Omer Hazan entered the restaurant with Rock Star nonchalance, wearing a branded visor hat and glittering jewelry. From all sides, glances are immediately magnetized to him, mobile phones are pulled out to secretly record.
"It happens to me a lot," he blushes. "Until the last two years, I always hid. I didn't bring myself all the way."
And what has changed today?
"I want to be the biggest star in the world. Nelson Mandela once said that the fear is not that we will not succeed, but that we will succeed beyond imagination. So I said to myself, why lower expectations? That's what I want and that's my goal."
Be a Hollywood star?
"Yes, I'm aiming there. I want to win an Oscar. When I say this to my friends, I sometimes hear a smirk, but I'm actually happy. They say that if others don't laugh at your dreams, they're probably not big enough. Ali says I'm Seiko because my goals seem unrealistic. But that's okay.
"When I was 16, I auditioned for 'Aladdin' and I wasn't accepted. It was a disappointment that sucks, but it's past me. I have to look to the future and say, 'How do I tell this story with Jimmy Fallon?' I aspire to get to a point where Disney's producers say, 'How did we give it up?'"
Hazan's comeback (23) to the world came after he recently recovered from a difficult and challenging period in his life. A mental and physical collapse that occurred because of too much stress he took on.
"For years I was in a loop of work. I felt that every day of rest was a wasted day. I barely had vacations. I'd finish a shooting day at 7 p.m., drive to the airport to catch a 10 p.m., fly for three or four days, and come back at 4:30 a.m., because I already had a shooting day the next day. There were days when I was crushed, without the strength to get up. I said, 'Oh my God, what am I doing?' and I was working at an abnormal pace."
So-called, you have brought yourself to the edge.
"Yes. And I hurt myself, too. I admit it today. I was haunted, constantly under pressure. The consequences were very severe. Mental overload mainly, and also physical. Since then, I've learned to listen to my mind and body, and to allow myself to enjoy myself, because I deserve it. No one did for me, didn't let me. Not a parent, not a brother, not anything. I did everything on my own, with ten fingers."
Cantor at "The Dream Lady", photo: courtesy of HOT Entertainment and Slutsky Afiki Communications
The collapse came two years ago, when Hazan, after filming three projects simultaneously, suddenly stopped answering phones. At the same time, he was also involved in a well-publicized separation from his partner, dancer Lihi Prude, with whom he had a stable relationship of three years.
"Suddenly I was at a point in my life where I hit a nadir with myself. I had a feeling of emptiness. The world collapsed before my eyes. I didn't believe in my abilities, I belittled myself, I wasn't aware of my strengths. I didn't think I looked the way people saw me look, or that I was as good as people thought I was. I felt that everyone was lying to me, that I was living one big lie. I felt that everything around me was a lie. I realized that the only thing I could do was focus on myself.
"I got to the point where I didn't answer whoever called me, I canceled projects, I crossed boundaries – and at a certain point it was blown out of proportion. People were asking questions, and there was anger. Producers and directors wanted answers. And I didn't want to give, because I myself didn't know what I was going through. I felt like no one really cared about me."
Why did it all suddenly fall apart for you?
"I didn't listen to myself, I gave more power to other people. Today it's over - I try to keep the power with me. I realized that I had to take myself into my own hands, and take care of my mind and body, which I hadn't taken care of in years. I thought I was a hero, and I realized I wasn't. At the end of the day, you may think you're a great sage, but there is a price."
How did you get out of the crisis?
"Thanks to G-d. It took four or five months, and it's still a daily battle, because it's easier to fall into sadness and hardship than to joy and happiness. And I have falls. At least once a week I have a fall. I have a coach and a rabbi who are my anchor. I used them, without any other professional and without medication, all naturally. I took care of myself, I cleansed myself of people who were in my life."
"Don't care how much money and power"
In February 2022, Hazan posted a revealing post updating his hundreds of thousands of social media followers about his mental state: "There were days when I didn't want to do anything, and days when I was in heaven, ups and downs, and I couldn't explain what I was feeling inside," he wrote in the post.
