Rona-Lee Shimon
Rona-Lee Shimon | |
|---|---|
רונה לי שמעון | |
 Shim'on in 2017 at Los Angeles Fauda panel | |
| Born | 9 January 1981 Ramat Gan, Israel |
| Other name | Rona-Lee |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Fauda |
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Children | 1 |
Rona-Lee Shimon (also Shim'on; Hebrew: רונה לי שמעון; born 9 January 1981), also sometimes credited mononymously as Rona-Lee, is an Israeli actress, dancer and model.[1] She is best known primarily for her leading role as Nurit in Fauda.
Early life
[edit]Rona-Lee Shim'on was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, to an Ashkenazi-Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish family. Her Jewish descent is Polish, Iraqi and Persian.
When she was 3 years old, she started taking ballet lessons. At age 12, she joined the Israeli dance troupe Bat Dor (בת דור). After graduating high school, she attended the Royal Ballet Academy in Amsterdam on a full scholarship. She then returned to Israel to dance professionally.[2] Her sister, Sivan Noam Shim'on, is also an actress, who acted in 2015 Israeli drama film Blush. Her brother, Almog Shim'on, taught her how to shoot a gun for Fauda.
Career
[edit]In 2005, Shim'on was a contestant on the Israeli version of So You Think You Can Dance, called Born to Dance (Hebrew: נולד לרקוד).[3] In 2006, she made her acting debut, appearing as Shiri Gold in Ha'Shir Shelanu (Our Song) (השיר שלנו), a musical Israeli soap opera.[4]
Shim'on has also featured as model for various brands, magazines and commercials.[5][6][7][8]
Shim'on went to theatre school for three years and performed in plays like Cabaret and Chicago, with her latest role as Anita in West Side Story.
Shim'on was a judge on Israel's Rokdim Im Kokhavim (Dancing with the Stars).
She is known primarily for her leading role in Fauda. Her character, Nurit, is the only woman in the Israeli counter-terrorism unit formed almost exclusively of men.[9] To perform that role, Shim'on did all the stunts herself as did the rest of the cast, and her training included how to fire a weapon, Krav Maga, and kickboxing.[10]
In 2020, she appeared as Mika in Messiah.[11] In 2025, she played Mossad agent Eliza in The Terminal List: Dark Wolf.
Personal life
[edit]In July 2025, Shim'on gave birth to a son, Oli.[12]
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Infiltration | |||
| 2011 | Policeman | Hila | ||
| 2012 | Leak | Short film | ||
| 2016 | A Quiet Heart | |||
| 2024 | French | Sari | Short film | [13] |
| Dirty Angels | Rocky |
TV series
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Born to Dance | Contestant | credited as Rona-Lee | [14] |
| 2006–2007 | Ha'Shir Shelanu (Our Song) | Shiri Gold | Main role, credited as Rona-Lee | [15] |
| 2006 | HaPijamot | Young Woman | Episode: "Tzofen Ha-Pijamot" | |
| 2007 | Ha'Nephilim | Virtual Waitress | Episode: "Tag Adom", credited as Rona-Lee | |
| 2012 | Summer Break Diaries | Mika | 2 episodes | |
| 2015–present | Fauda | Nurit | Main cast | |
| 2020 | Messiah | Mika Dahan | Recurring role | |
| 2021 | Alumim | Meital | ||
| 2025 | The Terminal List: Dark Wolf | Eliza Perash |
Theatre
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Death Valley | Valerie | The Studio for Theater Arts | [16][17] |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Ronalee Shimon". ADD. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ Burack, Emily (28 April 2020). "18 Things to Know About Rona-Lee Shimon, AKA Nurit from 'Fauda'". Hey Alma. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ↑ Cashman, Greer Fay (26 February 2006). "Celebrity Grapevine". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ↑ ""I'm not a beach"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 14 August 2006.
- ↑ "Lilac Crystal". Barosh (in Hebrew). Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ↑ {{Cite web|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3370653,00.html|title=Ugly at our expense |website=Ynet|access-date=28 February 2007|lang=he}
- ↑ "How do they do it?". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 30 July 2008.
- ↑ "XL in a new campaign under the slogan: "XL YOURSELF" starring Rona Lee". allmarketing (in Hebrew). Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ Robbins, Roni (4 September 2019). "FIDF Welcomes Soldier-Scholar, Combat Actress". The Atlanta Jewish Times. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
Next up was… actress Rona-Lee Shim'on, who plays the sole female member of an Israeli counter-terrorism unit
- ↑ Ghermezian, Shiryn (24 April 2020). "Cast of 'Fauda' talks Season 3, filming in areas resembling Gaza and coronavirus isolation". Israel Hayom. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
- ↑ Thomas (6 December 2019). "Messiah: Il Est de Retour sur Netflix" [Messiah: He's Back on Netflix]. eklecty-city.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
prévue le 1 janvier 2020 sur Netflix avec Mehdi Dehbi, Michelle Monaghan,… Rona-Lee Shim'on
- ↑ "Rona Lee Shimon: "I don't need a husband to be happy. I'm better off alone"". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ↑ "French". Psfilmfest. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ↑ "Bye bye Rona Lee". Ynet. Retrieved 12 February 2006.
- ↑ "Israel's most eligible bachelors". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 14 February 2006.
- ↑ "The German Season at the Yoram Levinstein Studio". Habama (in Hebrew). Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- ↑ "Death Valley – by Albert Ostermeier – 2011 Edition". Studioact (in Hebrew). Retrieved 30 November 2025.
