THE BEAUTY OF THIS SHOW IS THAT THERE ISN’T ONE CLEAR ENEMY
Thrilling new spy series Tehran tackles Iran-israel relations. de Wolfe chats to actors Shaun Toub and Niv Sultan to find out more
TRANSPLANTING realworld politics into fictional drama is never easy, it’s a delicate balancing act that new series Tehran tackles head on.
The series is set in the Iranian capital and depicts the conflict between Iran and Israel.
Filled with intricate nuances and tension-filled dialogue, the script covers ground that few productions have previously addressed.
“We wanted to see if we can bring people together and change perceptions,” says Tehran actor, Shaun Toub, 57.
“At the end of the day, people are people and hopefully we’ve done that.”
Iranian-born Shaun – best known for roles in Iron Man, The Kite Runner and more recently as part of political thriller Homeland – plays Iranian Revolutionary Guard member Faraz Kamali.
Starring with newcomer Niv Sultan as Mossad agent and computer hacker Tamar
Rabinyan, the show delves into the intricacies of the nations’ long-standing tensions.
“We really got to know each other on Tehran, which was a pleasure and it has been a wonderful journey,” says Shaun.
“I think Niv feels the same way... I got involved because it was an interesting script and story that nobody has done before.
“It’s a very balanced show, thankfully... every role is different for me because it really starts with the script. I’m just crazy like that, because usually If a role doesn’t really talk to me, then I’m in trouble.”
Shot between Athens and Israel, the adrenalinefuelled series is a tale of international espionage, as
Niv’s character Tamar attempts to slip undetected into Tehran to disable Iranian radar so Israeli warplanes can take off unhindered.
Her role forms part of a wider mission to stop a nuclear reactor and ultimately prevent Iran from obtaining an atomic bomb.
The twisting plotline sees Tamar question her allegiances, faced with the realities of whether she can trust her Mossad handler in Tehran and her bosses in Tel Aviv.
And like many Iranians born after the 1979 revolution, despite being born in Tehran, Tamar emigrated to Israel as a young child, adding an additional level of nostalgia to this fast-paced storyline.
“First of all, it’s a very important and interesting subject,” says Israeli-born Niv, 28.
“The beauty of this show is that there isn’t one clear enemy. We’re showing both sides without favouring either and we focussed on showing the magical Tehran and the magical Iran.”
Directed by Daniel Syrkin who is also as co-writer, the action-packed series is the brainchild of political
thriller Fauda creator Moshe Zonder, alongside Dana Eden and Maor Kohn.
“The heart of this show is the passion of the young people, the generation that wants Iran to be more,” says Daniel, 49.
“Tamar is brought into a hidden world in Iran where the young people want a normal life: listen to music, dance, love who they want – things they’re deprived of now.”
The biggest challenge facing Niv for the role was learning Fasi, the Persian language, in a matter of weeks.
“I focussed on getting into the Iranian culture and really immersing myself in it because I like the fact she’s a very young Mossad agent and gets into this without knowing a lot,” says Niv of her character.
“I really focussed on learning the language and some physical skills.
“For me, as an actress, Tamar is the type of girl that I dreamed of. She’s such a complex character, she carries so many colours and layers in her, it was a huge gift.”
Shaun also enjoyed the complexity of his role as Faraz: “I don’t like onedimensional characters. Multi-dimensional characters are really fun to watch for the audience as well. It’s been wonderful.”
Tehran is available to stream now on Apple TV+