In Israel, actress Maayan Malka starred in several hit television shows, campaign ads, and acclaimed feature films.
Nowadays, she’s busy making movies under the radar in Hollywood.
Born in Jerusalem, she emigrated from Israel to Los Angeles at the urging of her parents. She packed a suitcase and, without questioning, came here two and a half years ago.
“One day my mom just told me to fly,” Maayan said in a recent interview.
Her upcoming movie projects include a dramatic thriller, written by and co-starring award-winning actor Kent Harper, who previously worked with filmmaker Jennifer Lynch, the daughter of the late and great David Lynch. Maayan will play the leading female role as the rebellious daughter.
Additionally, she recently completed the film “It Never Happened.” In the short, Maayan plays the leading role of Tzipora, a terrified young woman escaping a deadly situation who bursts into a random home for help, only to find herself in the care of a mysterious woman and a hitman. The film is described as an “ethereal fusion of retribution, healing and rebirth.”
Most recently, Maayan was working with film director David Polcino on an intense film, set in a single claustrophobic location. Polcino says of her work, “It was a pleasure working with Maayan on my film, ‘Othello Syndrome.’ She has the perfect balance of innocence mixed with a touch of danger, which is exactly what the role called for.”
Asked which of these projects gives her the most excitement, she said it’s a no-brainer—“Broken Girls’ Police.” Maayan wrote and stars in this sci-fi-fantasy feature, which was shot in Israel and features top Israeli talent.
Additional upcoming film projects include a leading role in the comedy film, “Eve Lost,” where she’ll be playing Eve; “Broken Girls’ Police – I Am Mimi,” an American adaptation of her Israeli film; and a gripping film-noir thriller, drawn from a screenplay by the late Hollywood writer-director Robert Hyatt.
To be sure, Maayan draws on not just her passion for film but her deep Jewish identity. She’s the great-granddaughter of David Ben Hassin, who is considered to have been one of the greatest Jewish Moroccan poets and one of the best-known figures of Jewish liturgic poetry.
During the High Holy Days, you can find Maayan attending services at Tiferet Temen synagogue, a Yemenite congregation in Pico-Robertson.
Incidentally, at a time when Israel is being demonized in many industries, especially Hollywood, the actress said her Israeli background has endeared her to those she’s come across in her field.
“More people love me here in America, respect me because I’m Jewish. I feel more love from the industry. They know I’m Israeli, and yet they want to hug me, they want to help me,” she said. “They want to work with me.”
The challenges facing Israel are always on her mind. “My heart is there,” she said.
Currently, she’s living in Beachwood Canyon, in a classic Hollywood Hills property that once belonged to a producer of “Gone with the Wind.” Above the house is the ever-looming Hollywood sign. For Maayan, it’s a reminder of her love for cinema.
