‘The Blacklist’: Amir Arison, Laura Sohn Exit Series After Season 9

thewrap.com:

Note: Minor spoilers for the Season 9 finale of “The Blacklist” below.“The Blacklist” stars Amir Arison and Laura Sohn are departing the NBC series following Friday’s Season 9 finale, TheWrap has learned.

The former will soon star as Amir in a Broadway adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed novel “The Kite Runner,” while the latter is leaving to pursue other projects.Arison has portrayed FBI Special Agent Aram Mojtabai since the thriller-drama’s inception and was promoted to a series regular role in Season 2 after playing a recurring character in the first season.

He was one of the few actors to remain with the series throughout all nine seasons, alongside star James Spader, Diego Klattenhoff, Harry Lennix and Hisham Tawfiq.In a lengthy statement posted to Twitter, the actor outlined his dreams of being on Broadway and how “that aspiration evolved into television.” “9 years ago I auditioned for The Blacklist, a show that has everything: drama, suspense, character, comedy, relationships, and a universe of rich characters lead [sic] by James Spader with endless opportunities created by Jon Bokenkamp.

I was welcomed into that world and gifted with the role of ‘Aram Mojtabai,'” he wrote.However, he added that Hosseini’s book is “one of most extraordinary novels I have ever read” and that he “could not pass up the opportunity to fulfill another childhood dream.”“Showrunner John Eisendrath, the producers, writers, studio, and network have been incredibly supportive of my decision, and Aram remains ‘alive’ with the potential for a possible return at some point,” Arison continued.