Yael Grobglas is an Israeli actress, based in Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. She was born in Paris, France, to a French father and an Austrian mother. When she was three, her family made Aliyah and settled in Raanana, Israel, where her talent and passion for performing arts became visible at an early age. As a teenager, Yael studied different styles of dance and performed in a professional dance group. She had a brief modeling career with Elite Modeling agency, but quickly transitioned to pursue acting as her true passion. She was cast for a lead role in the Israeli TV series "Ha'Yi" (the Island), which made her popular among Israel's younger audiences. Having done two consecutive seasons of the show, Yael enrolled in a three-year acting program at the Yoram Loewenstein Performing Arts Studio. During her studies, Yael completed an additional season of Ha'Yi, and was cast for a number of major commercials. Her career evolved with leading roles in the critically acclaimed Israeli horror film "Kalevet" (Rabies-Featured at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival), the sitcom "Ha-Shualim" (the Foxes), Drama mini-series "Yehefim" (Barefoot) and the in the popular show "Tanuchi" (Chill). In Israel, Yael is also known for her theater roles, and a number of appearances in major Israeli television shows. In 2012 she starred in an interactive music video by the US rock band "We the Kings". Yael landed her first Hollywood role as America Singer, the lead in the CW's 2013 pilot "The Selection", which did not get picked up to series. The same year, she appeared in seven episodes on the CW's "Reign" as Olivia D'Amencourt. In 2014, Yael became one of the main stars on the CW's "Jane the Virgin", playing Petra Solano, the show's resourceful and mischievous villain.
