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 Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

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 (), li ...

. He is best known for his appearances in the feature film '' Colombian Love'' (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 ''Mesudarim'' (Hebrew: מסודרים, meaning "settled or life in Israeli slang) is an Israeli comedy-drama series which was broadcast on Keshet, Channel 2, during 2007–2009. The series starts when four friends - Tomer Levi (Asi Cohen), Erez ...

'' (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's Channel 2 in 2003. It features satirical references to current affairs of the past week through parodies ...

'', 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 Deputy ...

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 ill ...

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 sefar ...

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 Mediterran ...

. 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) require a ...

he was an actor for the Israel Defense Forces' theatre, members of which are soldiers on active duty. Following his military service he worked as a stand up comic at the Domino Gross club in Tel Aviv, where he partnered with fellow comedian Guri Alfi 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 Hol ...

Rotem Aboav Rotem is a biblical desert shrub, and it may refer to: People * David Rotem, Israeli politician * J. R. Rotem, American record producer * Simcha Rotem, one of the heads of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising * Yuval Rotem, Israeli diplomat * Rotem Erlich ( ...

Roi Bar-Natan Roi or ROI may refer to: People * Adenes Le Roi (c. 1240–c. 1300), French minstrel * Roi Cohen Kadosh (born 1976), Israeli-British cognitive neuroscientist * Roi Huber (born 1997), Israeli basketball player * Roi Kahat (born 1992), Israe ...

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 P ...

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 Dana may refer to: People Given name * Dana (given name) Surname * Dana (surname) * Dana family of Cambridge, Massachusetts ** James Dwight Dana (1813–1895), scientist, zoological author abbreviation Dana Nickname or stage name * Dana ...

, Irit Sheleg, and

Ilana Berkowitz Ilana ( he, אִילָנָה) is a Hebrew feminine given name, the female form of the word ''אִילָן'' (tree). Notable people with the name include: * Ilana Adir (born 1941), Israeli Olympic sprinter *Ilana Avital (born 1960), Israeli singer * ...

. In 2002 he joined the show "Rak BeYsrael" (Channel 2) ( he, רק בישראל, lit. Only in Israel) alongside Guri Alfi as

side-kick A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, S ...

s to main characters "Limor" (

Orna Banai Orna Banai ( he, אורנה בנאי; born November 25, 1966) is an Israeli actress, comedian, entertainer and past member of the Tel Aviv-Yafo city Council. Biography Banai was born in Beersheba and raised in Omer. Her father was a judge in Be ...

) 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, Is ...

). 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 Shlomo (, Polish: Szlomo, Szlama, Szlamek, Szloma), meaning "peaceable", is a common Hebrew male given name. The following individuals are often referred to only by the name Shlomo: * Solomon, king of ancient Israel, according to various religio ...

, 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 '' Colombian Love'' (with

, Menashe Noi 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. Spie ...

feature film ''

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

'', 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 people, Palestinian militant organization Black September Organization, Black September, who i ...

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 Eccentricity (behavior), 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 ...

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 i ...

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 (A ...

. 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 I ...

, 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 "

" (Channel 2) ( he, מסודרים, meaning "settled or life 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 p ...

" (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 a ps ...

"), 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 of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

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 h ...

, ''

Autonomies Autonomies ( he, אוטונומיות) is an Israeli dystopian drama miniseries created by Ori Elon and Yehonatan Indursky. The story is set in an alternate reality of present day Israel, a nation torn and divided by a wall into the secular “Sta ...

''.

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