Amir Arison is leaving the NBC series, Laura Sohn is also leaving – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: The blacklist bids farewell to two series regulars, including one of the NBC drama’s longest-serving cast, Amir Arison. The actor, who has portrayed Aram Mojtabi for the past nine seasons, is stepping down as he prepares to make his Broadway debut this summer in the lead role of Amir in The kite runner.

Laura Sohn, who played FBI agent Alina Park for the past three seasons, is also leaving. The exits of both characters were revealed at the end of tonight’s Season 9 finale.

While Arison is leaving as a series regular, the door remains open for him to make appearances in Season 10. His departure comes a year after another big Blacklist cast exit in the season 8 finale when first female lead Megan Boone signed on.

“I was so honored to play Aram Mojtabai for 9 years The blacklist, Arison said in a statement to Deadline. “I don’t lose sight of how lucky I am to have been able to work and evolve with a role for 9 years with this amazing cast, crew, writers and producers. However, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream of being on Broadway playing “Amir” in The kite runner with a stunning and timely stage adaptation. The producers, studio, and network were so supportive of my decision, and Aram remains “alive” with the potential for a possible comeback at some point. Story-wise, it feels so natural with the events of last season to take this step, and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.

SPOILER ALERT: Beyond this point, there are details about the Season 9 finale of The blacklist.

In the finale (more on that later), Aram announced that he was taking some time off and planning to “maybe [catch] a Broadway show” as it takes a step back from an intense story act that culminated in the recent episode ‘The Bear Mask,’ which highlighted the importance of mental health.

Arison joined The blacklist as a recurring in season 1 and was promoted to series regular in season 2. He was one of four season 9 series regulars who had been on the show since season 1, alongside the star James Spader as well as Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix and Hisham Tawfiq. .

“Amir played an important role in The blacklist family,” executive producer/showrunner John Eisendrath said in a statement to Deadline. “He’s a great actor and an even better person. We wish him well and hope he can return to reprise the role in some very special episodes next year.

Sohn joined The blacklist in season 7 as a recurring and was promoted to series regular beginning in season 8. She is leaving the show to pursue other projects.

Tonight’s season 9 finale opens with Harold (Lennix), Dembe (Tawfiq), Red (Spader) and Alina (Sohn) searching for Marvin (Fisher Stevens), who is later discovered on a jet private to take off for Cuba. Marvin is arrested and presents a deal to Cynthia (Deirdre Lovejoy) to replace Red on the task force and have him arrested. Marvin tells Cynthia that he would create a new task force and bring a steady stream of criminals to justice. Red later threatens to kill Marvin, who orchestrated the murder of Elizabeth Keen, but Marvin ends up killing himself, shooting himself in a car after his release.

At the end of the episode, with Marvin now dead, Cooper cleared of charges related to Doug Koster’s death, and the Reddington task force ready to continue, the team gathers at Liz’s grave to mark the third anniversary. of his death. While commemorating Liz at the cemetery, Aram announces to the team that he has decided to take some time off.

“It has been three years since we lost Elizabeth. In some ways it got easier. But in many ways it still hurts,” says Aram. “Here’s my hope of doing this without crying… And this part won’t get any easier.” After careful consideration, I decided to take some time off. I don’t know how long, but I know…far.

He continues: “My plan is not a plan. I found a cool place in Brooklyn. I’ll ride up there and you know how to ride a bike, do New York, eat lots of pizza, people watch, maybe a Broadway show. Anyway, I know we’re here to talk about Elizabeth, but I wanted to tell you.

Alina de Sohn also announces to the team in one of the last scenes that she is pregnant, and after an appointment with the Bureau’s neurologist, tells them that’s probably the cause of the headaches she says. experienced and worsened recently, but until the cause is known of course, she has decided to take sick leave.

In the final scene, we see Chin Han reprising the role of Wujing, one of the very first Blacklisters in Season 1, who escaped from prison, having learned from Marvin that Red is actually an FBI informant responsible for his incarceration. Wujing, now free, instead of returning home, sets out to kill Red – but he won’t do it alone. He has a list provided by Gerard of other Blacklisters he can recruit to take on Reddington – setting the stage for Season 10.

The blacklist is produced by Sony Pictures Television Studios and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Eisendrath, series creator Jon Bokenkamp, ​​John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment, Spader, Lukas Reiter, Laura A. Benson, Daniel Cerone, Sean Hennen, Allison Glock-Cooper and T Cooper serve as executive producers.

Arison directs and narrates The kite runner, based on the NYT bestselling novel, a haunting story of friendship spanning cultures and continents. Set in Afghanistan, it focuses on one man’s journey as he confronts his past and finds redemption. After touring the West End, the play will begin performances on July 6 for a limited time until October 30, with an opening night set for July 21.

On TV, Arison also recently appeared in Hulu’s limited series The stall with Amanda Seyfried. Her other TV credits include recurring and guest appearances on shows such as Law & Order: SVU, American Horror Story, Ramy, Billions, Bull, Fatherland and Girls. On the film side, he recently starred in the independent drama 20 weeks.

Arison is currently directing a docuseries about working with Tatianna Bernard, an 8-year-old cancer survivor, about the making of Tati’s fashion show and its impact on her health and family life. He is a recipient of the MIFF Mendez Award, given to someone in the entertainment industry who uses their platform to give back, and also recently received the SJFF Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sohn also starred in NCIS: New Orleans, God Befriend Me and Instinct.