Everyone at the Fauda season four premiere hosted by Yes at Tel Aviv University on Monday night was waiting for Lior Raz and when he showed up, all eyes were on the man who has made an Israeli counterintelligence agent into an international star.
Partygoers turned away from platters of Arab food and cocktails made with arak and made a beeline for the press area.
“Eleven years ago, when we started going around to all the studios and getting told no by everyone, we never thought we would get a first season, let alone a fourth.”
Avi Issacharoff
What happens in Fauda's fourth season?
When asked what he could tell me about the fourth season without having to kill me, Raz laughed— clearly, he’s heard this line before— and said, “This season, it’s even bigger, we go all around the world, and there’s even more action.”
That’s hard to imagine, after the thrilling ride of the first three seasons, but he promised it was true. The fourth season takes place all over the world, including Ramle, Lebanon and Europe.
Avi Issacharoff, Raz’s co-creator on the series, recalled, “Eleven years ago, when we started going around to all the studios and getting told no by everyone, we never thought we would get a first season, let alone a fourth.”
Fauda's stars
Series newcomer Lucy Ayoub said, “I’m thrilled to be part of this and play this part.. . I prepared for the role by learning to speak Arabic with a different accent than the one I grew up with at home and that was fun. I also trained and took boxing lessons.”
Even when former prime minister Ehud Olmert showed up, the press corps couldn’t tear itself away from the stars, who posed and smiled again and again.
Asked whether he had a dream role he’d like to play if he ever finishes portraying Doron Kavillio, he thought for a moment and said, “No,” and then smiled for another picture.