Assi Cohen ( he, אסי כהן; born October 10, 1974) is an Israeli

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...

and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), l ...

. He is best known for his appearances in the feature film ''

Colombian Love Colombian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Colombia * Colombians, persons from Colombia, or of Colombian descent **For more information about the Colombian people, see: *** Demographics of Colombia *** Indigenou ...

'' (alongside

Mili Avital Mili Avital is an Israeli actress. She built an international career, starting in her native Israel, starring on stage, film and television. She won the Israeli Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1991, moved to New York in 1993 to stu ...

), as well as for television performances in ''Love Hurts'' (alongside Dana Modan), "Rak BeYsrael" with his comedy duo of "Assi and Guri", his role in '' Mesudarim'' (US title ''Loaded''), and for his part in ''

Eretz Nehederet ''Eretz Nehederet'' ( he, ארץ נהדרת; ) is an Israeli prime-time television satirical sketch comedy show, that premiered on Keshet Media Group, Keshet's Channel 2 (Israel), Channel 2 in 2003. It features satirical references to current aff ...

'', where he has impersonated

Avigdor Lieberman Avigdor Lieberman (, ; russian: Эве́т Льво́вич Ли́берман, Evet Lvovich Liberman, ; born 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician serving as Minister of Finance since 2021, having previously served twice as Deput ...

Raleb Majadele Raleb Majadele ( ar, غالب مجادلة, Levantine Arabic: ; he, ראלב מג'אדלה, ; also spelt Ghaleb Majadele, born 5 April 1953) is an Israeli Arab politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Labor Party in three spells ...

, and

Uri Geller Uri Geller ( ; he, אורי גלר; born 20 December 1946) is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other ...

among others. In a

Ynet Ynet (stylized as ynet) is one of the major Israeli news and general-content websites, and is the online outlet for the ''Yedioth Ahronot'' newspaper. However, most of Ynet's content is original work, published exclusively on the website and wri ...

poll conducted in May 2008, Assi Cohen was selected by respondents as the funniest Israeli for the second year in a row. He currently resides in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

and is married with two daughters.Assi Cohen on Eonline.co.il

Biography

Cohen was born in Israel, to a

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

family from Turkey and Egypt, and raised and educated in the coastal city of

Ashdod Ashdod ( he, ''ʾašdōḏ''; ar, أسدود or إسدود ''ʾisdūd'' or '' ʾasdūd'' ; Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 *''ʾašdūd'') is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterra ...

. During his

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft ( conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) requ ...

he was an actor for the

Israel Defense Forces' theatre Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, members of which are soldiers on active duty. Following his military service he worked as a

stand up comic Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...

at the Domino Gross club in Tel Aviv, where he partnered with fellow comedian

Guri Alfi Guri (, lit. Nine Villages Town(Town of Nine Villages) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is located immediately to the east of Seoul, in the heart of the Capital Metropolitan Area. The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are locat ...

to create the comedy duo of "Assi and Guri".Assi Cohen on rofl.co.il
From 1999 onward he worked as a comedian and joined the TV show ''

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

'', which aired on the commercial Channel 2 in Israel. The show, a follow-up to the highly successful '' Platfus'', was a second television production from the Domino Gross. Participants (such as

Adir Miller Adir Miller ( he, אדיר מילר, born ) is an Israeli actor, screenwriter, and comedian. He is well known for his dry humor and his split second improvisation skills. Early life Miller was born in Holon, Israel, to Jewish parents who were Ho ...

