…Don’t run away from success. I think many of us aren’t aware of our fear of success or maybe it’s our feeling of unworthiness. We think that feeling unworthy will prevent us from pursuing what we love, but we pursue it anyways. Then, when success comes, we freak out and somehow sabotage it because we feel unworthy. I was 22 years old when I won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. It was huge. It’s something that’s supposed to elevate your career. But I was so shocked and scared by it that instead of seizing the opportunity, I did the exact opposite. Today, I understand that I can be proud of myself when things go well. I can celebrate success. If something good happens to me, it’s nothing to be ashamed of or to downplay; on the contrary, I should magnify it and enjoy it because I know that it can move me forward and shine a light on me, increasing my chances to continue doing what I love. It can lead me to my next project. In the beginning, I was scared of success and even didn’t enjoy it when good things happened. Today I enjoy it and appreciate it…
I had the pleasure of interviewing Hadas Yaron. Hadas, born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel, is an accomplished actress known for her nuanced performances in both Israeli and international cinema. Yaron, who grew up in the vibrant urban yet community-oriented atmosphere of Tel Aviv during the optimistic 1990s, attributes much of her early interest in acting to the unique character of her hometown. The city’s small-town feel within a larger urban context provided a backdrop full of lively, cultural interactions that sparked her imagination from a young age.
Yaron’s entry into the acting world was serendipitous. Her passion for drama was ignited in elementary school when a drama teacher was brought in to give weekly lessons. This early exposure led to her participation in a school production of “Grease,” which she describes as a pivotal moment of joy and creativity. Her enthusiasm for acting was noticed by her cousin, who was involved in film production and helped her secure an audition for a movie. Although she did not land the initial role she tried out for, this opportunity opened doors for her in the industry. Over time, she began to receive more substantial roles, thanks in part to a casting director who recognized her potential early on.
Yaron’s breakthrough came with the film “Fill the Void,” where she delivered a compelling performance that earned her the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival and at the Israeli Academy Awards. Her career continued to flourish with roles in “Mary Magdalene,” alongside Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix, and in the critically acclaimed film “Felix and Meira.” Her talent for portraying complex characters drew international acclaim, positioning her as a respected figure in the global film community.
In addition to her film career, Yaron has made significant contributions to television. She was featured in the Israeli series “Shtisel,” available on Netflix, where she played Libby Shtisel. The popularity of her character led to the production of a spin-off series focused on Libby’s life before she moved to Israel, which is currently being filmed in Belgium. Yaron’s enthusiasm for the project is evident as she explores her character’s depth in new and challenging ways, underpinning her reputation for engaging deeply with her roles.
Most recently, Yaron appeared in Hulu’s mini-series “We Were the Lucky Ones,” based on the New York Times bestseller by Georgia Hunter. In the series, premiering she plays ‘Mila,’ a key figure in a narrative about a Jewish family’s separation and reunion after WWII. This role continues her trajectory of participating in significant, story-driven projects that highlight historical and emotional depth.
Throughout her career, Hadas Yaron has demonstrated a consistent ability to bring authenticity and emotional resonance to her roles. Her journey from a young girl in Tel Aviv, fascinated by the arts within her community, to an internationally recognized actress, underscores a career built on passion, opportunity, and the relentless pursuit of artistic expression.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series Hadas! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel. Tel Aviv is “the big city” in Israel but it actually feels like a little village. Everyone knows each other, and the feeling when you stroll down the streets is always so relaxed and cheerful. It’s a very unique place and I feel lucky to have grown up there, especially in the 90’s, which I think was a happier, more hopeful decade (at least so I remember it).
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I think that as a child, to get the opportunity to be exposed to and experience different things is such a meaningful part of finding out what you love, and what you enjoy doing and it’s something not everyone gets the chance to have.
In elementary school, at some point, they brought us a drama teacher and we had drama lessons once a week. I loved it so much. It was a way to have fun, be playful, and also let out some steam and get your emotions out there.
At the end of the year we put up Grease as a part of a project combining English lessons and theater and I had such an amazing time doing that. It was just pure fun. My cousin at the time was working on a film set of a small film and he saw how much I enjoyed the school production so he asked me if I wanted to audition for the film. I didn’t get the part, but I got a part in two little scenes and ever since then, the casting director would call me whenever she had a project. A couple years later she cast me in a bigger film and so I kept on going. I do believe I was very lucky — in terms of — being exposed to it, and discovering that I love it at such an early age and also getting opportunities to actually do it. So these were my first steps on this sweet path!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I don’t think there is one specific story. I think that the thing I love most about working in this field is that you meet new people all the time. You go into a project for a few months (and sometimes more) and these people practically become your family for the time you’re working together. You get to travel to new places so I feel like just working in this industry is interesting and keeps you on your toes all the time.
