‘The Blacklist’ Loses Two Stars Ahead of Season 10

When The Blacklist comes back for Season 10, the show will be down two of its stars. TVLine reported in late May that two regulars left during the Season 9 finale — Amir Arison, who played Agent Aram Mojtabai, and Laura Sohn, who played Agent Alina Park. Back in February, star James Spader confirmed that The Blacklist would be back for Season 10. 

During the Season 9 finale, Aram told his fellow task force members that he would be leaving the team, saying, “After a lot of careful reflection, I have decided to take some time away.” As for Alina, she told her co-workers that she was pregnant and would subsequently need to take medical leave. Arison was a series regular since the first season. Sohn joined The Blacklist during Season 7 and became a series regular in Season 8. Following the season finale, Arison confirmed his departure to Deadline. 

“I have been so honored to play Aram Mojtabai for 9 years on The Blacklist,” Arison said. “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.” The actor went on to say that he was leaving The Blacklist in order to hold a starring role on Broadway in The Kite Runner. The publication noted that he will lead and narrate The Kite Runner, based on the bestselling novel by Khaled Hosseini. Arison 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. 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.”

Showrunner and executive producer John Eisendrath also released a statement about Arison’s departure. Like the actor, Eisendrath also left the door open for a possible return for Aram. The producer said, “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.”