, Rotem Aboav, Roi Bar-Natan and Guri Alfi) were comedians who appeared regularly at the club. Assi Cohen and Guri Alfi continued to tour the country as "Assi and Guri". They created, among others, favourite characters such as David (Cohen) and Tikva (Alfi), a disgruntled married couple, and Coco (Cohen) and Steve (Alfi), a singer and keyboard player duo singing satirical songs inspired by

Mizrahi ''Mizrachi'' or ''Mizrahi'' ( he, מזרחי) has two meanings. In the literal Hebrew meaning ''Eastern'', it may refer to: *Mizrahi Jews, Jews from the Middle East * Mizrahi (surname), a Sephardic surname, given to Jews who got to the Iberian ...

music. In 2001, alongside his duo performances, Assi played in the TV drama ''Star Shining above the Heart'' ( he, כוכב זורח מעל הלב) alongside Dana Ivgi, Irit Sheleg, and Ilana Berkowitz. In 2002 he joined the show "Rak BeYsrael" (Channel 2) ( he, רק בישראל, lit. Only in Israel) alongside Guri Alfi as side-kicks to main characters "Limor" ( Orna Banai) and "Shimon" (

Erez Tal Erez Moshe Tal ( he, ארז טל; born 27 July 1961) is an Israeli television host. Early life Born as Erez Moshe Ben-Tulila in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Jewish parents. His father, Aharon Ben-Tulila, immigrated from Algeria, whereas his mother Edna ...

). That same year, he and Guri Alfi created a comedy show called "Shidurei Hamahapeha" (Channel 2) ( he, שידורי המהפכה, literally ''The revolution's broadcasts'') and participated in the controversial film ''

Yossi & Jagger ''Yossi & Jagger'' ( he, יוסי וג'אגר, Yossi VeJagger) is a 2002 Israeli romantic drama film directed by Eytan Fox about soldiers at the Israel–Lebanon border who try to find some peace and solace from the daily routine of war. The film ...

'', which portrayed a homosexual relationship between a soldier (played by

Yehuda Levi Yehuda Levi ( he, יהודה לוי; born June 29, 1979) is an Israeli actor and model. His breakthrough role was in the TV series ''Lechayey Ha'ahava'' (''Here's To Love'', 2001). Early life Levi was born in Petah Tikva, Israel. His father Y ...

) and his commander (

Ohad Knoller Ohad Knoller ( he, אוהד קנולר; born 28 September 1976) is an Israeli actor. He had roles in the Eytan Fox films '' Yossi & Jagger'' and '' The Bubble'', and the Steven Spielberg film ''Munich''. Background Knoller was born in Tel Aviv, ...

). He later participated in the comedy show "We Won't Stop Laughing" alongside Guri Alfi, Rotem Aboav,

Eli Finish Eli Finn ( he, אלי פיניש, born 17 July 1975) is an Israeli actor and comedian. He is well known for acting in the popular TV show Eretz Nehederet.Mariano Idelman. In 2003 he acted in the film ''

Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi ''Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi'' ( Hebrew title: ''Ha-Kochavim Shel Shlomi'', ''Shlomi's Stars'') is a 2003 film written and directed by Shemi Zarhin. The story is about a 16-year-old Israeli boy, named Shlomi. Who cares for everyone in his life but ...

'' (Also: Ha-Kochavim Shel Shlomi). The same year he and Alfi broke up their comedy duo and Cohen married Lian Friedman. In 2004 Cohen returned to television in the comedy show ''Eifo Ata Chai?!'' ( he, איפה אתה חי?!, lit. Where have you been living?!) alongside Erez Tal, Shlomo Baraba, and Hadar Levi. He played several characters such as Coco the Mizrahi singer, and Himri the healer. That year he also starred in the film ''

'' (with

Menashe Noi Manasses or Manasseh (;churchofjesuschris ...

and others) as a newly married husband whose father insists he divorce his bride. Also in 2004, Cohen played alongside Dana Modan in the Israeli Emmy Award-winning television drama, ''Love Hurts'' ( he, אהבה זה כואב). In 2005 he participated in the

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spi ...

feature film ''

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

'', dealing with the Israeli government's secret retaliation after the 1972

Munich massacre The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, by eight members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September, who infiltrated the Olympic Village, killed two members ...

of Israeli Olympic athletes. The film featured actors

Eric Bana Eric Banadinović, (born 9 August 1968), known professionally as Eric Bana (), is an Australian actor and comedian. He began his career in the sketch comedy series '' Full Frontal'' before gaining notice in the comedy drama '' The Castle'' (19 ...

