The Blacklist: 10 Things to Know about Aram Mojtabai

The sweet and lovable Aram Mojtabai is a quirky technician who frequently works for the FBI on NBC’s The Blacklist. With a handful of comic relief moments and heartwrenching scenes, this special agent is a beloved character for many. Though the writers of the show love to keep secret tabs on all of their characters and backstories, we at Nerds & Scoundrels have compiled a list of ten of the most important facts you should know about this character. Check out the top ten Aram Mojtabai facts every fan of The Blacklist should know!

Spoilers forthcoming! You’ve been warned!

Our Top 10 Blacklist Aram Mojtabai Facts

Below are ten facts about Aram Mojtabai, in no particular order.

10. He is played by Amir Arison.

Though his role as FBI Special Agent Aram Mojtabai may be his most recognizable role, actor Amir Arison has an impressive list of film, television, and theatre credits behind him. Before hitting the screen, he starred in the Off-Broadway play Aftermath, and starred in a number of other theatre productions including Omnium Gatherum and Modern Orthodox. He’s guest-starred on a number of famous television shows, including NCIS, Homeland, American Horror Story, Gossip Girl, and The Mentalist.

He also had recurring roles on programs like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Zero Hour. He’s also starred in a number of films, including Day Zero, The Visitor, Vamps, and I Hate Valentine’s Day. Since he first assumed the role of Aram Mojtabai back in 2013 when The Blacklist first began, Amir has still found time to act in other projects, including television shows Girls, Billions, and Bull, as well as movies A Friggin’ Christmas Miracle, Jane Wants a Boyfriend, and 20 Weeks.

9. He’s from Delaware.

Aram is an East Coast boy, and grew up in Delaware. His actor, Amir, is not from Delaware. The 41-year-old actor was actually born in St. Louis, Missouri.

8. He is ¼ Jewish and ½ Muslim.

Aram is a quarter Jewish and half Muslim. His actor, Amir, is also Jewish and of Israeli descent.

7. He used to work for the NSA.

Prior to the events on The Blacklist, Aram used to work for the NSA, or the National Security Agency. He worked for them for fourteen years, until Harold Cooper hired him to work for the FBI.

6. He refers to Reddington as “Mr. Reddington.”

While everyone refers to Raymond Reddington as either “Red” or “Reddington”, Aram prefers to follow a more formal route, opting to call him by a proper “Mr. Reddington.” Why does he do that? Well, it likely has to do with Aram’s perceived fear of Reddington; every time the latter asks the former for assistance, Aram always appears nervous. Whenever Reddington even vaguely threatens him, you can always bet Aram will fold and give in out of fear.

5. He probably went to MIT.

Though it’s never officially been confirmed in the show, fans have speculated that NSA turned FBI agent once attended the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology; or, as it’s more commonly referred to, MIT. Some dialogue in the show has suggested this and backed up this theory. While we may not know for certain, it definitely seems likely (or, at the very least, wouldn’t be at all surprising) given his impressive job titles as a former NSA Agent and current FBI technician.

4. He bikes to work.

Aram is an eco-conscious commuter, and bikes to work rather than drive or use any kind of public transportation system.

3. He’s a fan of Doctor Who.

As it turns out, when he’s not busy working with the FBI, Aram has some time to engage in leisurely television. Specifically, it’s been revealed that Aram is a “Whovian” (referring to the name given to fans of the popular and long-running British science-fiction television show Doctor Who). This fun fact was revealed back in Season 3, Episode 11 “Mr. Gregory Devry”. Not only do we know that Aram enjoys the “wibbly wobbly timey wimey” show, but that his favorite series (season) is the fourth one that aired back in the 1970s. He’s a fan of Tom Baker, who played the program’s “Fourth Doctor” from 1974 to 1981.

2. He hasn’t had much luck with romance.

Aram has a pretty complicated love life. In Season 4, his girlfriend Janet Sutherland turned out to be not all that she appeared. The two had been seeing each other for quite some time, with Aram even getting into a fight with Samar Navabi, who was his close friend at the time, because of their relationship. However, it was later revealed that Janet had been hired as an undercover operative to gain access to FBI computer networks, and had merely been using Aram to follow through with her plan. Though the news of his lover’s betrayal broke him, he was able to keep her occupied enough until Donald Ressler could arrest her. This incident led him to realize Aram actually had feelings for Samar this whole time. Which leads to our next and final fact…

1. He was engaged at one point.

Aram was engaged to Samar Navabi for some time. After the two realized they had mutual feelings for each other, Aram fell hard for her, even envisioning what it would be like to have a family and kids with her. Unfortunately, the pair weren’t destined to live happily ever after. Samar revealed that she was suffering from Vascular Dementia, an illness that caused her to have recurring symptoms of mini-strokes that continued to worsen and damage her brain. After more people found out and Samar became an assassin’s target, she ran away. Though Aram was so heartbroken he almost ended up chasing after her, Reddington stopped him and convinced him to stay put.