This industry has some crazy people working in it and some amazing kind hearted people working in it. I’ve learned that if you spend so much time working with people, they hopefully will be the best people and meeting kind people might not be as interesting and dramatic as the a**hole stories I have had, but it’s where I want to put my focus on.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
At the moment I’m in Belgium filming a spin-off of Shtisel, an Israeli tv show I did that was on Netflix. On Shtisel, my character shows up in the second season, as she’s coming from Belgium to visit the family. This spin-off is taking us to her life in Belgium before she came to Israel. It’s so fun to take a character you already played and go deeper. The writing and story-telling of it is so beautiful and delicate, simple and poetic at the same time, really unique. The team is lovely and I’m enjoying every second of it.
As a rising star, you’ve likely faced challenges along the way. How do you stay motivated and overcome obstacles in your career?
I just try to keep the faith in life, you know? Things don’t always go the way we want them to and I’ve had many times when I wasn’t where I thought I’d be but at the end of the day, it is what it is and you gotta make the best of it. When I feel discouraged, I remind myself of the good experiences I’ve had and the things I’ve loved and enjoyed. I remind myself how lucky I am for every experience I had and I try to find things that bring me joy because life is precious and can slip away in an instant. So, even if I don’t always succeed, I try to take care of my soul and be good to myself and others while enjoying whatever I can because there’s always something to take pleasure in. I know that as long as I take care of myself and keep going in the direction that makes me happy, things will work out. As long as I have people I love around me, and my health, everything is alright, you know? So I guess that’s probably how I stay motivated. I just know that no matter what, I’m lucky to live, and I believe deep down that things will always work out.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
Diversity is crucial because not everyone gets the same opportunities in life. So many people face barriers because of their socioeconomic background or ethnicity so promoting diversity means giving everyone a fair chance. When you know you stand a chance, you can go out there and give it a try. In life, the first thing in making something happen is fantasizing about it. In order to fantasize and dream about something, you have to first know you can dream about it. You have to know that it’s possible, that it exists, otherwise you wouldn’t dream of it. When we see someone that looks like us on screen, when we see characters who reflect our own backgrounds, when we see something that’s possible for someone like us — we can start dreaming about it for our own lives as well, and start moving in the direction of it. Without seeing it’s possible, people can’t dream of something, and so won’t pursue it.
On the same notion, it allows us to dream of a better world. If we see on screen people of all backgrounds it can allow us to imagine a more inclusive society. Again, everything that exists had to be imagined first. Films and tv can bring to life different realities that maybe don’t exist yet and can help us imagine a reality where people of all backgrounds live together and honor each other. I think in that sense, another huge thing is that many people tend to view anything that doesn’t “look like them” as, at best, something to keep distance from, and at worst, something that threatens them. But people are people. The power of films and TV is that we get to see stories about people and realize we’re all the same. When people see a story they feel connected to and a character they feel close to, and this character is someone from a whole other background, maybe it helps them see that this person is just like them. It can erase the distance and walls people build between each other just because of an illusion of separateness. At least so I hope.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Don’t be afraid to show who you are. This is a life lesson that applies to probably every business/industry. You bring your own qualities, and that’s what makes you valuable — who you are. What I bring to the table is not what someone else brings. It sounds like a cliche, but we’re all one of a kind. In the beginning, you try to think about what is the “right thing,” and in terms of acting, it took me a while to embrace what I, specifically, was bringing, without trying to be something else. I remember sitting with a friend a few years ago, and we realized we both auditioned for the same role recently so we showed each other our audition tapes and I found it amazing how differently we approached the scenes, not because I tried to do something unique or crazy, or she did, but because we just naturally viewed it differently. Seeing it, I was in awe of how unique everyone is without even trying — simply by being. So I really love to remember that all I can do is bring myself, and that’s a lot.
- Don’t run away from success. I think many of us aren’t aware of our fear of success or maybe it’s our feeling of unworthiness. We think that feeling unworthy will prevent us from pursuing what we love, but we pursue it anyways. Then, when success comes, we freak out and somehow sabotage it because we feel unworthy. I was 22 years old when I won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival. It was huge. It’s something that’s supposed to elevate your career. But I was so shocked and scared by it that instead of seizing the opportunity, I did the exact opposite. Today, I understand that I can be proud of myself when things go well. I can celebrate success. If something good happens to me, it’s nothing to be ashamed of or to downplay; on the contrary, I should magnify it and enjoy it because I know that it can move me forward and shine a light on me, increasing my chances to continue doing what I love. It can lead me to my next project. In the beginning, I was scared of success and even didn’t enjoy it when good things happened. Today I enjoy it and appreciate it.
