Odeya Rush

Odeya Rush
Rush at San Diego Comic-Con 2014's panel for The Giver
Born	(1997-05-12) May 12, 1997 Haifa, Israel
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Ethnicity	Jewish
Citizenship	Israeli
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2010–present

Odeya Rush (Hebrew: אודיה רש‎; born Odeya Rushinek; May 12, 1997) is an Israeli^[1] actress and model. She is known for her lead roles in The Giver (2014) and Goosebumps (2015).

Early life

Rush was born in Haifa, Israel to father Shlomo Rushinek and mother Maia Greenfeld. Her name, "Odeya", means "Thank God" in Hebrew.^[2] As an 8-year-old in Haifa, Israel, she’d write and perform plays.^[3]

Her family moved to the United States when she was nine so that her father could take a job as a security consultant in Alabama.^[4][5] Rush is Jewish,^[2] and attended N.E. Miles Jewish Day School in Birmingham, Alabama, where she lived.^[2][6] She later moved to Midland Park, New Jersey, where she attended public school.

When she arrived in the US, Rush could only speak Hebrew and was unable to speak English.^[7] In the beginning of 2013, Rush moved to Los Angeles, California with her family.^[8] Rush has six brothers. Four of them are younger than she - two sets of twins who live with their parents in Los Angeles, and 2 older brothers who live in Israel. She is the only girl among her siblings.^[4][9]

Career

Modelling

Before becoming an actor, Rush began her career in her child and adolescence when she was discovered as a model in the United States, appearing in major campaigns and advertisements for fashion brands Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger and Guess.^[10]

Acting

Rush in 2011

Her first acting roles began in 2010 in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in the episode "Branded", in which she played the character Hannah Milner; and in the television series Curb Your Enthusiasm in the episode "Mister Softee", as Emily.^[11]

Her first film role was in 2012, playing Joni Jerome, the best friend of Timothy, in the Peter Hedges-directed Disney film The Odd Life of Timothy Green.^[12]

In May 2012, it was confirmed that Rush will be cast as Mary in Mary, Mother of the Christ,^[13] from executive producer Joel Osteen.^[14]

In 2013, Rush was named one of Hollywood's 20 up and coming young actresses under 20 to watch by The Midwest TV Guys.^[15]

Rush co-starred, as Fiona, in the science fiction film The Giver (2014), based on the 1993 novel of same name from Lois Lowry, and directed by Phillip Noyce. The film also starred Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgård and Taylor Swift.

In 2015, Rush played Ashley Burwood, niece of Johana Burwood (played by Sarah Hyland), in the comedy film See You in Valhalla. Rush's next role was the female lead in the film Goosebumps, based on the R. L. Stine’s popular book series. Rush played Hannah Stine, the daughter of R. L. Stine (portrayed by Jack Black), who teams up with her neighbor to fight monsters.^[16]

Rush has been cast as Ella Hatto, opposite Sam Worthington, in the action thriller film Hunter's Prayer directed by Jonathan Mostow.

Filmography

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Odeya Rush.

• Odeya Rush at the Internet Movie Database
• Odeya Rush on Twitter
• Odeya Rush on Facebook
• Odeya Rush at CHS