Shira Haas

“I took so much experience, for example, from the Natalie Portman movie, the first international role that I did, which was a very small role. But it gave me a hunger, and wanting to understand more.”

“I think that's part of why 'Unorthodox' got so much love. People are curious to see something different than them, and are surprised that they can relate.”

“I really love staying at home.”

“I try to do meditation every morning because it's so helpful.”

“I was like a mature child. I was like a 40-year-old when I was eight.”

“From the age of three to six I was very sick. Being ill forced me to mature early.”

“Learning a new language is very, very different from doing an accent.”

“In 'Unorthodox,' you see a society that you don't know, but you can understand the people. I'm not trying to say that we're 'The Sopranos.' But you see characters where, if you were to read about them in the news, you would be like, 'Oh, this is awful.' But they really touch your heart.”

“When you finish a project it can be emotional, letting go of a character but also people who were like your family.”

“I had the longest hair on 'Asia' and the shortest hair on 'Unorthodox.'”

“I have had roles that I had intimate scenes and crucial scenes with people I didn't know, but you do need to build something with someone to trust them, not only to feel comfortable with, but so you can see that from the camera.”

“I don't want to turn on my TV and see only what's familiar, or what I can immediately relate to, or to see myself in. I think it's way more powerful to see what you don't necessarily know a lot about.”

“I love learning new languages for roles.”

“I don't know if people will believe me, but when I'm doing a project, I almost forget that people will see it.”

“I love my hair.”

“There are so many different communities in the Ultra-orthodox world, and they are so different from one another in really everything. Maybe the clothing is similar. That's it. And even inside those communities, the families sometimes are different. It's very, very, very important for people to understand that.”

“You read something that's supposed to be very different from you, and you're like, 'Oh, I'm very curious to see those people.' And then you read it, and you're like, 'That's actually me.'”

“I might be an easy crier on screen, but I'm not an easy crier in real life.”

“My grandparents are Holocaust survivors.”

“I've worked with the most amazing men directors. I cannot complain for a second. But working with strong and talented women is, for me, something that leads to more awareness.”