In recent years, Dar Zuzovsky has acted alongside some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names and worked with first-tier directors, including Martin Scorsese. But when asked which actor she was most excited to meet on set, she gives an unexpected answer: Danny DeVito.
“I met him five years ago while filming ‘The Survivor,’” she says. “The reason I was so excited was that I grew up on ‘Matilda.’ It was the movie that really shaped me. Danny DeVito directed it and also played the heroine’s father. It’s about a little girl who discovers she has magical powers and can move things with her mind.
“I was eight when I first saw it at a summer camp movie night. It affected me so deeply that afterward, I sat in front of a tree and tried with all my might to move it using only my thoughts. I sent all my energy toward it, until I suddenly noticed a few kids watching me and laughing. From that moment on, I became the joke of the camp.”
Did you ever tell DeVito the story?
“Yes. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I do remember how kind he was.”
Zuzovsky, 35, has moved quite a few trees in her career since then. A decade and a half after breaking out in the Israeli series “The Greenhouse,” she has become an acclaimed actress, moving between Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv. Despite the complicated climate facing Israeli actors abroad, she continues to land international roles.
She recently wrapped filming on a new HBO pilot alongside Joshua Jackson, Ray Romano and Rita Wilson. Before that, she appeared in two seasons of "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints", Scorsese’s docudrama series, and in the miniseries “Vanished,” starring Sam Claflin, who became her partner after filming.
At the same time, Zuzovsky has continued to build an impressive career in Israel. After winning best performance at the Canneseries International Series Festival in 2023 for her role in “Corduroy,” she is now arriving at the Jerusalem Film Festival with “Peppa the Great,” a short film in which she not only acts, but also serves as producer and co-creator.
Knocking on doors
Zuzovsky moved to Los Angeles about two years ago to pursue the dream that many Israeli actors share: a Hollywood career. Slowly and gradually, she began finding her way into American productions, including the independent film “Papa,” starring Daryl Hannah and Mischa Barton, and later Barry Levinson’s Holocaust drama “The Survivor,” in which she played the love interest of the main character, portrayed by Ben Foster.
Many Israeli actors fly to Hollywood with the same dream. Why did it work for you?
“What separates those who succeed from those who don’t is the ability to keep waiting for your turn. The question is how long you’re willing to hold on before you give up because you simply don’t have the strength anymore. I spent years in L.A. before I got work. There was a moment when I almost gave up. I kept working in Israel, but after hundreds of Hollywood auditions that ended in rejection, I asked myself: How do I keep going? Maybe I should just go back to Israel?
“In the end, I decided to stay and keep at it. I knew my turn would come eventually. It’s a matter of faith. I’m also someone who doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get what I want, to pound the pavement and knock on doors.”
‘I knew my turn would come eventually. It’s a matter of faith’
(Photo: Yaniv Edri)
Many Israeli actors working abroad say that since October 7, it has become harder to get work in Hollywood.
“Honestly, I feel it less on a personal level,” she says. “The people I meet one-on-one love Israel deeply, and many of them understand that the narrative on social media does not necessarily reflect reality. I keep working, and I’ll say more than that: The first season of ‘The Saints’ was filmed after October 7, and at one point Martin Scorsese seriously considered making my entire episode, which tells the story of Jesus and Mary, in Hebrew.
“In the end, it didn’t happen for technical reasons, but the fact that someone of his stature, who is not Jewish, even raised the idea says a lot to me. In the new pilot, my character was originally written as American, but after I was cast, they decided to name her Maya and have her speak with an Israeli accent.”
Between Harry Potter and God
The main reason for Zuzovsky’s current visit to Israel is filming the Israeli movie “The Buffalo Effect,” directed by Lior Ashkenazi. The film follows a group of combat trauma survivors living together under one roof as they try to cope with the wounds that continue to shape their lives.
“It’s a very dark and difficult film, but almost the entire cast is made up of comedians,” she says. “Mariano Idelman, Dov Navon, Maor Cohen, Rotem Abuhav, Amir Shurush. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I think the best dramatic actors are actually comedians.”
Over the past decade, her personal life has also taken several turns. In 2016, she had a brief relationship with Israeli musician Asaf Avidan, and later revealed that she had also been in a relationship with a woman. “I don’t like defining myself,” she said at the time. “I simply follow my heart.”
