As one of the most highly regarded actresses in her native Israel, Mili Avital has created international success with her diverse starring roles in film, television and theater. Born in Jerusalem and raised near Tel Aviv, At the age of 17, Avital began her career on stage in Israel, in the highly respected "Cameri" theater of Tel Aviv, starring in the play "Dangerous Liaisons" while still a student at the prestigious Telma Yalin High School of the Arts. She later went on to win a 1992 Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a 1994 Best Actress nomination. Arriving in New York in 1994, Avital came to work in theatre. It sounds like a Cinderella story, Mili really was discovered a year later by a talent agent, while working as a waitress, and two weeks later landed the female lead in Roland Emmerich's "Stargate," for which she received a Sci-fi Universe award. Mili then went to work on learning to speak English like an American, and her efforts were rewarded. She played Johnny Depp's love interest in Miramax's "Deadman," directed by Jim Jarmusch, for which she was chosen by Vanity Fair as one of the most promising young actresses to watch. She went on to star in Universal's romantic comedy "Kissing a Fool," with Jason Lee and David Schwimmer, in Fox Searchlight's "Polish Wedding," with Gabriel Burn and Claire Danes, and in "Animals", opposite Tim Roth, Rod Steiger and Mickey Rooney. Avital received critical praise for her performance as Scheherazade in the Emmy nominated ABC miniseries "Arabian Nights" In the NBC epic World War II miniseries "Uprising" produced and directed by Jon Avnet ("Fried Green Tomatoes"), she played a Jewish Freedom Fighter in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, alongside Hank Azaria, Leelee Sobieski, Jon Voight and Donald Sutherland. Avital also starred opposite Benjamin Bratt and Armand Assante in the television film "After the Storm", Based on the Ernest Hemingway short story, Avital stars as Coquina in this TriMark Pictures/USA production. Avital guest-starred in the premiere episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit", and returned a year later in a different role, as Romanian twins who are involved in a murder. Avital honored the 50th Birthday of the State of Israel by co-hosting with Michael Douglas and Kevin Costner the CBS two hour special "To Life." Produced by Gil Cates and Don Mischer, guests on the show included Dustin Hoffman, Steven Speilberg, Kathy Bates, Harry Connick Jr. and Richard Dreyfuss. Upcoming, she will be seen in "The Human Stain", starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, directed by Robert Benton.
Dated David Schwimmer. [1998 - 2001]