Ari'el Stachel (born in Berkeley, California) is an American actor of
partial Israeli Yemenite Jewish descent who won the Tony Award for
Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in The Band's Visit.Stachel
was born and raised in Berkeley, California. His father, the son of
Yemeni Jewish immigrants, grew up in Israel; his mother, Laura
Stachel, is an Ashkenazi Jew from New York. The two met on a kibbutz.
Stachel has said that he was uncomfortable with his ethnic heritage
while growing up. His parents divorced when he was young, and he
adopted his mother's last name in part to avoid being associated with
his father's Middle Eastern background. He was in fifth grade when the
/ terror attacks occurred, and rather than be identified as part Arab,
he told friends he was half black.Stachel had his first role in a
school musical at age , after which he left Berkeley High to attend
the Oakland School for the Arts. He went on to study drama at the NYU
Tisch School of the Arts.Following graduation Stachel landed several
stage roles and appeared on the CBS drama Blue Bloods and the Netflix
series Jessica Jones before reading the script for The Band's Visit.
He auditioned seven times over nine months before landing the role,
for which he received Lortel Award and Drama Desk Award nominations
before winning the Tony Award. In an emotional acceptance speech,
Stachel thanked his parents, acknowledging his long struggle to accept
his heritage, and expressed his joy at being part of a generation able
to represent Middle Easterners in a positive fashion. “I want any
kid that's watching to know that your biggest obstacle may turn into
your purpose,†he said. In , Satchel began starring in the LGBT
fantasy podcast The Two Princes as Prince Amir.
partial Israeli Yemenite Jewish descent who won the Tony Award for
Featured Actor in a Musical for his role in The Band's Visit.Stachel
was born and raised in Berkeley, California. His father, the son of
Yemeni Jewish immigrants, grew up in Israel; his mother, Laura
Stachel, is an Ashkenazi Jew from New York. The two met on a kibbutz.
Stachel has said that he was uncomfortable with his ethnic heritage
while growing up. His parents divorced when he was young, and he
adopted his mother's last name in part to avoid being associated with
his father's Middle Eastern background. He was in fifth grade when the
/ terror attacks occurred, and rather than be identified as part Arab,
he told friends he was half black.Stachel had his first role in a
school musical at age , after which he left Berkeley High to attend
the Oakland School for the Arts. He went on to study drama at the NYU
Tisch School of the Arts.Following graduation Stachel landed several
stage roles and appeared on the CBS drama Blue Bloods and the Netflix
series Jessica Jones before reading the script for The Band's Visit.
He auditioned seven times over nine months before landing the role,
for which he received Lortel Award and Drama Desk Award nominations
before winning the Tony Award. In an emotional acceptance speech,
Stachel thanked his parents, acknowledging his long struggle to accept
his heritage, and expressed his joy at being part of a generation able
to represent Middle Easterners in a positive fashion. “I want any
kid that's watching to know that your biggest obstacle may turn into
your purpose,†he said. In , Satchel began starring in the LGBT
fantasy podcast The Two Princes as Prince Amir.
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