Today, she is in a steady relationship with British actor Sam Claflin, sounds more in love than ever and admits she does not rule out marriage and children in the future.
‘I’m 35, and I still don’t feel the pressure’
(Photo: Yaniv Edri)
Does that mean you’ll have to live in London most of the time?
“Listen, I’m in love and I’m very happy with where things stand, but it’s still early,” she says. “Sam and I have been together for 10 months, and we’re still learning each other. Whatever is meant to happen will happen. I trust G-d to lead me toward what’s best for me. And if that means living in London, I’m fine with that. It’s much closer than Los Angeles. I can get to Israel in a day. To me, flying to London feels like driving to Jerusalem.”
The two met a little over a year ago on the set of “Vanished.” Claflin, 40, is a successful actor whose credits include “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “The Hunger Games” and “Me Before You,” as well as series such as “Peaky Blinders” and “Daisy Jones & The Six.”
But once again, Zuzovsky arrived on set without having watched her scene partner’s work. “I knew his name, of course, but that was it,” she says. “When I met him, I said, ‘I haven’t seen anything of yours. What should I watch?’ And he laughed. He really doesn’t see himself as some huge star. He is very down-to-earth. Obviously, after we started dating, I caught up.”
Zuzovsky with her partner, Sam Claflin, who knows already a few words in Hebrew
(Photo: GettyImages IL/Shane Anthony Sinclair)
You said in an interview that Sam was the one who made the first move.
“Unlike me, he was simply more open to love, or to something new. I had just come out of a yearlong relationship with a British man outside the industry, and my heart was still closed. But Sam and I immediately became good friends. We stayed in touch after filming ended, and when I was in New York, he told me he was coming there too to shoot a movie. We met up, spent time together, I introduced him to my friends, and at some point we both realized there was something much deeper than friendship.”
Claflin divorced British actress Laura Haddock in 2019, and the former couple have two children, a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. Zuzovsky says she spends much of her time at his London home, where she makes him Israeli dishes such as shakshuka, challah and Moroccan fish.
What did Claflin know about Israel when you first met?
“Before me, he didn’t personally know any Israelis, but he has many Jewish friends and had always heard good things about the country. He had dreamed of visiting. Because of the tense situation in Israel, he was constantly worried about me and my family. After we became a couple, he visited twice. The first time, we stayed in Tel Aviv because the trip was mainly about introducing him to my family. The second time, we also made it to Jerusalem.”
What surprised him most about Israel?
“The weather. Both times he came in winter, and the first time it rained nonstop. There were actual floods. He was sure he was arriving in a hot, tropical country. He’s supposed to come back in two weeks, so at least this time we’ll finally be able to go to the beach. I’ll give him a proper corrective experience.”
Has he learned Hebrew words from you?
“Yes. Among others, Boker Tov (good morning), Layla Tov (good night) Ani Ohev Otach (I love you) and Yalla Kvar Motek (Come on, honey).”
I’m very drawn to anything metaphysical
(Photo: Yaniv Edri)
Throughout the interview, Zuzovsky repeatedly uses language of faith, referring to God as “the Creator” and saying “God willing.” Before drinking her coffee, she recites a traditional Jewish blessing, "Shehakol Nihyah Bidvaro", thanking God for all things. She says she has always been spiritual, but in recent years that spirituality has deepened into religious faith.
“I love Judaism very much,” she says. “In 2017, I began studying Kabbalah, and I regularly listen to the weekly Torah portion. I fast on Yom Kippur and don’t eat pork or seafood. I’m very drawn to anything metaphysical. That’s why I loved magic so much as a child. In addition to ‘Matilda,’ I’m also a fan of ‘Harry Potter.’
“Of course, the Creator is part of that world too. Maybe it also has to do with my lifestyle. I don’t have one fixed home or one fixed job, and faith gives me an anchor. It is also part of my connection to Israel. For me, there is nothing more grounding than lighting Shabbat candles. In London, I often do it with Sam beside me. I also love hosting Shabbat dinners and inviting people over.”
And having a child together is certainly an option.
“We’ve been together less than a year, but yes, it’s definitely something Sam and I talk about,” she says. “I’m 35, and I still don’t feel the pressure. It still feels like a good age. If I got pregnant today, I don’t know what I would do. It would disrupt my plans. But I do think it will happen soon. Or rather, I would like it to happen. I would like to be a mother, God willing.”
First published: 08:34, 07.07.26