Alona Tal
{{short description|Israeli actress and singer (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2010}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alona Tal
|native_name = אלונה טל
|native_name_lang = he
| image = 2009 CUN Award Party Alona Tal 011.JPG
| caption = Tal at the Children Uniting Nations Academy Award Viewing Party in 2009
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|10|20}}
| birth_place = Herzliya, Israel
| nationality = Israeli
| known_for =
| occupation = Actress, singer
| years_active = 2003–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Marcos A. Ferraez|2005}}
| children = 2
}}
Alona Tal ({{langx|he|אלונה טל}}, {{IPA|he|aˈlona ˈtal|IPA}}; born {{birth date|1983|10|20}}{{Cite episode |title=Ze Ze O Ze Ze |episode-link=List of HaPijamot episodes#Season 3: 2004 |series=HaPijamot |network=Arutz HaYeladim |airdate=July 28, 2004 |season=3 |number=62 |minutes=10:13 |quote=Trivia: Alona was born October 20 |transcript=Transcript|transcript-url=http://www.kidstv.co.il/vod/%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%92'%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%AA/s03/e062}}.) is an Israeli actress and singer. She is known for her roles in Veronica Mars as cheerleader Meg Manning, in Supernatural as budding monster hunter Jo Harvelle, as Sonya Lebedenko in the final season of Burn Notice, in SEAL Team as grad student Stella Baxter and as Kayla Craig in the Amazon Studios miniseries Cross.
Early life
Alona Tal was born and raised in Herzliya, Israel. Her father Ami Tal is a computer professional of both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish (Turkish-Jewish) descent, whose original surname was originally "Mizrahi"; whereas her mother Ayala (née Sabat) is a lawyer and is of Ashkenazi Jewish (Polish-Jewish) descent.{{cite tweet|number=222604438588768256|user=talalona|title=@michaelharpaz that's awesome!! I just got a scanned copy that my polish mom sent me. ;)|date=10 July 2012}} Both her parents were born in Israel. Her parents divorced when she was 9. She has two sisters as well as two half-sisters from her father's later relationship. She attended the Thelma Yellin High School in Givatayim, Israel, majoring in theatre.{{Cite web|url=https://xnet.ynet.co.il/xo/articles/0,7340,L-3110431,00.html|title=אלונה טל: "אני עדיין לא מבינה למה לא קראו לי ל'וונדר וומן'?"|access-date=2021-07-01|archive-date=2023-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830195050/https://xnet.ynet.co.il/xo/articles/0,7340,L-3110431,00.html|url-status=live}} She is Jewish and has described herself as a "spiritual person".{{Cite web |url=http://www.jvibe.com/node/886 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310032729/http://jvibe.com/node/886 |archive-date=2016-03-10 |url-status=dead }} She served in the military theatre of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Career
Tal started her career after her military service, with a children's musical video tape in which she played an evil witch. Following that, she appeared in a commercial for a laundry detergent, and then appeared in the lead role in the Israeli film Lihiyot Kochav (To Be A Star).
During the filming of the movie Tal was offered two roles in two different Israeli television shows, and she took both. The first was a soap opera named Tzimerim, about the life of a family that runs a hotel; the second one was HaPijamot (The Pyjamas), a sitcom about a struggling band determined to make it in the real world. She took part in the first three seasons and later took part as a guest star which gave her the chance to show her musical talent. Although she was the main character only in the first three seasons, she appeared in the fourth season for several episodes.
Tal also appeared in the music video for "Final Warning", by Skylar Grey.
Tal moved to New York City, where she recorded a song with Wyclef Jean (the song "Party to Damascus" has Tal singing the chorus in Hebrew).{{cn|date=August 2024}}
She landed a role on Veronica Mars, that of Meg Manning, one of Veronica Mars's few friends. She also played the recurring role Jo Harvelle on the second, fifth, and seventh seasons of Supernatural. Tal also guest-starred on the series finale of Monk as Adrian Monk's stepdaughter, Molly Evans. In 2010, she performed the voice of Catherine-B320 (also known as Kat) in the video game Halo: Reach. In 2013, she starred in the mystery series Cult. She played the role of "Sonya" in the seventh and final season of Burn Notice.
