |
| 1997 | Israeli Film Academy Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | Ahava Asura |
| 2000 | Israeli Film Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | Kikar Ha'Halomot |
| 2001 | Israeli Film Academy Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | Ish Ha'Hashmal |
| 2003 | Israeli Film Academy Awards | Best Actress | Won | Ha'Asonot Shel Nina |
| 2003 | Jerusalem Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | Ha'Asonot Shel Nina |
| 2006 | Israeli Film Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | Rak Klavim Ratzim Hofshi |
| 2006 | Israeli Television Academy Awards | Best Actress | Won | Betipul |
| 2013 | Israeli Television Academy Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | Shtisel |
| 2013 | Israeli Television Academy Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Won | Hostages |