The Blacklist star takes us into his characters special episode and that emotional reunion.
Warning: This story contains spoilers for the latest episode ofThe Blacklist, titled “The Bear Mask.”
The Blacklistjumps into Aram Mojtabai’s (Amir Arison) head and things get zany.
Will Hart/NBC
To help with the stress, he seeks out an unconventional treatment of psychedelics.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:The Blacklisthas had several special episodes like this over the seasons.
What was your reaction to learning Aram was getting one?
Will Hart/NBC
I thought that was the Aram backstory episode like everyone’s gotten and was heavy and exciting.
Then the episode prior to that, [Aram] was made head of the task force.
When I got the script, I couldn’t believe it.
Aram takes an experimental medication and we enter his psyche.
That can go a lot of different ways, but there’s a Groundhog Day element to it.
What he goes through brings up everything he feels guilty about and how hard he is on himself.
It could have been bizarre in a way that is just bizarre and yet somehow it felt true.
Was entering Aram’s mind what you imagined it would be?
I literally did not know what was going to come page to page.
The therapist says, “you’re not healed completely, you have to do the work.”
I am a big advocate of mental health and therapy.
He realized he wasn’t about money, but public service.
I always had that in the back of my mind.
The guilt and shame.
What was your reaction to Aram being under the Bear Mask?
What was it like to play a sort of dark version of Aram?
I didn’t expect “the bear mask” to be Aram.
It was an absolutely delicious opportunity as an actor and I had to figure out who he is.
I love having Samar say, “why did you make yourself as a Blacklister?”
It’s Aram’s own negative voice in his head of guilt, shame and unfair self-punishment.
That’s the bigger picture.
Aram is a very kind character, but he has been unkind to himself.
What was it like to reunite with Mozhan Marno on set?
It’s been over three years since Aram and Samar were together, and we got right to it.
[We] have this natural dynamic.
He says I just wanted to be with you, I would have taken care of you.
It was so satisfying to revisit each other and Mozhan and I have a natural rhythm as those characters.
It’s very clear in the episode that Samar still means so much to Aram.
It’s the one after she leaves and Aram punches Mr. Reddington.
From your perspective, what did Aram get out of or learn from this trip into his mind?
Did he get what he was looking for?
By the end of the episode where there was all this suffering, there is a triumph and insight.
Aram is calmer, clearer and recognizes that he doesn’t always trust himself.
He ends up cleaning his apartment after starting the episode with it as a mess.
Your outer environment is often a reflection of your internal, and Aram was a mess.
What that means to me is we’ll see them, but he’s not looking at them.
He’s just handling them.
They don’t have power over him in that moment.
Aram still has to continue to work on himself.
How do you think this experience will impact how he leads the task force moving forward?
The big lesson for Aram is that he has to face the tough calls.
Agnes, Liz, Samar, Greylock.
He was kidnapped two episodes ago and hasn’t processed the PTSD of that.
He sought help and he got help.
He’s really come out the better and that’ll be evident through the reminder of the season.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
The Blacklistairs Fridays at 8pm ET on NBC.