"I'm not a person who manages to hide that it's hard for him, and probably most of you have noticed. After years of not stopping for a moment, I felt that my soul needed quiet, and I chose to disconnect a little from everyone. I know it's important to get through these crises, the sunrise always comes after dark... In the end, only we are responsible for our happiness. And if there's anyone going through something similar, let them know they're not alone."
It was a very brave post at its level of exposure.
"The day I sent it, I sat with my parents and siblings in a restaurant in the Nahalat Binyamin market, and despite the hesitation about whether to upload it or not, I felt I had to publish it, mainly to show others. When I released the post I had this kind of strand that now everyone knows my story. I think it was the hardest moment of my life."
Since you told the world what you've been through, has things improved?
"Now I just want to be happy. I'm tired of, unnecessary drama, arguments and fights. Whatever doesn't do me good, I don't anymore. I don't care how much money and power there is in it, it's no longer relevant. I'm not chasing it. It hurts my personal life, my soul. I feel like getting up in the morning, being happy, working with people I want, smiling and being happy."
The pursuit of social media does not always help happiness.
"Just a week ago I started TikTok. People still think it's fake, but it's not. As far as I'm concerned, networks are a great international force. But the public aspect is also the most difficult, exposure. I can walk out with an upset face, and someone will send a picture of me and everyone will write, 'What happened to Omer Hazan?' There are things I prevented myself from because of exposure, I was afraid of my own shadow. I used to go out with only a hat, but today I let go. I'm not that kid anymore."
"Alon didn't open doors for me"
We meet on the occasion of the release of no less than four of his projects in film and television, but before that he enthusiastically talks about the sea of Costa Rica, where he surfed a year ago on a dream vacation with his childhood friends.
"As a kid I surfed a lot. For the past year I've been focusing on enjoying the things I've always wanted to do and haven't done – surfing, sports, fun. Concentrate on happiness, nature, friends, family. Costa Rica took me back to being 12. I drove there on an ATV, smelly, no underwear, no shirt, in the dust, thrown, chill, in release.
"I flew the day after finishing the pastigal. I felt that God was testing me, because I had projects, very equal proposals, and yet I gave up. When I give up a job, I'm in an internal war, I can beat myself up, but I said, 'I want to enjoy myself now and not postpone anymore.'"
In the past year he has also traveled in Dubai, the United States and Greece, and recently returned from a family vacation in Warsaw. From the pictures he posts on social media, one can get the impression that he lives on the Good Life channel: here he surfs, where he emerges wet from a pool, and in between he smiles on the beach or next to a luxury car in the United States.
"I'm adrenaline-pumped, sick, sick. It's fun, it gives my life back. I did bungee jumping, skiing, parachuting, surfing, everything. Now I dream of flying an ATV with a paraglider."
He lives "All Over the Place," as he defines it, wandering between Los Angeles, Ashdod and Tel Aviv. But no matter where he lays his head, always before going to bed will call Mom, the basis of his life.
"I talk to my mother eight times a day, it seems like the minimum. She's my best friend. The rollercoaster of my life is very incomprehensible to my parents, but they are always there, my anchor. Family is the most important to me. If my grandparents aren't present at any of my premieres, as far as I'm concerned, I didn't win. And they are always present."
"I feel like I have a drive that's a little bigger than me. I feel like it's a calling. I feel that the Almighty lowered enlightenment and said to me: 'Recognize this and don't try to escape.' For as long as I can remember, I've been in acting school, with a lot of pressure and madness, total madness with myself."
His younger brother, 17-year-old Yair Hazan, is now taking his first steps into the entertainment industry. "Yair did a small role in 'Red Sky,' playing Amir Khoury as a child. It reminds me of how I started myself, it has a source of inspiration at home. He learned a lot from me, and now he wants to prove that he is capable in his own right. I really appreciate it. He's like me, I never looked for favors and I didn't want to be taken shortcuts."
