{"id":513984,"date":"2026-07-07T11:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/513984\/"},"modified":"2026-07-07T11:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T11:00:21","slug":"dar-zuzovsky-on-sam-claflin-romance-we-realized-it-was-deeper-than-friendship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/513984\/","title":{"rendered":"Dar Zuzovsky on Sam Claflin romance: ‘We realized it was deeper than friendship’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent years, Dar Zuzovsky has acted alongside some of Hollywood\u2019s most recognizable names and worked with first-tier directors, including Martin Scorsese. But when asked which actor she was most excited to meet on set, she gives an unexpected answer: Danny DeVito.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met him five years ago while filming \u2018The Survivor,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cThe reason I was so excited was that I grew up on \u2018Matilda.\u2019 It was the movie that really shaped me. Danny DeVito directed it and also played the heroine\u2019s father. It\u2019s about a little girl who discovers she has magical powers and can move things with her mind.<\/p>\n

\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/a>\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/p>\n

Dar Zuzovsky <\/p>\n

(Photo: Yaniv Edri)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was eight when I first saw it at a summer camp movie night. It affected me so deeply that afterward, I sat in front of a tree and tried with all my might to move it using only my thoughts. I sent all my energy toward it, until I suddenly noticed a few kids watching me and laughing. From that moment on, I became the joke of the camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did you ever tell DeVito the story?
\n\u201cYes. I don\u2019t remember exactly what he said, but I do remember how kind he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zuzovsky, 35, has moved quite a few trees in her career since then. A decade and a half after breaking out in the Israeli series \u201cThe Greenhouse,\u201d she has become an acclaimed actress, moving between Los Angeles, London and Tel Aviv. Despite the complicated climate facing Israeli actors abroad, she continues to land international roles.<\/p>\n

She recently wrapped filming on a new HBO pilot alongside Joshua Jackson, Ray Romano and Rita Wilson. Before that, she appeared in two seasons of “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints”, Scorsese\u2019s docudrama series, and in the miniseries \u201cVanished,\u201d starring Sam Claflin, who became her partner after filming.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Zuzovsky has continued to build an impressive career in Israel. After winning best performance at the Canneseries International Series Festival in 2023 for her role in \u201cCorduroy,\u201d she is now arriving at the Jerusalem Film Festival with \u201cPeppa the Great,\u201d a short film in which she not only acts, but also serves as producer and co-creator.<\/p>\n

Zuzovsky moved to Los Angeles about two years ago to pursue the dream that many Israeli actors share: a Hollywood career. Slowly and gradually, she began finding her way into American productions, including the independent film \u201cPapa,\u201d starring Daryl Hannah and Mischa Barton, and later Barry Levinson\u2019s Holocaust drama \u201cThe Survivor,\u201d in which she played the love interest of the main character, portrayed by Ben Foster.<\/p>\n

Many Israeli actors fly to Hollywood with the same dream. Why did it work for you?
\n\u201cWhat separates those who succeed from those who don\u2019t is the ability to keep waiting for your turn. The question is how long you\u2019re willing to hold on before you give up because you simply don\u2019t have the strength anymore. I spent years in L.A. before I got work. There was a moment when I almost gave up. I kept working in Israel, but after hundreds of Hollywood auditions that ended in rejection, I asked myself: How do I keep going? Maybe I should just go back to Israel?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, I decided to stay and keep at it. I knew my turn would come eventually. It\u2019s a matter of faith. I\u2019m also someone who doesn\u2019t hesitate to do whatever it takes to get what I want, to pound the pavement and knock on doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/a>\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/p>\n

\u2018I knew my turn would come eventually. It\u2019s a matter of faith\u2019 <\/p>\n

(Photo: Yaniv Edri)<\/p>\n

Many Israeli actors working abroad say that since October 7, it has become harder to get work in Hollywood.
\n\u201cHonestly, I feel it less on a personal level,\u201d she says. \u201cThe people I meet one-on-one love Israel deeply, and many of them understand that the narrative on social media does not necessarily reflect reality. I keep working, and I\u2019ll say more than that: The first season of \u2018The Saints\u2019 was filmed after October 7, and at one point Martin Scorsese seriously considered making my entire episode, which tells the story of Jesus and Mary, in Hebrew.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, it didn\u2019t happen for technical reasons, but the fact that someone of his stature, who is not Jewish, even raised the idea says a lot to me. In the new pilot, my character was originally written as American, but after I was cast, they decided to name her Maya and have her speak with an Israeli accent.\u201d<\/p>\n

The main reason for Zuzovsky\u2019s current visit to Israel is filming the Israeli movie \u201cThe Buffalo Effect,\u201d directed by Lior Ashkenazi. The film follows a group of combat trauma survivors living together under one roof as they try to cope with the wounds that continue to shape their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very dark and difficult film, but almost the entire cast is made up of comedians,\u201d she says. \u201cMariano Idelman, Dov Navon, Maor Cohen, Rotem Abuhav, Amir Shurush. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a coincidence. I think the best dramatic actors are actually comedians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, her personal life has also taken several turns. In 2016, she had a brief relationship with Israeli musician Asaf Avidan, and later revealed that she had also been in a relationship with a woman. \u201cI don\u2019t like defining myself,\u201d she said at the time. \u201cI simply follow my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, she is in a steady relationship with British actor Sam Claflin, sounds more in love than ever and admits she does not rule out marriage and children in the future.<\/p>\n

