Background
Eden was born Elana Lani Cooper in Bat Yam, Tel Aviv District, Israel. Her father, Zvi Cooper, was born in Russia and her mother was born in Poland.
Eden was born Elana Lani Cooper in Bat Yam, Tel Aviv District, Israel. Her father, Zvi Cooper, was born in Russia and her mother was born in Poland.
She made her theatrical debut in the play Lysistrata for which she performed over fifty times in various locations of Israel. After having served as a machine gunner and volunteer with the Israeli Army, Eden auditioned for the film The Diary of Anne Frank in London in 1957 and became one of the five finalists for the part until Millie Perkins was cast. When searching for an actress to play the title role in 20th Century Fox"s CinemaScope biblical epic The Story of Ruth (1960), producer Samuel G. Engel remembered her previous screen test for The Diary of Anne Frank and Eden arrived in Hollywood on 18 August 1959 to do more screen tests for the part of Ruth.
Out of the twenty-nine actresses who were tested, Eden was finally chosen and cast as Ruth.
The film crew changed her stage name from "Elana Cooper" to "Elana Eden," because "Cooper did not sound Jewish." Foreign the film she lost ten pounds in three weeks, giving up "bread and butter, sour cream, rich sauces and cakes" for "steak, cottage cheese and fresh fruit." Of her portrayal, Variety wrote: "She gives a performance of dignity, projecting an inner strength through a delicate veneer." Daniel A. Poling, editor of the Christian Herald, thought that Eden"s portrayal of Ruth was "worthy of an Oscar." Her performance was also complimented by columnist Hedda Hopper. After her appearance in The Story of Ruth, Eden appeared in several television series both in the United States and in Israel.
In February 1961, she played Shasme Hasmar in the Adventures in Paradise episode "Who Is Sylvia?". She played another role, a young Czechoslovakian woman named Anna, in The Barbara Stanwyck Show episode "The Hitch-Hiker" (1961).
She also appeared in Trunk to Cairo (1966), co-starring Audie Murphy, George Sanders, and Marianne Koch.
Since her youth, Eden was associated with the stage and therefore became a member of the Habima Theatre Drama School.