Let's not forget your uncle, the coach of the Israeli national football team, Alon Hazan.
"He's amazing. This week I was at his daughter Danielle's wedding. Alon is one of the kindest, most humble and genuine people there is, and I think the team won a lot when they got him. He is an asset. By the way, he was the coach of the young team for many years, and he built the roots with which Ofir Haim did his amazing things."
Did Alon ever open a door for you?
"No, I don't even ask him for tickets to the national team – I buy and go."
Uncle Alon Hazan, coach of the Israel national football team. "He's an amazing person, an asset," Photo: Alan Shaver
Hazan was born and raised in Ashdod. Already as a child he studied theater, acting, voice development and English. At the age of 5 he used to climb stages during family vacations in hotels in Eilat, and by the age of 11 he had already picked up his first role in the cult series "Asfur", as young Moti. Later he appeared in a variety of films ("Laps", "Where did Nimani go?") and youth series ("My Sister Jumped Class", "Eilat", "Forever", "Betzefer", "Ziggy", "Palmach") that branded him as a hot teen star and also led to guidance ("The Last Floor"). In the army he served in the IDF theater.
Over the years, he has won awards and decorations from youth and entertainment sites, starred in festivals, musicals ("Like Greats") and Hanukkah shows, and led campaigns for well-known brands (Samsung, Factory 54, Adidas, Fiat).
"For as long as I can remember, I've been into acting, with a lot of pressure and madness, total madness with myself. I feel like I have a drive that is a little bigger than me. I feel purpose. I feel that the Almighty lowered enlightenment and said to me: Recognize this, don't try to escape."
What exactly is the mission?
"I feel like I give a lot of motivation to other people, that I give hope and light through my game and my personality. That's why I want to be international as well, because I know I can give more."
International Apropos - Who is your inspiration model?
"Leonardo DiCaprio. We met about a year ago at a mutual friend's event in Israel. We had a long conversation, during which he asked me what his movie was that I liked best. I said, 'Shutter Island,' and then he looked at me and said, 'Good choice.' I felt that he had heard something different from me than what he was usually told, and I was happy."
He began realizing his Hollywood dream a year ago, when he filmed ("after many auditions") the American action film "The Engineer", directed by Danny A. Abexer. In the film, which tells the story of the hunt for terrorist Yahya Ayash, who carried out severe suicide bombings against Israelis in the 90s, Hazan appears alongside Emilio Hirsch, Tzachi Halevi, Oshri Cohen and Angel Bonani. As part of the filming, the alleys of south Tel Aviv turned into Gaza.
"When I heard I'd been hired, my first phone call was to my mom: 'I did it.' I play a messy character, uncharacteristic of my typecast. It seemed to me as if I had grown there physically, with more mass, had become more muscular, with a long beard. It's an action movie with guns and pistols, so I went to shooting classes, learned to work on my physicality. How to hold a gun, load, pull out and shoot."
In the Hollywood film "The Engineer", photo: Tal Hamdi
At the moment, Hazan is also participating in the series "The Dream Owner" (Sun-Tue, 19:35, HOT Entertainment, VOD HOT and Next TV), which he reached after playing in the acclaimed "Shababniks". "Acting in dramatic series is not easy," he explains. "You shoot 60 scenes a day, one moment you love, one moment you hate, one moment crying, another moment laughing – all on the same day."
At the same time, he stars in the lead role in the film "Don't Wait for Me," by Danny Reisfeld and Roy Gluska, which was released this month in Israel. In the film, which is based on a true story, Hazan plays a good son who fell into a crime and was sentenced to life imprisonment for a serious crime. The female side next to him is Taylor Malakhov ("Gorgeous girl, I really enjoyed working with her").
