Love, Life and Monogamy

Meital Dohan on Love, Life and Monogamy  by: Monica Rozenfeld | Wednesday Apr 6 2011

Israeli Oscar-nominated actress, Meital Dohan, recently hit U.S. radar with her roles on the “The Sopranos,” “Weeds” and her latest film, “Monogamy,” where she plays a voyeuristic woman who captures the interest of a soon to be married photographer. At the age of 32, Dohan gets close and personal on camera, and off. She shares with NY Blueprint her take on some of life’s more intimate matters.

In your latest film, “Monogamy,” you are a lead actress, a seductress, yet you have no lines! How was it to play in such a role? That was the challenge – to have your audience care about you and be intrigued by you, without saying anything. How to make this role, which is a provocative, sexual role, more a mystery, telling a story that people will leave the theaters and still being thinking, and talking, about. Why the character did what she did? What were her motives? Was she happy with her own life? How did you prepare for such a role? [Laughs] I have a great acting coach. Together we looked for different creations from the past, inspiring performances. The main thing is to really understand what the need of the character is and why she is doing everything that she is doing. You are often casted as the “sexy” woman in your films and TV roles. Do you seek out these roles or would you say these roles seek you out? In Israel, in my career, I’ve done many different roles and many times I was associated with being the sexy woman, but not only. I’m trying not to make that the focus of my work. I’m always trying to create depth. We all know that beauty doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t have a back up, or a depth underneath. I read that you have acted since you were 13 years old. How did you know at such a young age that acting is what you wanted to do? I started studying acting because I loved it. I did not want to do it at all [as a career]. I had no desire to be an actress. I just started acting because it was an outlet. I was a shy kid. Only later on, after I didn’t act for a little while, is when I realized, OK, I really love it, I want to be an actress. Would you say that you are still shy? Or has acting changed you? When I decided to approach acting, that whole inhibited, shy part of me just went into transformation. I see the roles of artists and actors more to be messengers of a bigger message that the universe is trying to bring across. At one point, when I decided to devote myself to that role, I stopped focusing on if I’m shy or not shy. I was more getting into the role and what I feel I have to say. You’ve moved over to the U.S. with your role in Showtime’s Weeds, as Yael Hoffman, the “sexy” rabbinical student. What would you say is the biggest difference in being an Israeli versus American actress? It’s very different. The entertainment industry in Israel is much smaller. The population of just New York and New Jersey is larger. Hollywood is the center of entertainment worldwide. In America, it’s a larger market, and it’s a larger audience. It’s always about moving ahead, always living in the future. Do you feel that you are now a part of Hollywood? I feel like Hollywood is part of me. You had a role in the Israeli version of “Ugly Betty,” Ugliest Esti. How would you say Israeli’s define beauty? Is it the same as in America? I do think that Israeli culture is following after American culture like the rest of the world. I think American culture, in my opinion, is over-trying to be perfect. In Israel and Europe, sexuality is a little more expressed, and a little bit less criticized. I think American mentality has a lot of duality in sexuality. A lot of the culture is very provocative, but still there is a prudent mentality. Aside from acting, you also write plays and poetry, including your published erotic poetry book, “Love and Other Bad Habits.” What is it about writing that you enjoy? Writing for me is an outlet. I experienced a lot of emotions while I was in Israel. I was engaged for two years. I started writing the book and finished it after we got separated. It was a big love story. And it raised all these questions for me about being so much in love. You give everything away and put yourself in a place where you give absolutely everything that you have. I remember talking to a girlfriend of mine and we were talking about the woman’s place in society, and how confused they are. And from a very personal perspective from the book, I was trying to talk about all of that. Who are women today? What are their roles? Tying back to your upcoming film, how do you feel about the concept of monogamy in real life? Do you think your movie will change people’s minds on how they view monogamy? The world is moving forward and we have so many breakthroughs in so many different areas –medicine, science, technology. But one thing that is going backwards is relationships and the motivation to have commitment. People are just carried away about who they are and what they’re worth. People are really confused. Why be in a relationship at all? This is where people’s heads are. So I think in a way Monogamy, the film, is a very accurate reflection of society this day, although its just one story of many. Would you consider yourself a sex icon? It’s hard to consider yourself as really anything. I consider myself as a human being, as a woman for sure, and anything related to how I come across in my art. I can’t really put titles on myself. Beauty or sex should always come with an extra story behind it, otherwise its not resonating. My job as an artist is to communicate. What advice do you have for women out there who don’t have an outlet to express themselves? They need to connect to their heart and go with what they want rather than wait to see what other people want or expect from them. Never look at how other people see you because the way other people see you will change constantly. And the way other people see you and the way you see yourself won’t match sometimes. Connect with what you want in your heart and go with that. What advice would you give to men when it comes to dating and love? Women really miss being treated like women. Men have to really go for it. People these days are really scared of intimacy. And really scared to trust each other. [Intimacy and trust] are the essence of life. People should go for it. What’s next for you? I have a radio show called “Love Miracle.” I’m working on a record [laughs]. That is a lot of fun. In the long run, I hope to be an actress and artist that would give inspiration to other people, and help other people. That’s my main goal as an artist. That’s what I think art is for. (source: nyblueprint.com) =====================================