Born in Haifa, Palestine, before the establishment of the Israeli state, Haya Harareet (also spelled Hararit) made her mark by winning one of the first beauty contests in the young nation. Her film debut came in 1955 with Thorold Dickinson's "Hill 24 Doesn't Answer", a landmark Israeli production that was the first feature-length film shot and processed entirely in Israel, and was made for international distribution.
The film was an official selection at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival and Harareet received an award for her role in the film, playing Miriam Mizrahi, a beautiful and dark-eyed Sabra working for the underground. This role showcased her talent and marked the beginning of her successful career in Hollywood.
Best known for her iconic role as Esther in William Wyler's "Ben-Hur" (1959),opposite Charlton Heston, Harareet also appeared in Francesco Maselli's "The Doll That Took the Town" (1957) alongside Virna Lisi, Edgar G. Ulmer's "Journey Beneath the Desert" (1961) with Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Basil Dearden's "The Secret Partner" (1961) with Stewart Granger.
In addition to her acting career, Harareet also cowrote the screenplay for "Our Mother's House" (1967),starring Dirk Bogarde. She was also credited as a presenter for 'Best Special Effects' at the 32nd Annual Academy Awards in 1960.
In her personal life, Harareet was married to the renowned British film director Jack Clayton until his passing in 1995.
