Lior Raz

Lior Raz was born on November 24, 1971, in Jerusalem, Israel, and grew up in Ma’ale Adumim. His parents, Mizrahi Jewish immigrants from Iraq and Algeria, exposed him to both Hebrew and Arabic speaking environments. At 18, Raz joined the Israel Defense Forces, serving as a commando in the elite undercover counter-terrorism unit Sayeret Duvdevan, and continued in the reserves for two decades. This military background uniquely shaped his perspective and future career choices.

After his military service, Raz lived in the United States, working as a bodyguard for Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1993. Upon returning to Israel, he pursued acting, studying at the Nissan Nativ Drama School in Tel Aviv. His early career included roles in various plays and minor appearances in Israeli TV series such as ‘Michaela’ (2004) and ‘Adumot’ (2004). He transitioned to feature films, appearing in ‘Gotta Be Happy’ (2005), and later gained recognition in television dramas like ‘Srugim’ (2008) and ‘Mesudarim’ (2009).

A significant turning point came in 2014 when Raz co-created the political thriller series “Fauda” with journalist Avi Issacharoff. Raz also stars in the series as Doron Kabilio, a commander in an undercover counter-terrorism unit. “Fauda” received widespread critical acclaim, winning six Israeli Academy Awards in 2016, including Best Drama Series, and was recognized by The New York Times as one of the best international shows of 2017. He played Isser Harel in the film “Operation Finale” (2018) and Rovach Alimov in “6 Underground” (2019). His work continued with the Netflix series “Hit & Run” (2021), which he also co-created, and the Showtime spy drama “Ghosts of Beirut” (2023). In 2022, his production company, Faraway Road Productions, was acquired by Candle Media. Upcoming projects include roles in “Gladiator II” (2024), “Soda” (2024), and an unscripted Netflix series “Off Road” (2025).