Aram actor Amir Arison explains why he is leaving the show after The Blacklist season 9. The Blacklist follows Raymond "Red" Reddington, a high-profile criminal who voluntarily surrenders to the FBI to help the agency catch the most dangerous criminals in the world. Arison first appeared on the NBC crime thriller as a recurring character during The Blacklist season 1 and was promoted to a series regular for season 2. He portrayed Aram Mojtabai, a cyber expert with the FBI, alongside series star James Spader as Red, Diego Klattenhoff as Donald Ressler, Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper, and Hisham Tawfiq as Dembe Zuma.
Besides his nine seasons as Aram on The Blacklist, Arison's other recent work includes television, film, and directing a docuseries. He appeared as Avie Tevanian in Hulu's critically-acclaimed miniseries The Dropout, and Arison starred in the award-winning indie drama 20 Weeks in 2017. The actor is also currently directing a docuseries about Tatianna Bernard, an 8-year-old cancer survivor, and her short film Tati's Fashion Show. Arison is leaving The Blacklist to prepare for his Broadway debut this summer in the starring role of Amir in The Kite Runner.
In a statement to Deadline, Arison explained his reasons for leaving behind the NBC show. He said that he was leaving the series because performing on Broadway has been his dream since childhood. The Aram actor noted how lucky he felt to have embodied his character throughout The Blacklist seasons 1 through 9 but he could not pass up the opportunity to pursue his lifelong dream. Read Arison's full statement below:
“I have been so honored to play Aram Mojtabai for 9 years on The Blacklist. It is not lost on me how lucky I am to have been able to work and evolve with a role for 9 years with this extraordinary cast, crew, writers and producers. I could not pass up the opportunity, however, to fulfill a childhood dream of being on Broadway playing ‘Amir’ in The Kite Runner with a stage adaptation that is both breathtaking and timely. The producers, studio and network have been so supportive of my decision, and Aram remains ‘alive’ with the potential for a possible return at some point. Story-wise, it feels so organic with the events of this past season to take this step, and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.”
Arison's departure from The Blacklist marks yet another major character recently leaving the show. It comes only a year after Megan Boone left her role as the series' original female lead after The Blacklist season 8, and Laura Sohn's Alina Park, who joined the series in The Blacklist season 7, will also be leaving after her third season. In light of his departure, Arison remained grateful for his time as Aram and seemed pleased by the treatment of his character's exit, calling it "organic with the events of this past season." In The Blacklist season 9 finale last night, Aram announced that he would be leaving the team while reflecting on the team's loss of Elizabeth (Boone).
Still, Arison's exit from The Blacklist does not necessarily mean a permanent goodbye to Aram Mojtabai. The character has the potential to return for future seasons of The Blacklist since Aram left to focus on his well-being. In February, NBC renewed the series for The Blacklist season 10, so perhaps Aram could even reappear as soon as next year. For now, fans can catch Arison's next performance when he makes his Broadway debut in July.
Source: Deadline