Lior Raz

Lior Raz was born in 1971 in Ma'ale Adumim

Lior Raz was born on 24 November 1971 and grew up in Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem. His mother came from Algeria and worked as a teacher, and his father came from Iraq and served in Shayetet 13. He learned Arabic from his father and grandmother.

In 1990 his girlfriend Iris Azulai was murdered in a stabbing attack in Jerusalem. After the army he went to the United States in 1993 and worked as a bodyguard for Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife.

Back in Israel he studied at the Nissan Nativ acting studio. He acted in plays such as Don Juan at Gesher Theater and Macbeth, and took small roles in series such as Srugim and The Gordin Cell.

In 2014 he created Fauda with journalist Avi Issacharoff and played its lead, the commander of an undercover unit. He later co-created Hit & Run for Netflix in 2021 and Ghosts of Beirut in 2023. He also appeared in films such as Operation Finale as Isser Harel and Gladiator II.

He is married to actress Meital Berdah, and they have 4 children. They live in Ramat Hasharon.