Amir Arison
Amir Arison (born March 24, 1978) is an American actor, best known for his work as FBI tech expert Aram Mojtabai on NBC’s The Blacklist for nine seasons.[1][2]
Amir Arison | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 24, 1978 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Early life and education
Arison was born to Israeli parents in Saint Louis, MO. Father Ron Arison, a surgeon, and mother Zipora Arison (born Kittman), a psychiatrist. He has one older sister.
Amir grew up in Fort Lauderdale from the age of 5, where he attended Pine Crest School from kindergarten through his senior year in high school. With an early penchant for theatre, Arison received the school's Drama Club Award in the 6th grade, as well as the Founder’s Council Fine Arts Award in Acting his Senior year. Amir performed with the Fort Lauderdale-based professional improv group ComedySportz throughout his junior and senior years.
He received his SAG card, debuting in a Sonic Drive-In commercial when he was 16.[3]
He attended Columbia University, where he earned a BA in English.[4]
Television
In addition to his role as Aram Mojtabai on NBC’s The Blacklist, Arison’s television credits include recurring & guest starring roles on the Hulu Limited Miniseries The Dropout, American Horror Story, Hulu's Ramy, Law & Order: SVU, Showtime's Billions, and Bull on CBS, NCIS, Homeland, Girls, Blue, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Warner Brothers' H+.
Theatre
Arison has performed all over the world on stage. In 2022, Amir starred as the lead role ‘Amir’ in The Kite Runner on Broadway, for which he won 2023 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Performance in a Broadway Debut.
Charles Isherwood wrote of his performance:[5]
Filmography
Arison’s film highlights include: 20 Weeks, Jane Wants a Boyfriend, Big Words, Tom McCarthy’s The Visitor, Amy Heckerling's Vamps, Nia Vardalos' I Hate Valentine's Day, and Merry Friggin' Christmas.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Guiding Light | Armande | Episode: "2 December 2003" |
| 2003 | The Jury | Tariq Ahmed | Episode: "Lamentation on the Reservation" |
| 2004 | Law & Order | Adil Salim | Episode: "Paradigm" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Lt. Sanjay | Episode: "Collective" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Ghupta | Episode: "Parts" |
| 2006 | Hope & Faith | Phil Hobart | Episode: "The Big Shanowski" |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Tarek 'Rick' Agiza | Episode: "Depths" |
| 2008 | As the World Turns | FBI Agent | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | Fringe | Dr. Bruce Miller | Episode: "Safe" |
| 2009 | NCIS | Prince Sayif Ibn Alwaan | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" |
| 2009–2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Manning | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Undercovers | Israeli Officer | Episode: "The Key to It All" |
| 2010 | In Security | — | TBS TV pilot |
| 2011 | State of Georgia | Trent Pierce | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Homeland | Prince Farid Bin Abbud | Episodes: "Grace", "Clean Skin" |
| 2011 | American Horror Story: Murder House | Joe Escandarian | Episode: "Open House" |
| 2012 | Gossip Girl | Officer Weiner | Episode: "Father and the Bride" |
| 2012 | True Justice | Abdul Hassan | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | The Mentalist | Ryan Kasmir | Episode: "If It Bleeds, It Leads" |
| 2012–2013 | Dallas | Varun Rasmussen | 2 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | H+ | Dr. Gurveer | 11 episodes |
| 2013 | Marvin Marvin | Mr. Buttsniffer | Episode: "Burger on a Bun" |
| 2013 | Pair of Kings | King Kunu | Episode: "Long Live the Kings Part II" |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | David Ahmed | Episode: "Under the Influence" |
| 2013 | Zero Hour | Theo Riley | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | See Dad Run | Pete | Episode: "See Dad Runl Halloween" |
| 2013 | Once Upon a Time in Wonderland | The Sultan | Episode: "Bad Blood" |
| 2013–2023 | The Blacklist | Aram Mojtabai | 193 episodes |
| 2014 | Girls | Kevin Mimma | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Billions | Farhad | Episode: "Chucky Rhoades's Greatest Game" |
| 2019 | Ramy | Abdul Malek | 1 Episode: "Saving Mikaela" |
| 2019 | Bull | ADA Roy Wilson | Episode: "Labor Days" |
| 2022 | The Dropout | Avie Tevanian | Episode: "Green Juice" |
| 2024 | Sinking Spring | Mark Nader | Upcoming miniseries |
References
- Zornosa, Laura (2022-07-01). "A Chameleon Flies From 'The Blacklist' to 'The Kite Runner'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (2022-05-28). "'The Blacklist': Amir Arison Leaving After 9 Seasons, Laura Sohn Also Departs NBC Series In Season 9 Finale". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- "Playbill".
- "30 Movie and TV Stars who Graduated from Columbia". Columbia Magazine. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- Isherwood, Charles (22 July 2022). "Opinion | 'The Kite Runner' Review: A Story of Betrayal and Redemption". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-14.