Eyal Alfandary

You started acting when you were only five years old. Do you remember the moment you first realized acting was something you truly loved?

When I was on stage performing in front of a big audience, I had the excitement and the thrill to perform. And I just knew that this is what I’m meant to be and what fulfills me the most. To make people feel something and excite them with the performance. I always loved getting into a completely different world and to explore a different character and to create art. I also remember that I always wanted to be an actor when I saw on the big screen the actors that always inspired me like Marlon Brando and James Dean and I always watched their documentaries and wanted to know their story.

Growing up in Israel and performing in theatre from such a young age, how did those early experiences shape the actor you are today?

It gave me a lot of confidence and experience and taught me a lot about myself and taught me a lot about discipline and it was always important to me to be ready and to work hard on my craft and to give my 100% when I’m on stage, so I always worked for hours every day before every role to explore the character and the role and to give everything that I have and to understand what I’m doing.

You have trained with acting coaches both in Israel and Los Angeles. What are some of the biggest lessons you learned from working in such different environments?

That you need to know yourself at the deepest level to be able to portray other characters and to let go of any judgement from other people and  yourself.

After years of training and experience, what motivated you to attend The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and how did that experience impact your career?

I always like to learn and I believe that you can always learn more and get better and it was really important to me to go to an acting school and it was always my dream. I always wanted to have as many tools as possible as an actor and to learn from the best.

You have worked on many award winning films throughout your career. Which project challenged you the most as an actor, and why?

The most challenging project for me was the film “The Secret”. I played the role of Itay. It was significantly hard for me because during the film, Itay, is confessing to his sister, Gal, that he was raped and he was hiding this secret for a long time from her and it was really intense for me to play that role because I wanted it to be authentic and realistic as much as possible and I’ve never experienced that so I had to do a lot of personal work and deep emotional work to connect to this character and it was definitely hard but I like being challenged.

Winning 30 awards and receiving 21 nominations is an incredible achievement. How do you stay grounded and focused while continuing to grow as an artist?

I always try to focus on the work and to keep going and to look for the next project and to keep working and I’m really grateful for these achievements but I always try to focus on what else I can do in the future and to find the next project that interests me.

Your work spans films, television, theatre, and even major music videos. What do you enjoy most about moving between these different forms of performance?

For me what drives me the most about a project is the script. I enjoy doing all of these different forms of performances. I feel like each and one of them can be perceived differently, but at the end of the day they’re all trying to tell a story and to bring a message.

You appeared in music videos with artists like Don Toliver and bbno$, reaching audiences of millions. How different is it to tell a story in a music video compared to a film or television project?

In a music video you are a part of the story of the music artist and drawing into his world and performing to his song lyrics and telling his story through your performance,  and in film and television you get the lines of the character to deliver your performance. In both you deliver a story and perform but it’s just different. 

You have upcoming projects such as “The Thespian,” “Yellow #5,” and “Men of Business.” What can audiences look forward to seeing from you in these new productions?

I can’t say too much about the projects before they’re out, but I can just say that I enjoyed working on all of these projects and I got to play a wide range of roles in all of them.

Looking back at your journey from a young theatre actor in Israel to an award winning actor working internationally, what advice would you give to aspiring actors who are just beginning their careers?

To keep believing in yourself and to not listen to any distractions around you who says that it’s too hard or impossible.