Hisham Tawfiq – The Blacklist

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) What are the recent projects that you are working on?

A) I wrapped a film called Black Card that screened at a couple festivals in New York and is now making its way around the country. Then, there are a couple of my own projects that I am currently working on. They are a documentary style of my experience being a fire fighter.

Q) How was your character, Dembe, On “The Blacklist” originally described to you?

A) The only description that I got for the audition was a South Sudanese Freedom Fighter. That was all that was told to me. Everything else I had to kind of fill in the blanks.

Q) What have you added to role that wasn’t originally scripted for you?

A) All of the backstory me, as an actor, I had to make up as improv. So, I had to make up my own backstory, my childhood, my parents, etc. I had to make up all of this for my audition and it just so happened that everything that I kind of made up (for me personally) kind of started to come true for the character. I looked at Dembe’s relationship with Red as more of a father/son relationship and then it was revealed he saved me as a kid and sent me me to a good school to get my education. So, it just magically worked out that a lot of things that I saw in my head actually came into fruition as the show evolved.

Q) Talk about the relationship you have with James Spader.

A) I think chemistry is one of those things that naturally happens. I think what helps is being open and trusting each other. I will say that James Spader went out of his way the first day on set to get to know me, personally. There wasn’t really any discussions about my professional life. He wanted to know my personal life, where I grew up and did I play sports. It was just a genuine conversation and from that initial conversation every day we were on set we had these real conversations about books, politics and religion. It was almost like this instant family member connection, which grew out of the conversations we had while working on set. I play his right-hand guy so any time I was on set I was working with him and we’d have intimate discussions. I think that rolled over into our chemistry and relationship on screen. I think it started with us both reaching out to each other as human beings and people just wanting to get to know each other personally.

Q) What do you like most about your character Dembe?

A) What I love is that he really gets to be loyal. Every time we look on the TV it’s about backstabbing, backbiting and not trusting somebody, paranoia and watching your back. Dembe is allowed to be this loyal guy that you can always depend on no matter what. I think, personally, I love that and professionally it really plays well on screen. It’s playing someone whose integrity is in tact and he is someone you can just depend on, which is rare these days. It’s his integrity. I respect and truly love his integrity.

Q) The cast has such great chemistry. How do you continue to maintain that connection?

A) I think it speaks for everybody’s personal makeup. The whole cast is full of really, really great stars. I’ve been on sets where people have been divas, have an attitude or don’t want to speak. For this cast, we want to eat lunch together and hang out together. Someone may not be shooting, but they’ll be on set encouraging someone as they do their thing. It’s truly a team. I look at it as a team and I think a lot of that has to do…I know myself, Amir [Arison], Megan [Boone], a lot of us came into “The Blacklist” not expecting it to be a hit show. So, we came into it doe eyed. Then, we saw this grow in front of us, which was exciting and we all just bonded around that. We love it so we’re going to continue to support each other in that way. It’s really no work at all. It’s something we like to do.

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from filming the show?

A) My most memorable scene was either episode nine or ten, which was the end of a two part series and I’m about to die and I’m outside the box. Red and I say a prayer for me before I die. That’s probably a moment I won’t ever forget. It’s a turning point in my professional career, as far as connecting in that scene. I’ll never forget it.

Q) What is it about “The Blacklist” that you think makes it such a fan favorite program?

A) I think the ensemble cast is a group of actors that is truly invested in each character and this mysteriousness that everyone wants to know more. It’s an international appealing show because every week The Blacklisters we tackle are these international criminals. I also think it is a mixture of it being a network show, but somehow it has taken a little bit from what you are allowed to do on cable as far as telling a story. With cable, you can be a little bit more raw, but with
“The Blacklist,” they have found a way to do that without crossing a boundary. It’s a combination of a movie, mixed with TV and a little bit of a miniseries. I think it satisfies everyone’s interest.

Q) Is there anything else you want us to be sure we share with fans about Dembe?

A) He’s this intriguing person that we are starting to get glimpses of his life and his makeup.

Q) What do you hope fans will eventually learn about Dembe?

A) I would love for fans to see more backstory on his family. I would love to see Dembe maybe going back to his homeland and dealing with how he wrestled with his past. Me, personally, (and I think the fans too) would like to know what Dembe does when he is not at work. It seems like he is always working, but I think there are times when he isn’t and I would really like to see what that looks like.

Q) You are a part of social media. Do you enjoy the instant fan feedback you receive about the show?

A) Absolutely! I think I have said it once, I’m a fan of my fans. I truly appreciate people taking the time to watch it every week, to tweet about it or things like that. I think it is my duty to respond as much as I can and answer as many questions and thank people. I do get a lot of laughs and joy and actually look forward to every day to tweeting, Instagramming, etc. Interacting with the fans is something I enjoy, especially when you are reaching people who care. It’s international, too. It’s Brazil, China, Russia…You have contact with all different people from all walks of life.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I say it every morning and I’ll say it again, I thank them endlessly for the love, support and the tweets. It’s overwhelming the love that I get and it is definitely a boost any time I think I’m not doing the right thing I am reminded I am doing the right thing. No matter how much success you have, you always need the support, love, good vibes and energy. I get that from my fans so I am forever in debt to them. They are really a part of my success so I thank them endlessly.