The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem Moves to LA

One of the most inspiring things to see is when a newcomer makes a show sizzle and becomes a star. That has certainly been the case for Israeli actress Swell Ariel Or, who starred as Luna Ermoza in the Netflix hit “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem.” Or lit up the screen as a young woman fighting for love, learning to dance and dealing with an overprotective mother in Jerusalem during the years leading up to the establishment of Israel in 1948.

The first season introduced the Ermoza family, living in Jerusalem at the time under Ottoman control and later, the British Mandate. They’re a Sephardic family steeped in tradition, but the Ermoza men appear to be cursed to marry women they do not love. In the second season, Or showed an even greater acting range in some grueling scenes with Israel Ogalbo, who plays her love interest, David Franco. 

While Luna is a whirlwind of emotions, Or said that underneath that was the desire to do what was right and carve a niche for herself as an independent woman who was a talented dress designer. “I was definitely comfortable with the character,” she said. “But Season 2 was very different as she went through domestic violence and was horribly attacked.” Or took the role very seriously not only because it was a major break but because Lula represented something new. “The character and the show bring an important part of history people might not know and we don’t see enough of Sephardi characters on screen,” Or said. “So, it was extremely meaningful to me to play the part.”

Or said she was rejected by many agencies because she hadn’t specialized in theater in high school or in the Army. She said she never got discouraged. “My attitude was like, ‘if this option is not available, let’s look at the next option,’” Or said. “I don’t hold on to negative energy.” She was helped by what she learned from Doron Ben David — Steve on the hit show “Fauda” and Amir on the jaw- droppingly good show “The Lesson,” available on ChaiFlicks. “Not all actors are good acting teachers,” Or said. “He (Doron) is. He taught me to be brave with my choices.”

“The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem” was created by  screenwriters Shlomo Mashiach, Esther Namdar Tamam and director Oded Davidoff, who helmed every episode. Davidoff said there was a lot of pressure to pick the right actress for the role. “We did a lot of testing with most of the best talent in Israel with four months of auditions. I wanted someone new. I could see she was very talented. She had the strength that she would be able to do a great job with the part.” She needed  memorize a large amount of text, be whimsical, and endure scenes that called for extremely violent situations.  He praised Or for her versatility and her humility.

“I needed someone who could handle the pressure and Swell was amazing,” Davidoff said. “She could to different emotions in the same take. She can do everything. It’s very cool to work with her because she doesn’t act like she is a star or a diva.”

One of the reasons the show was such a success is the chemistry between Or and “Shtisel” star Michael Aloni, who plays her father, Gabriel Ermoza, a man who views her as the apple of his eye, while his wife, Rosa and mother, Merkada (Hila Saada and Irit Kaplan) are often harsh to Luna. 

“I was extremely comfortable working with him because he was kind, patient and allowed me to take chances or make mistakes,” Or said of Aloni. “I think that’s why you see such a strong father-daughter relationship on the show.”

The move from Israel to Los Angeles was made so Or could explore new opportunities. Among many she would love to work with, she cited actress Scarlett Johansson, and directors Wes Anderson and director Greta Gerwig. Israeli actress Gal Gadot has become the major international superstar to represent Israel on the big screen as the star of “Wonder Woman” and its sequel, “Wonder Woman 84.” More than that, Or said, Gadot is “a badass for starting her own production company. That way you can create your own projects without having to wait for someone else.”

Or’s upcoming projects include Kissufim,” which takes place on a kibbutz of the same name. Directed by Keren Nechmar, she  stars opposite Tamar Ginsburg, who played her love interest on ‘The Beauty Queen if Jerusalem.” Or also appears as Laila in the Disney comedy series, “How To Be a Carioca.”

Or is proud to represent Israel and is excited to learn more about L.A. In addition to playing a beauty queen, she says she could play a villain.

Or is proud to represent Israel and is excited to learn more about L.A. In addition to playing a beauty queen, she says she could play a villain. She would not make any bold predictions and is staying grounded amid her new fame, and enjoys singing, playing guitar and cracking jokes.

Or declined to make any specific predictions of what roles she will have but said she is very optimistic about her future.

“We’ll see what happens,” Or said.