Ayelet Zurer might be tearing up the screen these days as Vanessa Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again, but long before she ever portrayed the wife of one of the MCU’s most complex villains, the Israeli-born actress got her big Hollywood break thanks to Steven Spielberg. Zurer took on the role of Daphna Kaufman in one of the director’s most underrated films, Munich, which helped kick-start her career in America. Now, 20 years later, she recalls what it was like working with Spielberg on the 2005 Academy Award-nominated film.
Speaking with MovieWeb’s own George Edelman, Ayelet touched on Munich to discuss what it was like to go from a star in Israel to being featured in a movie by one of the most celebrated directors in history. She mentioned that while she obviously played a pivotal part in the historical drama, Spielberg himself didn’t realize how important it was until the film was in the editing stage of post-production.
“I think it’s one of his best movies. It was one of the best experiences of my life, because Steven is a really phenomenal director and creator. So, to work alongside him, to see how he works, and coming all the way from Israel, this was my first international film, so it was like, I couldn’t believe my luck.”
Related
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ star Ayelet Zurer explains how Vanessa Fisk’s complex character helps explain the MCU show’s real theme.
Focusing on the true story of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, which saw a Palestinian militant group carry out an attack that killed 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team and the fallout that occurred, Munich is easily one of Spielberg’s most underrated films. Despite being nominated for five Oscars and taking in more than $130 million at the box office, it’s gone largely forgotten about over the years in favor of some of his big-budget extravaganzas. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 79% rating, noted critic Roger Ebert called it a film that “has dramatically opened a wider dialogue, helping to make the inarguable into the debatable.”
Ayelet Zurer Calls Steven Spielberg “Amazing”
Disney+
To further highlight how much of a pleasure it was to work with Spielberg on Munich, Zurer also recounted an experience she had with the director when some of her screen time ended up on the cutting room floor. While certain filmmakers wouldn’t give their actors the courtesy of letting them know ahead of seeing the final product, she says that wasn’t the case with Spielberg: “He’s amazing,” she said. “He’s the most fair person I’ve ever met.”
“He called me to say that he had to chop a few things that he couldn’t find a place for because he made the movie shorter. He made the effort to call me and say that before even watching the film, which was, to me, amazing, because not a lot of directors would do that. And then at the same time, he said, and by the way, you do an amazing job, just so you know.”
Talk about being a professional, right? You can currently catch Zurer in Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again streaming now on Disney+, the finale of which will air on April 15. Munich is currently unavailable to stream on any platform, but it is available to rent or purchase on all VOD services.
Release Date
December 23, 2005
Runtime
164 Minutes
You can view the original article HERE.
