'Homeland' Season 5 EXCLUSIVE: René Ifrlains...

22.1.2016 'Homeland' Season 5 EXCLUSIVE: René Ifrah Talks TV's Political Use, The Humanity Of Villains : Entertainment : Design & Trend

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Christopher Groux , Design & TrendJan, 20, 2016, 02:00 PM

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TAGS : HOMELAND , SHOWTIME , EXCLUSIVE , CLAIRE DANES , RENÉ IFRAH

(Photo : Bernd Brundert) René Ifrah played Bibi in "Homeland's" fifth season, and he talks about creating that controversial characterin this exclusive interview. TV's link to politics and finding humanity in dark situations were also central topics of the chat. "Homeland"season 6 is expected in 2016.

"Homeland" season 5 was headlined by an outstanding performance from René Ifrah as Bibi. Following last

year's stirring finale, the actor provided us her at Design & Trend with an exclusive interview about his time

on the Showtime series. Specifically, he discussed the TV show's political worth and the difficulty of finding

humanity in such a ruthless character.

As far as politics are concerned, it's no secret that "Homeland's" fifth plot mirrored the real world in an

almost spooky way. The Syrian refugee situation sparked a group of jihadist terrorists to attack a major

European city. With similar horrific events at home and abroad still fresh in our minds, how does

"Homeland" impact our outlook on those tragedies?

To Ifrah, it's a matter of artistic processing. "I think shows like this can help people process some of the scary

and horrific things they are bombarded with. Constantly being fed information about things we seem [to]

not be in control of can be overpowering," he admitted. "I'm not claiming a show like 'Homeland' can fill that

information gap, but all drama at its best deals with moral themes that can seem utterly overwhelming and

insurmountable to the individual."

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'Homeland' Season 5 EXCLUSIVE: René Ifrah Talks TV'sPolitical Use, The Humanity Of Villains

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(Photo : Showtime/Twitter)

Beyond propping up "Homeland" for its understanding of current events, Ifrah also contended that it helps

audiences make important decisions about worldly dilemmas. "We can come to our own conclusions about

what we think is right or wrong and how we want to live. Even if we disagree with a particular point of view,

if art raises questions [and] forces us to confront ourselves, it did its job." In his mind, "Homeland"

accomplishes that goal brilliantly. Echoing most critics, he praised the series for being "so ahead of the curve

on global security issues with an immediacy not remotely approached by any other show."

The world of politics isn't quite known for its humanity, however, and this reality became exceptionally clear

for Ifrah. Having been cast as Bibi, a jihadist leader that tries to murder thousands of innocent people, Ifrah

was forced to reach outside of his comfort zone.

"it's particularly hard when you're asked to play a character that represents the hard and difficult-to-digest

points of view we see represented today with the most horrific consequences imaginable," he confided. Yet,

at some point in the process, "training kicks in." "Every person, regardless of how loathsome they may seem,

is a person and another human being." This premise forced Ifrah to ask some important questions about his

character. "Is [Bibi] acting from a place of hurt or revenge? Does he really believe in his cause? I try to relate

that motivation to something I relate to."

Above all, he concluded that the chance to provide his take on a controversial perspective allowed him to

see the world "in a way I might not have anticipated before."

Check back later in the week for more on our exclusive chat with René Ifrah.

"Homeland" will return for a sixth season in 2016.

Does "Homeland" help you process politics? Was Bibi a memorable villain? Tell us in the poll and comments

section!


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'Homeland' Season 5 EXCLUSIVE: René Ifrlains...

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