Getting To Know: Efrat Dor On What It Means to Be Fearless

Photography by Shai Franco

Efrat Dor has never followed a traditional path. From her breakout role in Israel’s hit series Asfur to standout performances in The Zookeeper’s Wife alongside Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, and her turn in Sneaky Pete, Dor has built a career defined by bold, globally minded choices. There’s a through line in her work, characters that challenge, provoke, and refuse to be easily defined.

With her latest role in YES, the satirical and deeply provocative film from Nadav Lapid, Dor once again steps into complex territory, delivering a performance that is already drawing attention following its Cannes debut. But for Dor, this moment feels less like a breakout and more like a continuation of the kind of work she has always been drawn to.

A former dancer and self-described modern gypsy, she brings a distinct physicality and emotional intelligence to every role, balancing an international career with motherhood and a commitment to storytelling that pushes boundaries. In a beauty and culture landscape increasingly centered on individuality, Dor represents a different kind of presence, one rooted in authenticity, evolution, and the confidence to take risks.

You’ve taken on such a wide range of roles, from Asfur to The Zookeeper’s Wife and Sneaky Pete. Looking back, what first drew you to acting, and what kind of stories did you know you wanted to tell early on?

I feel like I was almost born into it. From as early as I can remember, I would escape into my imagination, inventing entire worlds and stories in my head.

Looking back now, I realize many children are like that, but for me it stayed very alive. That combination of imagination and a need to experience emotions deeply is what drew me to acting. It felt like the most natural way to channel something that was already there.

Your performance in YES is already generating a lot of attention. What was it about this role that challenged you in a new way compared to your previous work?

Yasmin is a role I feel I almost called into my life. It came to me at a very specific moment and offered both an escape and a kind of courage I needed.

The process expanded me on many levels, as an artist, but also as a person and a woman. It was extremely challenging physically, emotionally, and even spiritually, especially given the timing and context of the film.

Working with Nadav Lapid, whose storytelling can be both provocative and deeply layered, how did that collaboration shape your performance and your understanding of the character?

Working with Nadav was very challenging because I had never worked with a director like him. At the same time, I feel incredibly lucky.

He is deeply intelligent but also very intuitive, and what I appreciated most was how much he trusted me to bring my own inner world into the process. We had months to prepare, which made the experience incredibly meaningful.

Beauty and identity are evolving conversations, especially in both film and fashion. How do you define beauty for yourself today, and has your perspective shifted as your career has grown internationally?

My understanding of beauty has shifted over time. It isn’t something fixed or purely aesthetic.

For me, beauty exists in vulnerability, contradiction, and presence. It’s about something being fully itself, even if it’s not traditionally “perfect.”

You’ve described your life and career as constantly in motion. As a mother, an actress, and someone working across cultures, what keeps you grounded, and what continues to inspire you to take on bold, unconventional roles?

What inspires me is the constant search, exploring new ways to express myself and understand the world.

And what grounds me is very simple. I have two children and live a very normal life. I wake up early, make school lunches, clean the house. That reality keeps everything in perspective.

For more, follow along on Instagram @efrat_dor