Haya Harareet

Haya Harareet (Hebrew: חיה הררית‎; born 20 September 1931), sometimes credited as Haya Hararit, is an Israeli actress, best known as Esther in Ben Hur (1959) opposite Charlton Heston.

Biography

Haya Harareet was born in Haifa, in the British Mandate of Palestine, and began her career in Israeli films with Hill 24 Doesn't Answer (1955). She played opposite Virna Lisi in Francesco Maselli's La donna del giorno (1957) (The Doll that Took the Town). Her major role as Esther in Ben Hur (1959) remains her most widely seen performance in international cinema.

Then came 1961's L'Atlantide (Journey Beneath The Desert, aka The Lost Kingdom), directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and co-starring Jean-Louis Trintignant. She appeared opposite Stewart Granger in Basil Dearden's film The Secret Partner (1961), and she played the role of Dr. Madolyn Bruckner in The Interns (1962). Her career was short-lived and ended in 1964.

She co-wrote the screenplay for Our Mother's House (1967) from the novel of the same name by Julian Gloag. She was married to the British film director Jack Clayton until his death on February 26, 1995. She resides in Buckinghamshire, England.