Lior Ashkenazi

Lior Ashkenazi (ליאור אשכנזי; born 28 December 1968) is an Israeli actor, voice actor, comedian and television presenter. Regarded as one of the best performers of his generation in Israel, he is recognized for his versatile work across independent films, television and the stage. He has received numerous accolades, including three Ophir Awards.

A graduate of Beit Zvi, he began his career on the Israeli stage. He had a breakout role playing Zaza, the son of Georgian Jewish immigrants in Late Marriage (2001). He also starred in Walk on Water (2004), Footnote (2011) and Foxtrot (2017). He is also known to international audiences for his role in Golda (2023). He has appeared on television in Our Boys (2019), Valley of Tears (2020) and most recently in Hulu's We Were the Lucky Ones (2024).

Biography
Lior Ashkenazi was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, and grew up in the Neveh Yehoshua neighborhood. His parents are Sephardic Jews from Turkey who immigrated to Israel in 1964. His father, Shmuel, worked as a printer. His mother, Victoria, was a housewife. His parents spoke Ladino at home, and it was his first language. At the age of 16, in the wake of problems in school, he moved to Kibbutz Regavim.

Ashkenazi served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, and was stationed in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during the First Intifada.

Ashkenazi was first married to Israeli actress Shira Farber, with whom he had his first daughter. After his divorce, he had a relationship with Israeli playwright and screenwriter Sigal Avin. In December 2011, he married Israeli producer Maya Amsellem. They had a daughter in August 2012.

Acting and film career
He studied acting at Beit Zvi. After graduating in 1994, he worked for Habima and Beersheba Theater. Simultaneously, he featured at the Beit Zvi Theater in productions like "Job's Passion," "N.B. Your cat is dead," "Brothers in blood," "The one who gets slapped," "Measure against measure," and "Photos." He starred in many plays at Beit Lessin Theater under the direction of Zipi Pines. He also appeared with the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv, although Beit Lessin remained his home base. His breakout role came in Late Marriage alongside Ronit Elkabetz in 2001.

In 2016 he appeared alongside Richard Gere in the political drama, Norman. Ashkenazi won an Ophir Award for Best Lead Actor for his performance in the 2017 film, Foxtrot, Israel's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards. In November 2018 Ashkenazi appeared in Shakespeare's The Tempest, a joint production between the Old Globe Theatre and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In 2019 Ashkenazi appeared in HBO's show Our Boys, an American-Israeli series. In late 2023, it was announced in Deadline Hollywood that he would play the lead role in Mosolov's Suitcase. Filming completed in the first quarter of 2024.

Ashkenazi is also a Hebrew-language dubber. He dubbed Li Shang in the 1998 Disney film Mulan and the 2005 sequel as well as the title character in Bolt.

Personal life
Askenazi has a daughter from his previous marriage to screenwriter and actress Shira Farber, whom he divorced in 2005. In July 2011, he married film producer and distributor Maya Amsellem, whom he met a year earlier when they both worked on the film "Footnote." They had a daughter together in August 2012.

In several interviews, Askenazi has admitted that he sometimes provides false information about his personal life.