Born in
Bucharest, Romania, to a
Jewish family, and graduated from the
Film and Theatre Academy of Bucharest in 1985. Her father was a
Bessarabian Jew. She then played at
Teatrul Tineretului (Youth Theatre) in
Piatra Neamț until 1988, and at the
Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (State Jewish Theatre) in Bucharest 1988, 1989, and 1990. From 1990 to 1998 she was a member of the company of the
National Theatre in Bucharest, and since 1998 of
Teatrul Bulandra, also in Bucharest. She continues to act at the Jewish State Theatre, other Bucharest theatres She reported that she felt really proud to portray the
Virgin Mary. Her surname, Morgenstern, means "Morning Star" in German, is a
title of the Virgin Mary, the character she played in
The Passion of the Christ. Mel Gibson, a devout
Traditionalist Catholic, thought this of great significance when casting her. In interviews, she has defended
The Passion of the Christ against allegations of
antisemitism, saying that the high priest
Caiaphas is portrayed not as a representative of the Jewish people, but as a leader of the establishment, adding that "Authorities throughout history have persecuted individuals with revolutionary ideas." On 29 March 2021, a Romanian man was arrested after Morgenstern received an email stating "I intend to throw her in the
gas chamber". ==Personal life==