Maia Emilia Ninel Morgenstern (Romanian pronunciation: [maja morɡənʃtern]) born 1 May 1962, is a Romanian film and stage actress. In the English-speaking world she is best known for the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. In Romania, she has been nationally known since her 1992 role as Nela in Balanța, a film known in the United States as The Oak, set during the waning days of Communist Romania. She received a star on the Romanian Walk of Fame in Bucharest on 1 May 2011.