Clara Khoury
Clara Khoury | |
|---|---|
كلارا خوري | |
| Born | 29 December 1976 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Website | www |
Clara Khoury (Arabic: كلارا خوري, born 29 December 1976) is a Palestinian[2]–American actress.[3] She works in film,[4] television and theater. She grew up in Haifa, and now lives in California, United States.
Biography
Clara Khoury was born to a family of Palestinians in Haifa, Israel.[2][5][6] She is the daughter of the award-winning actor Makram Khoury. Her family is Greek Orthodox Christian.[7] She studied cinema at the Open University in Tel Aviv and drama at the Beit Zvi Acting School.
Acting career
Khoury has worked in a variety of roles on stage including the lead in Antigone by Jean Anouilh, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Salome by Oscar Wilde, in Arabic as well as in Hebrew and English. Her television work includes the series Parashat Hashavua, written by Ari Folman, and Arab Labor written by Sayed Kashua.
She made her big screen debut in 2002 in Rana's Wedding[8][9] by Hany Abu-Assad (director of the Oscar-nominated Paradise Now) which premiered in the International Critics' Week section at the 55th Cannes Film Festival representing Palestine.
In 2005 she gained international recognition for her role in The Syrian Bride, portraying a young Druze woman who risks losing her family by entering an arranged marriage with a Syrian national.[10] Directed by Eran Riklis (Lemon Tree) the film won the Audience Prize at the Locarno Film Festival.
Khoury starred in Lipstikka, a British / Israeli psychological drama by Jonathan Sagall, in competition at the Berlinale 2011. At the Al-Midan Arabic Theater in Haifa she starred in Juliano Mer-Khamis's adaptation of Roman Polanski's 1994 movie Death and The Maiden after the play by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman.
Her film repertoire includes Hiam Abbas’s Inheritance and Susan Youssef's Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf and Amsterdam to Anatolia on Netflix.
Khoury starred in the acclaimed mini series Baghdad Central for Channel 4 and Hulu and the series Homeland for Showtime.
In 2024, Khoury starred in the award-winning Palestinian feature film Thank You for Banking with Us, directed by Leila Abbas. The film premiered at the British Film Institute (BFI) and earned Khoury the Best Actress award at the Casablanca International Film Festival for her portrayal of Maryam Casablanca Festival. In 2025, she participated in Don't Be Long Little Bird, directed by Reem Joubran.
In 2025, Khoury starred in The Voice of Hind Rajab directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, which had its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.[11] and Sink directed by Zain Duraie, which will premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Rana's Wedding | |
| 2004 | The Syrian Bride | |
| 2006 | Forgiveness[13] | |
| 2007 | Liebesleben | |
| 2008 | Body of Lies | |
| 2009 | Dusty Road | |
| 2011 | Lipstikka | |
| 2012 | The Inheritance | |
| 2019 | Marjoun and the Flying Headscarf | |
| Amsterdam to Anatolia | ||
| A Letter to a Friend in Gaza | ||
| 2020 | Laila in Haifa | |
| 2025 | Sink | |
| The Voice of Hind Rajab |
Theater
- Death and the Maiden—Paulina - (2010) Juliano Mer-Khamis
- Hebron, Khalil / Rania -- (2007) Oded Kotler
- Period of Adjustment—Isabel - (2006) Dedi Baron
- Cruel and Tender—Laela - (2005) Artur kogan
- Salome—Salome - (2005) Ofira Henig
- The Glass Menagerie—Loura - (2004) Muneer Bakri
- Gilgamesh, He is not Dead—Houmbaba - (2003) Francois Abuo-Salem
- Anigone—Antigone - (2002) Gdalya Besser
- Tiger at the Gate—Andromaque - (2002) Ido Ricklin
Television
- On Any Saturday - created by Anat Asulin, Rani Blair
- Kavanot Tovot - director Uri Barbash
- Arab Labor - written by Sayed Kashua[6]
- Maktub - director Avi Mussel
- Papadizi - director Ori Sivan
- The Police Man - director Ram Levi
- Homeland - created by Gideon Raff, Howard Gordon, and Alex Gansa
- Baghdad Central - written by Stephen, director Alice Troughton
Awards and recognition
Khoury won two Israeli Academy of Film and Television prizes for best actress as Bushra in the television sitcom Arab Labor.[7] She won the Best Actress Award for her leading role in Rana's wedding at the Marrakech International Film Festival.
See also
References
- ^ Steinberg, Jessica (11 October 2012). "Reality bites as Israeli actors talk about Iranian action on 'Homeland'". The Times of Israel.
- ^ a b Specter, Emma (16 March 2026). "How Voice of Hind Rajab Star Clara Khoury Got Ready for Her First Oscars". Vogue. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ Yazbeck, Jeannine (12 November 2025). "Palestinian-American Actress Clara Khoury on Her Role in The Voice of Hind Rajab". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ "Clara Khoury IMDB (1976-)". IMDB.com. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ^ "Baghdad Central: Interview with Clara Khoury: Professor Zubeida". Channel 4. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
I was on a vacation visiting my family back in Palestine and I had one day to tape my audition before traveling back to California. I managed to ask a friend of mine who is a female filmmaker to help me tape it. We did it on a roof top overlooking my home city of Haifa – I felt Zubeida was there with me.
- ^ a b Curiel, Jonathan (13 November 2008). "Meet the Palestinian Seinfeld. Who knew?". SFGate. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ^ a b Izikovich, Gili (20 February 2012). "Clara, the no-longer confused". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "PopMatters review of "Rana's Wedding"". popmatters.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2003. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
- ^ "Arab Films review of "Rana's Wedding"". arabfilm.com. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ Felperin, Leslie (17 August 2004). "The Syrian Bride (Review)". Variety. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Tiff discovery programme
- ^ Cockrell, Eddie (13 February 2006). "Forgiveness (Review)". Variety. Retrieved 9 June 2024.