“My agent called me on a Wednesday with a major audition for a top ten tv show in USA called Blue Bloods. I already got two auditions on the next day but he said: this is way too important it would change your career if you got it, just make it happen !
So I had less than 24 hours to rehearse and tell the story. But the character was based off on someone that was very personal to me : a white kid who pretended to be black. So as I prepared that night I started going back to all those things that appeared to be the moments : like in 7th grade when kids told me that I was too black to be Jewish and all those different things that happened to me growing up that made me sort of resent my own culture and embrace a different one that wasn’t my own.It wasn’t cool being middle eastern it was much cooler to be black. It was the biggest TV audition that I had in my life so I stayed up till 3 in the morning, memorized the lines, went over and over again.. Then I went to that audition and told the truth. I told it in a way that was more truthful than I’ve ever done at an audition ever.After many calls back after producers, directors, writers, I was awarded the part. And 2 days after that I was on set.
There were many times where I accommodated to what they’re waiting for and it never worked out that way.
The only times it works it’s when you bring yourself and your truth to the audition.
I don’t think that I was overlooked, I think that I was overlooking myself. »

Ari’s definition of HOB: SHARING TRUTHFULLY.
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Thank you to Ari Stachel, a brillant and caring actor who sent his portrait from NYC! Go watch him on Blue Bloods and Jessica Jones he’s amazing.