"Look how beautiful Tel Aviv is," Israeli actress and Hollywood star Inbar Lavi says as she looks out the window. "I see blue and I see white, I love those colors."
We sat down for an interview just shortly before she was to return to Los Angeles and when I asked her if she was happy to be going home, she that she found it interesting to call L.A. her home.
Well, that's where you live
"Yes, but home is where the heart is, and my heart belongs to Israel. My whole family and my closest friends are here. My roots are planted in Israel, so it is my home and Los Angeles is mostly work."
It has been close to a decade and a half since she became one of the most active and busy Israeli actresses abroad, starting in the late 2000s when she had guest roles on TV shows like "Entourage", "Ghost Whisperer" and "Criminal Minds".
In recent years, Lavi landed roles on more hit shows, such as "Underemployed," "Gang Related," and the revival of "Prison Break". She also appeared on Netflix show "Lucifer" as Eve, the devil's former lover.
Lavi is also set to appear in the fourth season of Israel's hit show "Fauda".
It is the dream of every Israeli actor to achieve such status.
"Is it? I don't know if every Israeli actor would want to play a role in 'Lucifer.' I think some actors would rather do something else. Each actor makes own choices and has own taste and journey."
Are you picky with your roles?
"I'm trying to be as much as I can. Some roles I do for the experience, exposure, or for whatever reason, it might be. But I haven't reached the point where I can only do the things I want."
Did you receive offers for roles that you ruled out because they were less suited for you?
"Sure, a lot. I'm totally at a place where I can choose, but not completely."
Inbar Lavi was born in Ramat Gan and raised in Holon. When she was 17 years old, she moved to New York to fulfill her dream of becoming a Hollywood actress.
While she ultimately did succeed where others have failed, it wasn't easy. In an interview with Go Style, she once said that by the time she made it in Hollywood, she had been through hell.
"The months in New York were cold, with not a lot of food, and in constant financial struggle. I was waitressing and living at a hostel right next to Harlem, but it was the only place I could afford until I couldn't afford that anymore either."
Eventually, Lavi saved enough to move to Los Angeles, where she attended the famous Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, hired herself an agent, and began paving her way to the top.
How do you split your time between Israel and the United States?
"This year already came here three times - When I got married, and when we filmed "Fauda". Now I'm here on vacation and for weddings."
She and her husband Dan Bar Shira just celebrated their first anniversary. While their wedding had a local Mediterranean flavor, it surely had a Hollywood vibe. The bride had no less than four dresses, while the groom was satisfied with just three suits.
Did you have another wedding in Los Angeles?
"We did, but it was mostly for the paperwork. We have a lot of good friends there, so some arranged a wedding in their garden. It was fun."
As we celebrate the High Holy Days, when you are in the U.S., are times like this special for you, or is it just another date on the calendar?
"On the contrary, when I'm abroad, the holidays are much more special and important to me and I try to celebrate them as much as possible, especially Yom Kippur. It's a day I try to concentrate on what's important, take a moment to breathe and do some soul searching."
How do you keep the Israeli mentality or tradition when you live abroad?
"First of all, I'm married to an Israeli man, so at home, we only speak Hebrew and we're both very connected to Israel. I also have an amazing family that embraced me and we celebrate holidays together and Kiddush every Friday night. That is what keeps me sane."
Do explain.
"There was a time when I didn't have it and I felt very lost. There's something, especially, on Fridays, that helps me to restart. No matter what I had been through during the week, whether it was a good week or a bad week, Friday gives me a chance to stop and refresh, absorb the insights and let go of whatever doesn't serve me anymore, it means a lot to me."
Do you have any Israeli friends in the U.S. that you hang out with?
"Sure, a lot. Mostly Israelis. It feels comfortable and natural to me when I'm hanging with Israelis. With Americans, I always feel like I'm playing a role, acting."
Right now, your career is a priority?
"No, right now happiness is a priority, unlike in the past. For many years, my career was sitting in the driver's seat and leading me, no matter the cost and sacrifices I had to make. Whether I was healthy, happy, or felt good - it wouldn't matter. The main thing was to reach the goal."
In hindsight, was it worth it?
"Now, I'm really trying to do what is good for me and the people around me that I love. I try to live my life more than to live my dream. I really love what I do, don't get me wrong, I enjoy it very much, so I don't feel like I have sacrificed or missed too much. But now it is very important for me to be healthy mentally, and I think for a long time It wasn't a priority."
Is that something that harmed you?
"Yes, it's a very demanding profession. It makes you pay a certain price."
A price you feel you paid?
"You get a lot of rejections, 'you are not good enough', 'strong enough', and those words sink in. The schedule is also demanding, you work endlessly, you wake up every day in a foreign country until you don't even remember your name anymore, and in a flash, the years go by and you wonder where did all the time go? It's a good job and all, but what about the soul? Where do you get a second to lift your head above water and breathe? Where can I find time for friends and family? These are things that today are very important to me"
Do you feel like you've been strong against all the things you talked about?
"As much as I could, yes. I'm still trying, it's daily work, I'm telling you these things and I'm telling them to myself, too, I always have to remember that there must be a balance."
Do you feel like, with all your current resume that you can say, "I made it"?
"With my career? Yes. I was able to build a career. But there are a lot more films I want to act in, a lot of TV and theater. What I care about most nowadays, is working with people who challenge me and provide a unique experience I haven't seen yet in myself before. I would like to do something I could be very proud of, something I could leave to my kids and it will be my legacy. But I'm not there yet."