Raz Degan
Israeli-Italian actor, filmmaker, and photographer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raz Degan (born August 25, 1968) is an Israeli-born actor, film director, cinematographer, and photographer based in Italy.[1] After completing military service, Degan worked internationally as a model before signing with the Milan-based agency Riccardo Gay Model Management, which he has credited with helping build his early recognition in Italy.[2] He has appeared in international productions alongside directors including Oliver Stone and Ermanno Olmi, and directed the 2016 documentary The Last Shaman, executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.[3]
- Actor
- Film director
- Cinematographer
- Photographer
Raz Degan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 August 1968 Kibbutz Sde Nehemia, Israel |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Known for | The Last Shaman, L'Isola dei Famosi, Raz & The Tribe |
Career
Acting and filmmaking
Degan made his film debut with an uncredited cameo in Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter (1994).[4] He went on to appear in Italian television productions including the miniseries Sorellina e il principe del sogno (1996), directed by Lamberto Bava,[5] and Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna (1998).[5] In 2004, he portrayed Darius III of Persia in Oliver Stone's Alexander.[4] He also played the lead role in Ermanno Olmi's One Hundred Nails (2007) and starred as Alberto da Giussano in Barbarossa (2009).[4]
In 2016 he directed The Last Shaman, a documentary about Amazonian shamanic healing, executive-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.[3] The film was later released for on-demand streaming.[6]
Photography
Degan is also a photographer whose work focuses on indigenous cultures and remote environments; it has been published and exhibited in several countries.[7] His projects have included The Lost Sadhu[8] and Raz in the Urban Jungle.[9]
Television
In 2010, Degan competed in the sixth season of Ballando con le Stelle and co-hosted the documentary series Mistero alongside Daniele Bossari and Marco Berry.[10] In 2017 he won the twelfth season of L'Isola dei Famosi, the Italian version of Survivor, with 89 percent of the public vote.[11] In 2018 he created, directed, and hosted Raz & The Tribe for Sky Atlantic, a docu-reality series in which he and guests including Asia Argento, Luca Argentero, and Piero Pelù visited remote communities in Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Papua.[12] He joined the cast of the RAI 1 drama Un passo dal cielo for its eighth season, beginning in January 2025.[13]
Personal life
Degan was born on a kibbutz in northern Israel and has said he grew up amid the country's periods of conflict.[14] In October 2023, he said his family's kibbutz had been evacuated during that month's escalation of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and that his elderly father had initially refused to leave.[15]
Degan has lived in a converted trullo in Ostuni, Puglia, where he has described himself as combining acting with farming.[1] As of December 2023, he was in a relationship with a partner named Cindy, describing their relationship as having lasted six years.[16]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Prêt-à-Porter | Uncredited | Cameo |
| 1996 | Call Girl | Inspector Tony Messina | |
| 1998 | Coppia omicida | Vito | |
| 1999 | Titus | Alarbus | |
| 2004 | Alexander | Darius III of Persia | |
| 2007 | One Hundred Nails | Il professorino ("The Professor") | |
| 2008 | Albakiara | Ispettore Castri | |
| 2009 | Barbarossa | Alberto da Giussano | Also known as Sword of War |
| 2011 | Forces spéciales | Zaief | |
| 2012 | Omamamia | Silvio | |
| 2022 | Under the Amalfi Sun | David |
Credits per Rotten Tomatoes.[4]
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Sorellina e il principe del sogno | Demian | Miniseries, directed by Lamberto Bava[5] |
| 1998 | Le ragazze di Piazza di Spagna | Miniseries[5] | |
| 2004 | Camera Café | Raz | Episode: "Regalo per Patti"[17] |
| 2010 | Ballando con le Stelle | Contestant | Season 6[10] |
| 2010–2011 | Mistero | Host | Co-hosted with Daniele Bossari and Marco Berry[10] |
| 2017 | L'Isola dei Famosi | Contestant | Winner, 12th season[10] |
| 2018 | Raz & The Tribe | Host, director | Docu-reality series, Sky Atlantic[12] |
| 2025 | Un passo dal cielo 8 | Joined the cast in January 2025[13] |