\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/a>\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m 35, and I still don\u2019t feel the pressure\u2019 <\/p>\n

(Photo: Yaniv Edri)<\/p>\n

Does that mean you\u2019ll have to live in London most of the time?
\n\u201cListen, I\u2019m in love and I\u2019m very happy with where things stand, but it\u2019s still early,\u201d she says. \u201cSam and I have been together for 10 months, and we\u2019re still learning each other. Whatever is meant to happen will happen. I trust G-d to lead me toward what\u2019s best for me. And if that means living in London, I\u2019m fine with that. It\u2019s much closer than Los Angeles. I can get to Israel in a day. To me, flying to London feels like driving to Jerusalem.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two met a little over a year ago on the set of \u201cVanished.\u201d Claflin, 40, is a successful actor whose credits include \u201cPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,\u201d \u201cThe Hunger Games\u201d and \u201cMe Before You,\u201d as well as series such as \u201cPeaky Blinders\u201d and \u201cDaisy Jones & The Six.\u201d<\/p>\n

But once again, Zuzovsky arrived on set without having watched her scene partner\u2019s work. \u201cI knew his name, of course, but that was it,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen I met him, I said, \u2018I haven\u2019t seen anything of yours. What should I watch?\u2019 And he laughed. He really doesn\u2019t see himself as some huge star. He is very down-to-earth. Obviously, after we started dating, I caught up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/a>\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/p>\n

Zuzovsky with her partner, Sam Claflin, who knows already a few words in Hebrew <\/p>\n

(Photo: GettyImages IL\/Shane Anthony Sinclair)<\/p>\n

You said in an interview that Sam was the one who made the first move.
\n\u201cUnlike me, he was simply more open to love, or to something new. I had just come out of a yearlong relationship with a British man outside the industry, and my heart was still closed. But Sam and I immediately became good friends. We stayed in touch after filming ended, and when I was in New York, he told me he was coming there too to shoot a movie. We met up, spent time together, I introduced him to my friends, and at some point we both realized there was something much deeper than friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Claflin divorced British actress Laura Haddock in 2019, and the former couple have two children, a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. Zuzovsky says she spends much of her time at his London home, where she makes him Israeli dishes such as shakshuka, challah and Moroccan fish.<\/p>\n

What did Claflin know about Israel when you first met?
\n\u201cBefore me, he didn\u2019t personally know any Israelis, but he has many Jewish friends and had always heard good things about the country. He had dreamed of visiting. Because of the tense situation in Israel, he was constantly worried about me and my family. After we became a couple, he visited twice. The first time, we stayed in Tel Aviv because the trip was mainly about introducing him to my family. The second time, we also made it to Jerusalem.\u201d<\/p>\n

What surprised him most about Israel?
\n\u201cThe weather. Both times he came in winter, and the first time it rained nonstop. There were actual floods. He was sure he was arriving in a hot, tropical country. He\u2019s supposed to come back in two weeks, so at least this time we\u2019ll finally be able to go to the beach. I\u2019ll give him a proper corrective experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Has he learned Hebrew words from you?
\n\u201cYes. Among others, Boker Tov (good morning), Layla Tov (good night) Ani Ohev Otach (I love you) and Yalla Kvar Motek (Come on, honey).\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/a>\"\u05d3\u05e8<\/p>\n

I\u2019m very drawn to anything metaphysical <\/p>\n

(Photo: Yaniv Edri)<\/p>\n

Throughout the interview, Zuzovsky repeatedly uses language of faith, referring to God as \u201cthe Creator\u201d and saying \u201cGod willing.\u201d Before drinking her coffee, she recites a traditional Jewish blessing, “Shehakol Nihyah Bidvaro”, thanking God for all things. She says she has always been spiritual, but in recent years that spirituality has deepened into religious faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Judaism very much,\u201d she says. \u201cIn 2017, I began studying Kabbalah, and I regularly listen to the weekly Torah portion. I fast on Yom Kippur and don\u2019t eat pork or seafood. I\u2019m very drawn to anything metaphysical. That\u2019s why I loved magic so much as a child. In addition to \u2018Matilda,\u2019 I\u2019m also a fan of \u2018Harry Potter.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, the Creator is part of that world too. Maybe it also has to do with my lifestyle. I don\u2019t have one fixed home or one fixed job, and faith gives me an anchor. It is also part of my connection to Israel. For me, there is nothing more grounding than lighting Shabbat candles. In London, I often do it with Sam beside me. I also love hosting Shabbat dinners and inviting people over.\u201d<\/p>\n

And having a child together is certainly an option.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been together less than a year, but yes, it\u2019s definitely something Sam and I talk about,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m 35, and I still don\u2019t feel the pressure. It still feels like a good age. If I got pregnant today, I don\u2019t know what I would do. It would disrupt my plans. But I do think it will happen soon. Or rather, I would like it to happen. I would like to be a mother, God willing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In recent years, Dar Zuzovsky has acted alongside some of Hollywood\u2019s most recognizable names and worked with first-tier…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":513985,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[430,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-513984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513984"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513984\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/513985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}