With the likes of Money Heist and Baby throwing international TV shows into the spotlight, we’ve been spoiled for choice this lockdown with an array of shows making their way to Netflix and Apple TV+, and top of our list is espionage thriller Tehran. Having had its global premiere in September on Apple TV+, the show takes us through the thrilling story of a Mossad agent who goes undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran and soon places everyone around here in dire jeopardy.

“I loved the fact that it’s a female lead role,” lead Israeli actress Niv Sultan says. “A Mossad agent who carries this huge responsibility on her shoulder. We don’t usually see woman in lead roles and especially not in this type of genre.”

Known for her role in drama Flawless, the actress is breaking into the mainstream media with her standout role in the show as Tamar. With short-sharp episodes and a gripping storyline, we caught up with the actor talking the success of the show, learning a whole new language for the show and what we can expect next.

Check out the interview below…

Hey Niv! How’s lockdown been? What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself?
Hello, hello! The lockdown has started out as everyone else’s I guess. I’ve spent a lot of time at home, baking… lots of cakes and cookies, reading, and binge-watching. I kind of enjoy it, I have to admit. In the middle of lockdown, Tehran launched on Apple TV and things have definitely changed a bit. I think that it’s a good time to take part in a new show because people are spending more time at home and are eager to discover new shows. These days I’m doing zoom interviews from my living room in Tel-Aviv. It’s weird and exciting at the same time.

Congratulations on Tehran! How did this come about?
Thank you so much. I’m really excited. I love this project and this amazing character. For me this entire experience was super powerful. The series raises such an important and relevant topic; and I got the opportunity to tell this story from the eyes of a brave and powerful woman. From the beginning of the shooting in Athens we felt like we were part of something special and unique. But obviously we couldn’t imagine that it would take off like this. Apple TV is an amazing platform that allows us to reach out to so many people around the world. We are very grateful for this.

When you first read the script what was your initial thoughts on your character?
First of all, I loved the fact that it’s a female lead role. A Mossad agent who carries this huge responsibility on her shoulder. We don’t usually see woman in lead roles and especially not in this type of genre. I am very proud to play Tamar. I fell in love with her from the first moment. The moment I read the script I immediately knew how I wanted her to be, and I just felt I knew her. Moshe Zonder and Omri Shenhar wrote an amazing, complex, powerful (physically and emotionally) character, which made it very easy to connect with her.

How did you prepare yourself for the role? You had to learn Farsi for the role as well, what was it like learning a new language for the show? Did you find it challenging?
I had to learn Farsi for the role. I didn’t have any Persian background and in fact I had never heard the language properly before the shoot. This made learning it very challenging, but interesting. As an actress for me to get to learn a new language, especially for new role is really a gift.

You had huge success for the show in Israel, how did you go about navigating it?
At the beginning, I got some exciting and very touching responses just from here in Israel. And today thanks to Apple TV+ I’m getting messages from people from all over the world. I mean really all over- who ever thought I would connect with people from India, Scotland, Brazil, Mexico, Iran and many more. The fact that this story touches so many different people from different places, different languages, cultures and mentalities makes this whole success much bigger and means a lot to me.

Can we expect a season two for the show, if so what can we expect?
Well, I don’t know anything yet about season two, but I have my fingers crossed!

What’s next for you/ what are you most excited for?
All that has happened with Tehran really opened me to the opportunity of working abroad and taking part in more international productions. I hope to continue do some more challenging and interesting parts; and I am really excited about the opportunity to work with more talented people from all over the world.