Romanian police investigate death threats against prominent Jewish actor

FILE PHOTO: Romanian actress Maia Morgenstern, who portrays Virgin Mary in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ", answers questions during a press conference after the Romanian premiere of the movie in Bucharest April 16, 2004. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian police were investigating on Sunday death threats made against award-winning film and theatre star Maia Morgenstern and her children at the start of Passover celebrations.

Morgenstern, who played the figure of Mary in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and runs the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest, published an email she received in which the author threatens to violently kill Morgenstern and her children, as well as set fire to the Jewish theatre and its staff.