For the demanding job, he decided to go far, very far. "I lost 12 kilograms in two months, I emphasized regular meals and not big ones. Is it healthy to lose weight like this? Of course not, but it paid off. It got me to my limit, and that's what I needed. For the sake of the character, I had to feel bad, look in the mirror and say, 'I look horrible.' In the shower I saw my shocking shave and all my bones and ribs and I said: 'What is this?' In the hardest scene they beat me with a whip, a very tough scene. Half an hour later, I couldn't breathe normally. I asked myself what I had done, but I felt proud."
For a worthy role, would you also consider nude scenes?
"If it's something that genuinely justifies it, I will. I saw Ofer Hayun in a scene on the tank, taking off all his clothes and screaming. I would do it, because there's a reason for it. He did an amazing job there."
In "Don't Wait for Me", Photo: Nettie Levy
A new season of the series "Ziggy" is currently premiering (on TeenNick for HOT viewers), and later this year the next series with his participation - "In Fire and Water" by Hanan Savion and Guy Amir - will premiere on Netflix. "My character there, who I'm not allowed to say anything about, comes along and makes a big mess of these two wonderful guys. It was the project I enjoyed the most. It's not often that I come to the set and enjoy the fun."
"Trying to keep the commandments"
Doesn't the social situation in the country bother you?
"I believe that our strength is only together. For thousands of years, since Biblical times, our strength has always been in our love for each other. I'm not afraid that it will go away, because there will always be some kind of crisis – and then we will all unite. I wish we always love each other. There are so many around anyway who don't like us."
Over the years, Hazan's relationships have been extensively covered, with his name associated with Naya Federman, Kim Or Azoulay and other celebrities. "When I was single, they would invent a relationship for me with a lot of stars, and it didn't really happen. Most of what they wrote was a complete lie."
He is now in a relationship for several months with Gil Shitrit, owner of a flower design studio in Ramat Gan, whom he met through mutual friends. Admits he is in love. He is not in touch with the famous exes ("I don't follow them on the networks"), nor with his last ex, Lihi Prud, who is currently dating Dor Refaeli (Bar's brother).
Travels the world. "I'm adrenaline pumped, sick," photo: from Instagram
His schedule includes a 6:30 a.m. workout, meditation, a walk in the beach or a game of tennis. In addition, he frequently reads books on spirituality, including "The Way to a Life of Meaning" by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, as well as "Complete Meditation," "The Power of the Subconscious Mind," and "I Won and Will Win."
A lot of Judaism.
"My path, as far as Judaism is concerned, is very, very believing. I would even say blind faith. I try to keep the commandments, fast in Kippur and go to synagogue when I can. On Saturday I will never work. At Festigal I came up only after Shabbat ended, that was my condition. I believe that Shabbat is the source of blessing. Even if an offer comes to me to act in a huge movie, with work on Shabbat, I'll say, 'Thank you very much, call someone else.' It has already happened to me that I received flights for campaigns, projects abroad, advertising that there are no such things, very large sums - and I did not agree to work on Shabbat.
"I feel that God is giving me a lot of tests, testing how strong I am, and these are very difficult tests. In my profession nothing is certain. You can do 20 campaigns and 20 series in six months – and then suddenly nothing, six months quiet. I can spend months in a state of uncertainty.
"The campaigns are not flourishing at the moment, there are no roles, because everything has been postponed, there is no money for anyone. It was like that during Corona, and even now there is a period of cloud of uncertainty throughout the television industry. It's because of streaming."
"On Saturday I will never work. At Festigal this was my condition. I believe that Shabbat is the source of blessing. Even if an offer comes to me to play in a huge movie, with work on Shabbat, I'll say, 'Call someone else.' It has already happened that I received projects abroad, very large sums of money, and I refused."
Are you superstitious?
"I don't talk about auditions and I don't talk about money. When people ask me how much something cost, I don't answer. I won't say if I bought a house. It's all the evil eye."
What object would you find difficult to live without?
"Tefillin".
Assistant photographer: Kai Ziv, Makeup: Vered Badosa Rotero, Hair: Almog Cohen, Styling: Shani Lasri
shirz@israelhayom.co.il
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