Explained: Why did Amir Arison leave The Blacklist?

Amir Arison, one of the longest-serving cast members of NBC's The Blacklist, permanently departed the series a while back. The announcement of his exit after season 9 came as a shock to many long-term fans, who viewed him as one of the most crucial characters in the show. Moreover, his recent return as a guest star in season 10 sparked some questions among fans about his stint on the show.

Sadly, there will be no way back for The Blacklist actor as he has quit the long-term role to try his hands at other important projects, mainly his Broadway debut in the lead role of Amir in The Kite Runner. The actor has also worked on several other projects, but none were as crucial to his career as the James Spader-starrer that has continued to wow audiences with a consistently tense storyline over ten whole seasons.

Laura Sohn, who portrayed FBI agent Alina Park, also departed the series along with Amir Arison.

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Amir Arison explains why he left The Blacklist

While having a regular role in a series of The Blacklist's stature would be considered a career milestone for many actors, being committed to a single role for many years may not look as good on the CV of a blooming actor. This can also often prompt the desire to try other things without being contractually tied down.

For Amir Arison, it seems the latter is the primary reason. He previously explained this in an interview with Deadline, explaining:

"I have been so honored to play Aram Mojtabai for 9 years on The Blacklist. It is not lost on me how lucky I am to have been able to work and evolve with a role for 9 years with this extraordinary cast, crew, writers and producers."

Thanking his team, he went on to explain his interest in The Kite Runner, which has served as an inspiring tale for millions over the years. He continued:

"I could not pass up the opportunity, however, to fulfill a childhood dream of being on Broadway playing ‘Amir’ in The Kite Runner with a stage adaptation that is both breathtaking and timely."

Amir further explained:

"The producers, studio and network have been so supportive of my decision, and Aram remains ‘alive’ with the potential for a possible return at some point. Story-wise, it feels so organic with the events of this past season to take this step, and I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome."

Arison played the role of Aram in The Blacklist. He joined as a guest star in the first season but was promoted to a regular soon after. Audiences loved his work, and he soon became one of the most renowned characters in the show. Executive producer/showrunner John Eisendrath spoke about his exit to Deadline, saying:

"Amir has been a huge part of The Blacklist family,...He’s a great actor and an even better person. We wish him well and hope he can return to reprise the role for some very special episodes next year."

The series has a way of bouncing back after major character exits, and that is what it did in the tenth season. The new season of the show has been going well so far, replacing the missing actor with some new plot developments and characters.

The next episode of The Blacklist will drop on March 5, 2023.