Shadi Mar'i

An Israeli Arab, born in 1994 in Mashhad, Israel, Shadi Mar'I knew that he wanted to be an actor because he never missed his drama classes as a teenager. Although he had no experience, the young Mar'i decided to audition for a role is the film "Bethlehem" (2012), from first time writer/director Yuval Adler. The powerful thriller follows Mar'i as a Palestinian teenager who passes information to the Israeli Secret Service. The film screened to much praise at film festivals in Venice, Telluride and Toronto and was the Israeli submission for Best Foreign Language film at the Academy Awards. After a supporting role in the film "Lost in the White City" (2014), Mar'i landed a series regular role on the series "Fauda" (Yes Oh, 2015-, Showtime, 2016-), an Israeli thriller that follows both sides of the hunt for a Palestinian terrorist.