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English-American actor who gained international fame playing the secret agent James Bond in the film series, beginning with '' Casino Royale'' (2006) and in four further instalments, up to ' ...

, and

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Em ...

as well as Israeli actors like

Ayelet Zurer Ayelet Zurer ( he, איילת זורר; born ) is an Israeli actress. She was nominated for awards at the Jerusalem Film Festival, the Israeli Academy Awards and the Israeli Television Academy Awards. She won Best Actress awards for her roles in ...

and

Gila Almagor Gila Almagor Agmon ( he, גילה אלמגור אגמון; born Gila Alexandrowitz; July 22, 1939) is an Israeli actress, film star, and author. In Israel, she is known as "queen of the Israeli cinema and theatre". Biography Gila Alexandrowitz ( ...

. That same year he started his participation in the Emmy Award and Golden Screen award-winning television show "Eretz Nehederet" ( Hebrew: , lit. Wonderful Country), a satirical comedy with references to current affairs and parodies of the people involved. Among his characters on the show, Cohen impersonated Illusionist

, Football player

Avi Nimni Avi Nimni ( he, אבי נמני; born 26 April 1972) is a former Israeli football player and Maccabi Tel Aviv's highest ever scorer. He is regarded as one of Maccabi Tel Aviv's greatest players ever. Until 2006, he served as the captain of the ...

, Right-wing politician

, and Arab

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

member and minister

. Cohen also participated that year in a short film titled "Halev HaRaev" ( he, הלב הרעב, lit. The Hungry Heart) and hosted a show about ''What Makes an Israeli'' for Keshet's 57th Israeli Independence special, an 8-clip show portraying Israeli behaviors such as "wiping"

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

to eat it, feeling a bread before purchasing it, drinking of "Mud" coffee, and others. In 2007 he participated in the entertainment television show " Mesudarim" (Channel 2) ( he, מסודרים, meaning "settled

or life Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Mis ...

in Israeli slang), where four childhood friends sell their gaming startup company for

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

$217 million, and have to deal with their newfound wealth. Chapter 9 of the show contained the first

crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

in Israeli television, with the drama "

BeTipul ''BeTipul'' ( he, בטיפול; lit. ''In Therapy'') is an Israeli television drama revolving around the personal and professional life of an Israeli psychologist, Reuven Dagan, played by Assi Dayan. The series portrays a psychologist who treats ...

" (lit. "

In Treatment ''In Treatment'' is an American drama television series for HBO, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, based on the Israeli series '' BeTipul'' ( he, בטיפול), created by Hagai Levi, Ori Sivan and Nir Bergman. The series is about ...

"), which was later purchased by

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

; BeTipul's psychologist, played by Asi Dayan, is asked to analyze the group. The format of Mesudarim was purchased by

Fox Entertainment Group Fox Entertainment Group was an American entertainment company specialised in filmed entertainment owned by 21st Century Fox. Following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the group's assets were folded into various Disney units. Th ...

and shown in the US as "Loaded".CBS greenlights Israeli-based series ‘Mythological X’
Meirav Crystal,

, May 13, 2008. In 2009 he participated in a critically acclaimed television show "Hatufim" (Prisoners of War). The show went to be the most successful in Israel and soon after the original script of Gideon Raff was sold to Hollywood for remake which is known as "Homeland". In 2018 he had the lead role in the

dystopian A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

, '' Autonomies''.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cohen, Assi 1974 births Living people Israeli people of Turkish-Jewish descent Israeli people of Egyptian-Jewish descent Israeli entertainers Israeli male comedians Israeli male film actors Israeli Sephardi Jews Israeli male stage actors Israeli male television actors People from Ashdod Israeli Mizrahi Jews