Inbar Lavi (Hebrew: ענבר לביא, born October 27, 1986[2]) is an Israeli actress. She is known for portraying Raviva on the 2012 MTV series Underemployed, Vee on the 2014 Fox television series Gang Related, and Sheba on the Fox series Prison Break. Lavi starred in the 2017–2018 Bravo television series Imposters, and played Eve in the final three seasons of the Netflix series Lucifer. She also starred in The Last Ship on TNT.

Inbar Lavi
ענבר לביא
Lavi in 2022
Born (1986-10-27) October 27, 1986 (age 38)
Ramat Gan, Israel
Alma materLee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
Spouse
Dan Bar Shira
(m. 2021)
[1]

Early life

edit

Lavi was born and raised in Ramat Gan, Israel[2] to a Jewish family from Holon.[3] Lavi's mother has Moroccan origins while her father is of Polish descent.[3] As a child, she suffered from asthma[4] and had to use a nebulizer for 45 minutes at a time. During that time, she watched movies, and "fell in love with cinema". One of her early inspirations was the performance of Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman in Léon: The Professional.[5] Another of her role models was Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer.[6]

Lavi studied ballet and modern dance at the Kiryat Sharet high school in Holon, Israel. She then studied acting at the Sophie Moskowitz School of Acting in Tel Aviv, Israel.[7]

Career

edit
 
Lavi in 2013

In 2004, at the age of 17, Lavi moved to New York City, where she performed in various off-Broadway productions. After eight months, she moved to Los Angeles,[5] after being accepted with a full scholarship to the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.[8] Among her earliest English-speaking roles was Cordelia in a 2006 production of King Lear, starring and directed by Tom Badal.[7]

Starting in 2009, Lavi began making guest appearances on television shows including Entourage, The Closer, Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami and In Plain Sight.[7] She has also appeared in films including Tales of an Ancient Empire (2010), Street Kings 2: Motor City (2011) and House of Dust (2013).

Lavi starred in the 2012 MTV television series Underemployed as Raviva, a pregnant, aspiring singer.[9] She portrayed Veronica "Vee" Dotsen in the 2014 Fox television series Gang Related.[10] She appeared in the seventh season of Sons of Anarchy as street prostitute Winsome.

In 2015 Lavi was cast in the lead role in the Bravo television series Imposters (originally titled My So Called Wife), playing "a Machiavellian con-artist and master of disguise";[11][12] the series premiered in February 2017.[13] She was cast in the recurring role of Ravit Bivas, a highly trained Israeli soldier, on the second season of the TNT naval drama The Last Ship in summer 2015.[14] In 2016 Lavi joined the Prison Break revival in the role of Sheba, a Yemeni activist.[15][16] She joined the cast of Lucifer for the series' fourth season, playing Eve, the first woman made and mother to Cain and Abel.[17][18]

In 2023, Inbar joined the fourth season of the Israeli TV show "Fauda" as Shani Russo.

Personal life

edit

She married her longtime boyfriend, Dan Bar Shira, in Israel in August 2021. They reside in Los Angeles.[1]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire Alana
2011 Street Kings 2: Motor City Leilah Sullivan Direct-to-video film
2011 Getting That Girl Jenna Jeffries
2011 Underground Lillith Trog
2012 For the Love of Money Talia
2013 House of Dust Emma
2015 The Last Witch Hunter Sonia
2018 Sorry for Your Loss Lori
2024 The Manifestation Roni/Vronika
2024 Bau, Artist at War Rebecca Bau

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2008 Privileged Fiona Episode: "All about Honesty"
2009 The Closer Vanessa Almassian Episode: "Maternal Instincts"
2009 Entourage Sadie Episode: "Security Briefs"
2009 Ghost Whisperer Brianna Episode: "See No Evil"
2009 Criminal Minds Gina King Episode: "The Performer"
2009 Crash Sydney Episode: "Master of Puppets"
2010 CSI: Miami Maya Farooq Episode: "Dishonor"
2010 In Plain Sight Flora Montero Episode: "A Priest Walks into a Bar"
2011 Charlie's Angels Dominique Berry Episode: "Royal Angels"
2012 Immigrants Miri Yechiel Television film
2012 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Chastity/Heather Tile Episode: "Strip Maul"
2012–2013 Underemployed Raviva Main role
2014 Gang Related Veronica "Vee" Dotsen Main role
2014 Sons of Anarchy Winsome Episodes: "Greensleeves", "Faith and Despondency"
2015 Castle Farrah Darwaza Episode: "In Plane Sight"
2015 The Last Ship Lt. Ravit Bivas Recurring role (season 2), 6 episodes
2017–2018 Imposters Maddie Lead role
2017 Prison Break Sheba Main role (season 5)
2019–2021 Lucifer Eve Main role (season 4);[17][18] recurring role (seasons 5–6)
2020 Stumptown Max Episodes: "The Past and the Furious", "Dirty Dexy Money", “The Dex Factor”
2021 Eight Gifts of Hanukkah Sarah Television film
2023 Fauda Russo Main role (season 4)[19]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "ענבר לביא, כוכבת לוציפר, על החתונה בישראל | גיא פינס". August 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Inbar Lavi". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "פרוייקט הלביא: ענבר לביא עושה את הוליווד" [Inbar Lavi Does Hollywood]. NRG (in Hebrew). November 12, 2011. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  4. ^ Hirschman Weiss, Shira (February 3, 2017). "The Israeli Star of Bravo's Imposters, Inbar Lavi". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Galkin, Alexandra (December 6, 2012). "Actress Inbar Lavi on MTV's 'Underemployed' and Being Underemployed". Bullett Magazine. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  6. ^ Hugette (December 26, 2012). "Inbar Lavi… Far From Underemployed". DISfunkshion Magazine. Archived from the original on August 25, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c Meehan, Ryan (November 14, 2012). "5 QUESTIONS WITH INBAR LAVI". First Order Historians. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
  8. ^ Miller, Gerri (February 6, 2017). "'Imposters' bad girl Inbar Lavi reveals what it's like playing a con artist". From the Grapevine. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  9. ^ Lowry, Brian (October 11, 2012). "Review: 'Underemployed'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  10. ^ Lowry, Brian (May 20, 2014). "TV Review: 'Gang Related'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  11. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 28, 2015). "'My So Called Wife' Bravo Pilot Casts Inbar Lavi As The Lead". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  12. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (March 24, 2016). "Bravo Greenlights Third Scripted Series 'My So Called Wife'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  13. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (February 4, 2017). "TV Review: 'Imposters' on Bravo". Variety. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  14. ^ Petski, Denise (November 14, 2014). "'Samantha Mathis Joins 'The Strain'; Inbar Lavi In 'The Last Ship'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  15. ^ "Resurrection | Season 5 | PRISON BREAK". Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2017 – via www.youtube.com.
  16. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 21, 2016). "Prison Break Revival: The Last Ship's Inbar Lavi to Recur on Fox Event Series". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  17. ^ a b Iannucci, Rebecca (August 20, 2018). "Lucifer Casts Imposters Star Inbar Lavi as 'Dangerous' [Spoiler] in Season 4". Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Exclusive: Here's your first look at Inbar Lavi as Eve in 'Lucifer' season 4". EW.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  19. ^ Petski, Denise (November 15, 2021). "'Fauda': Inbar Lavi, Mark Ivanir Among 5 Cast In Season 4 Of Israeli Series As Production Begins". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
edit