In November 2020, Tal was cast as Ivy in the second season of the drama series Truth be Told.{{Cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=November 17, 2020|url=https://deadline.com/2020/11/truth-be-told-merle-dandridge-jason-omara-alona-tal-david-lyons-cast-season-2-apple-series-1234617308/|title='Truth Be Told': Merle Dandridge, Jason O'Mara, Alona Tal, David Lyons, Among 9 Cast For Season 2 Of Apple Series|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=2020-12-04|archive-date=2023-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830195059/https://deadline.com/2020/11/truth-be-told-merle-dandridge-jason-omara-alona-tal-david-lyons-cast-season-2-apple-series-1234617308/|url-status=live}}
Personal life
On March 23, 2005, Tal married American actor Marcos A. Ferraez. Tal announced on October 23, 2016, at a Supernatural panel that she was expecting her first child. She celebrated her pregnancy with a baby shower on January 29, 2017. Guests included fellow Israeli actresses Gal Gadot and Noa Tishby.{{cite news|url=http://people.com/babies/alona-tal-pregnant-baby-shower-photos/|title=Zen Mama! Alona Tal Celebrates Daughter's Upcoming Birth with Celestial-Themed Baby Shower|date=January 31, 2017|work=People|access-date=2017-05-05}} She has two daughters, born in March 2017 and September 2022.{{cite news|url=http://people.com/babies/alona-tal-welcomes-daughter-charlie/|title=Alona Tal Welcomes Daughter Charlie|date=March 7, 2017|work=People|access-date=2017-05-05}}{{Cite web |title=Alona Ferraez on Instagram: "Table for four please . #familyoffour @marcos595 #mycharliegirl #mybaileygirl" |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cid2Oy9pERC/ |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=Instagram |language=en |archive-date=2023-08-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830195132/https://www.instagram.com/p/Cid2Oy9pERC/ |url-status=live }}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2002
|Pim Pam Po In the Magic Castle |Shusha the Witch |original title: Pim Pam Po BeArmon HaKsamim |
| 2003
|To Be a Star |Lilach |original title: Lihiyot Kochav |
| 2007
|Taking 5 |Devon Thompson | |
| 2007
|Ellie Burke |Direct-to-video film |
| 2008
|Gina Hedlund | |
| 2010
|Liz | |
| 2010
|Ashley | |
| 2013
|Katy | |
| 2014
|Rescuing Madison |Madison | |
| 2015
|Night of the Living Dead: Darkest Dawn |Helen Cooper |Voice role |
| 2016
|Chloe | |
| 2022
|Melinda Jaynes | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2003
|Tzimerim |Maya |Israeli TV series{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} |
| 2003–2004, 2006
|Alona Tal |Main role (seasons 1–3) |
| 2004–2006
|Meg Manning |Recurring role (seasons 1–2), 10 episodes |
| 2005
|CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |Tally Jordan |Episode: "Room Service" |
| 2006
|Sally (1988) |Episode: "8 Years" |
| 2006
|Simon's Mystery Friend |Episode: "Highway to Cell" |
| 2006
|Courtney Winters |Episode: "State of the Unions" |
| 2006
|Split Decision |Bex Christensen |Television film |
| 2006–2007, 2009, 2011
|Jo Harvelle |Recurring role (season 2); guest role (seasons 5, 7) |
| 2007
|Frangela |Sara |Television film |
| 2007
|Cane |Rebecca King Vega |Main role |
| 2008
|{{sortname|The|Cleaner|The Cleaner (American TV series)}} |Jackie Kemp |Episode: "Rag Dolls" |
| 2008
|Fiona Raine |Episode: "Firestarter" |
| 2009
|{{sortname|The|Mentalist}} |Natalie |Episode: "Crimson Casanova" |
| 2009
|Julie Nelson |Episode: "Knight and the City" |
| 2009
|Heather |Episode: "California College Conservative Union Caucus" |
| 2009
|Monk |Molly Evans |Episode: "Mr. Monk and the End: Part 2" |
| 2010
|Voice role; episode: "Blessed Is the Match" |
| 2010
|Becky Turley |Episode: "React to Contact" |
| 2010
|Kaye Lynn Gold |Episode: "The Studio Job" |
| 2010
|{{sortname|The|Defenders|The Defenders (2010 TV series)}} |Ashley |Episode: "Nevada v. Carter" |
| 2011
|Simone |Episode: "Careful What U Wish 4" |
| 2011
|Libi Agmon |Main role |
| 2011
|{{sortname|The|Killing|The Killing (U.S. TV series)}} |Aleena Drizocki |Episode: "Beau Soleil" |
| 2011
|Nicki |Episodes: "Baby, Did a Bad Thing", "Lean on Me or Die" |
| 2011
|Lily Thereoux |Television film |
| 2012
|Zora |Pilot television film (released on the Internet only){{citation needed|date=January 2023}} |
| 2013
|Cult |Kelly Collins |
| 2013
|Sonya |Recurring role (season 7), 8 episodes |
| 2016
|Zohar |Main role (season 2) |
| 2014–2017
|Jocelyn Harris |Main role |
| 2017–2024
|Stella |Recurring role |
| 2019
|Julia Schneider |Episode: "What's New, Buenos Aires?" |
| 2020
|Young Linda McCullough |Episode: "The Uncanny" |
| 2020
|Away |Young Miriam |Episode: "A Little Faith" |
| 2021
|Ivy Abbott |
| 2024
|Deborah |
| 2024
|Kayla Craig |8 episodes |
=Video games=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2010
|Kat |Voice role |
| 2019
|Kat |Voice role; guest appearance |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Alona Tal}}
- {{IMDb name|1775214}}
- {{Twitter}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tal, Alona}}
Category:American television actresses
Category:Israeli emigrants to the United States
Category:Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent
Category:Israeli people of Turkish-Jewish descent
Category:21st-century Israeli women singers
Category:Israeli film actresses
Category:Israeli television actresses
Category:Jewish Israeli actresses
Category:Jewish American actresses
Category:Jewish American musicians
Category:Israeli female military personnel
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:Israeli Ashkenazi Jews
Category:Israeli Sephardi Jews