Romi Aboulafia
Romi Aboulafia | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, screenwriter, filmmaker |
| Years active | 2000s–present |
| Known for | Acting in The Debt, Joe + Bell, Not in Tel Aviv; filmmaking; modeling for Castro |
Romi Aboulafia () is an Israeli actress, screenwriter, and filmmaker.
Early life
Aboulafia was born in Tel Aviv, Israel into a Sephardic Jewish household. She began her acting career at the age of six, securing a leading role in the acclaimed Israeli drama Shabatot VeHagim. Subsequently, she completed her service in the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.
Acting
In 2010, Aboulafia appeared in John Madden’s film The Debt, sharing the screen with Helen Mirren, Jessica Chastain, and Sam Worthington; the movie was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures in 2011. That same year, she took part in the Israeli LGBTQ cult independent film Joe + Bell, directed by Veronica Kedar. In 2012, she acted in Nony Geffen's Not in Tel Aviv, which received the Jury Award at the Locarno Film Festival, and starred in Endemol Shine’s thriller Allenby, set in a strip club. Her 2014 roles included the television series Very Important Man alongside Yehuda Levi and the German movie Anywhere Else, where she acted with her mother-in-law Hana Laszlo. In 2018, she played the lead role in Endemol Shine’s production Harem opposite Alon Abutbul.
Filmmaking
Following her mandatory military service, Aboulafia relocated to the United Kingdom to pursue film studies, obtaining an MFA from the London Film School. She directed her thesis project titled Eyes in Israel and has balanced her acting career with work as a film editor.
In 2019, together with her husband Ben Giladi and Hagai Levi, she started developing a television series for Endeavour Content.
Modeling
At eighteen years old, Aboulafia became the inaugural spokesmodel for Israeli fashion label Castro, representing the brand for one season before departing to focus on film studies. Notable subsequent spokesmodels for Castro include Gal Gadot and Bar Refaeli.
Personal life
In 2016, Aboulafia married Israeli film and television producer Ben Giladi. The couple has one child and lives in London. She is connected by marriage to Israeli actress and comedian Hana Laszlo as her daughter-in-law, is sister-in-law to actor Mark Ivanir, and niece of television executive Orly Adelson.