The movie “Mary,” directed by D.J. Caruso (“Disturbia”), about Jesus’ mother is now out on Netflix, and its titular character is played by an Israeli actress, Noa Cohen. Mary’s husband-to-be, Joseph, is also played by an Israeli actor, Ido Tako, while Anthony Hopkins plays the antagonistic King Herrod.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there has been a backlash to the casting of Israeli Jewish actors in these roles from activists who claim that Mary and Jesus were Palestinians. Mary was a Jewish woman who lived in what was at her time known as Judea, part of the Roman empire, and Caruso told Entertainment Weekly that “it was important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity.” Mary’s parents are also played by Israeli actors, Hila Vidor and Ori Pfeffer. The movie’s Hebrew-speaking cast members attended its Netflix premiere in Los Angeles wearing yellow ribbons in a show of solidarity for the plight of the Israeli hostages.
Here’s everything you may want to know about the Israeli cast of Netflix’s “Mary.”
What to know about Noa Cohen who plays Mary in “Mary”
Despite her young age, Noa Cohen, 22, has had an incredibly prolific career in Israel. She’s been a mainstay on Israeli TV for over a decade and professional model since she was 7, having booked campaigns with Smashbox and Essence. When she was 12, she starred in her first TV show — the Israeli Children’s Channel reality competition “The Boys and the Girls.” She became a TV host at the Children’s Channel and then in the Israeli late-night show “HaTzinor,” when she became the show’s youngest host.
Her first acting project was a guest role in the 2017 kids’ sitcom “My Sister Skipped a Grade.” Since then she’s starred in teen comedies and dramas like “My Nephew Benz” and “Infinity,” and most recently had a role in the army thriller “8200” (titled “North Wind” in Hebrew), which stars “Shtisel” actor Michael Aloni. In 2022, she starred in the spy thriller “Silent Game” as Shiryn, a young Jewish woman in Iran who speaks sign language. The movie shot in Azerbaijan and Cohen and the multinational cast, from Azerbaijan, Israel and Ukraine, shared a video with a message of peace. Cohen has also worked as a Hebrew voice actress on movies like “Fireheart.”
Cohen has spoken vocally about being socially ostracized as a kid and teen and became a source on social media for young people who experienced the same. She’s participated in a campaign for at-risk youth and for animal rescues. She’s also really into yoga.
While she’s had quite an expansive career, “Mary” is her biggest project to date, and the Israeli actress seemed to have a blast shooting the film in Morocco. “This project has been an unforgettable journey, and I’m beyond excited to share it with the world,” she wrote on her Instagram.
What to know about Ido Tako who plays Joseph in “Mary”
Ido Tako is one of the busiest young actors in Israel and has been acting in TV and movies since 2020. He was inspired to start acting by a trip to LA as a teen. Tako lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 6 years old. His stepmother, Pamela, is American-Israeli.
His first role was in the 2020 TV show “Kibbutznikim,” about young teens who live in a kibbutz. He starred in the Israeli short “By His Will,” playing a religious gay teen struggling with his identity, which was later featured in “Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know.” You can also see him in this 2021 Dennis Lloyd music video for “The Way”:
He has starred in quite a few shows for teens, from “Memory Forest” where he played Kobi, a teen on a trip to Poland, to the supernatural TV drama “Sky.” He played Raffa in the drama “Black Space,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, and had a role in the latest season of the very popular Israeli comedy “Sisters.” His feature debut was in the 2023 “The Vanishing Soldier,” where he played Shlomi, a soldier who escapes to his girlfriend’s home in Tel Aviv only to discover that he is believed to be missing. He plays Nati in the film “Come Closer,” Israel’s contender for the Oscar this year, inspired by the life story of its director, Tom Nesher, the daughter of iconic Israeli director Avi Nesher, who lost her brother in a hit-and-run accident — Tako’s character is based on that brother. “Mary” is his third feature film.
What to know about Ori Pfeffer who plays Joachim in “Mary”
Ori Pfeffer, 49, is one of the most successful and prolific Israeli actors who many have never heard of — even though he’s been in movies with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including “World War Z,” “Munich,” “Don’t Mess With the Zohan” and “Hackshaw Ridge.” The actor’s career has been split between Israel and the U.S. since he came to America after serving in the IDF to study acting. He had small guest roles in “NYPD Blue,” the “CSI” franchise and “Alias.” He was in the Israeli movie “Princess,” directed by “Tattooist of Auschwitz” director Tali Shalom Ezer, where he acted opposite Shira Haas in her first movie role. He’s been in TV shows like the limited series “The Spy” opposite Sasha Baron Cohen, where he played Arik. He played Alon in Netflix’s “Messiah” and had a major role as Detective Golan Cohen in the Gideon Raff show “Dig” opposite Jason Isaacs and the late Anne Heche.
The Harley Davidson-riding Jerusalem-born actor is married to Israeli model, actress and TV host Yael Goldman, and the two have three children. Goldman came with him to the “Mary” premiere, where the two donned their yellow ribbons.
What to know about Hilla Vidor who plays Anne in “Mary”
Hilla Vidor is a celebrated Israeli film and theater actress, originally from Bat Yam. You can watch her along with Gal Gadot in the 2012 drama “Kathmandu” streaming on ChaiFlicks. She’s acted in “Death of a Salesman” and “Anna Karenina” and has had countless celebrated film roles. She’s starred in the Israeli series “Hostages” and in the movies “Funeral at Noon” and “Youthful Grace,” the latter acting opposite Tako. Her role as Anne in “Mary,” however, is her first major English-speaking one. The New York Times has already praised her performance in “Mary” as bringing a “humane yet grounded” aura to Anne.