- Take responsibility for your life. You’re the one living it, and you’re the one who will take care of the things you want. Sometimes, there’s something not very proactive about being an actor. We wait for auditions, we wait for offers, and so on. So, even though I wanted to be more proactive, I wasn’t really sure how because I just felt like this profession, by its nature, has something very dependent and not proactive about it. This doesn’t have to be true, by the way. It’s all perception. I think the most important lesson for me was when I realized that if I don’t move, no one will move for me. No one will take care of my life the way I will. For me, it happened when I reached 30. I was at home, at the peak of Covid, the world was frozen, and the future was uncertain. I remember thinking to myself — my 20’s just passed me by. I had many thoughts about my 20s, thinking I’ll do all these things, travel, live and study abroad, and other dreams and then all of a sudden, I was 30 and “it didn’t happen”. It was the first time I understood it’s not that “it didn’t happen” — it’s that I didn’t do it. So, I sat with myself and acknowledged all the amazing things that did happen in my life and thought to myself — if so many beautiful things happened to me without me being super proactive about it — how incredible would my life be if I actually did do something about it? I searched for my own little ways to start moving forward, taking small actions to connect to my inner power and my knowledge that it’s me who creates my life. I think it’s something I’m still learning and getting better at — reminding myself that my life is in my hands. But it’s so empowering and so important. And also, it’s a pretty good thing to find out, isn’t it? That you’re the one with the power over your life. Kind of a good thing, I believe.
- Put money in the stock market! There’s a tendency when it comes to art to agree to be a poor artist, that art is the most important thing. Art is important. Money is important too. If you don’t make a living, it will be very difficult for you to create your art. We’re all finding our own ways to deal with it and we can work in different fields while pursuing acting, which, by the way, also gives you a lot of strength because it’s really fun to find out that you’re good at other things, and not only acting! If we want to keep it simple and I’m ashamed to say it’s “something I wish someone had told me” — because someone did tell me that and I didn’t listen. My amazing brother, when I was waiting tables, told me — just try to put a little bit of money each month, even if it’s $5 a month. It’s worth it and I was like — yes, of course, I’ll do it but then I just didn’t do it. I’ve been educating myself more about finance in the last couple of years, and I’ve discovered the amazing power of compound interest! So, I wish that ten years ago I had just put some money in the stock market each month. So, that’s my not-so-professional advice, but probably a really good one! I guess these days every kid knows that. But that’s definitely a big one. Having money is important as it gives you the time and ability to go for your dreams so you can start small, but the earlier you can, the better. Come to me for more financial tips!
- The 5th thing would probably be to work with good people. It’s a must. The people you work with -you’ll be spending a lot of your time with them. They should be kind. You should have fun together. Choosing the people you work with, it’s not always possible, but when it is- choose wisely. Choose the good ones.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I actually really enjoy working — the more work I get the more I’m happy. I don’t know if I have a good tip for not burning out because I’m not burned out yet. I guess, do other things to keep life fresh? Try to find something new and different in each project you do. Know that this too shall pass? I don’t know, actually, when I burn out and deal with it, I’ll let you know when solutions I found for myself!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I think first of all, having a supportive family — mother, father, and brother — has been huge. When you grow up hearing that you can do whatever you want and that you deserve to be happy, you start to believe it, it changes the way you approach life. My family was always proud of me whether I was pursuing acting, working with kids, teaching, or painting. Whatever I did that I loved and enjoyed, they were happy for me. It’s a big one.
Then it continues with your life partner. My partner believes in me. He always holds up a mirror to my face when I’m not being good to myself, when I don’t take action to take care of my life. He also tells me how wonderful I am, and we all need that voice in our life because not all of us have that inner voice and a lot of us don’t naturally tend to say nice things to ourselves. If you have that voice present in your life outside of you, it helps to make that voice more dominant inside of you as well and then when you go out into the world, you have inside of you a voice that tells you you’re good and helps you keep moving. My partner makes me feel like I’m the most amazing person, and then I can go out into the world even when I’m insecure and try to enjoy life. Also, his dream is that I’ll do lots of roles in tv and film while he will be a stay-at-home dad, and I definitely support this ambition!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Oooh a quote. I don’t know if I have a life lesson quote…. I do love “The Laughing Heart” by Charles Bukowski. That’s definitely a poem that gives us such a deep truth of life.
I can say that I think it’s really important to enjoy life. Have I said it a million times during this interview?….
But truly, I think that when we go with our hearts and what makes us feel good — it takes us only to good places. Moreover, it even creates success and moves you forward.
I used to be afraid that if I focused on my own happiness, it would somehow detract from others’ happiness. But I understand these days that the more I’m happy, the more the people around me are happy. These days, I understand that the happier I am, the happier those around me tend to be as well. I’ve noticed that when I see people pursuing their joy and doing what makes them happy, it gives me strength and inspiration to do the same. So, I remind myself that the same principle applies to me. When I take care of my well-being, someone can be inspired to take care of their own well-being. When I do something that brings me joy — it spreads more light — and it can bring joy to more people.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.
Martin McDonagh. I love all of his films so, so, sooooo much. If I sit with him for breakfast and discover he’s a kind, nice person as well, that would make me really happy!
Oh, and Elizabeth Gilbert. I’m sure she’s such an open-hearted soul, and would love to learn a life lesson or two from that human being! Or just tell her a silly joke and eat avocado toast with her.
There’s more. But I won’t be greedy.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Thanks.
Rising Star Hadas Yaron On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.