Raz Degan

Raz Degan (born 25 August 1968 in Sde Nehemia, Israel) is a multifaceted artist whose career spans acting, directing, cinematography, photography, and documentary filmmaking. Emerging onto the international scene in the early 1990s, Degan quickly earned a reputation for choosing projects that blend artistic ambition with cultural exploration. His breakout cameo in Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter (1994) opened doors to European art‑house cinema, leading to memorable roles such as Darius III in Oliver Stone’s Alexander (2004) and parts in Ermanno Olmi’s One Hundred Nails (2007) and the historical epic Barbarossa (2009). Beyond the screen, Degan’s passion for authentic storytelling propelled him behind the camera; he directed the critically praised documentary The Last Shaman (2016), executive‑produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, which examined Amazonian healing rituals and mental‑health resilience. His visual work, characterized by stark, intimate portraits of vanishing cultures, has been exhibited in Milan, New York, Bali, and Tel Aviv, and featured in leading international magazines, reinforcing his status as a modern visual anthropologist.

Degan’s adventurous spirit also found a home on television. He hosted the investigative series Mistero (2010‑2011), won Italy’s survival show L’Isola dei Famosi in 2017 with an unprecedented public vote, and created the immersive docu‑reality series Raz & The Tribe (2018), where he and celebrity guests lived among remote indigenous communities across Ethiopia, Sumatra, and New Guinea. A committed humanitarian, Degan collaborates with UNHCR and environmental NGOs, using his films and photographs to advocate for indigenous rights and ecological preservation. Continuously pushing creative boundaries, he remains an influential public figure, explorer, and cultural storyteller well into the 2020s.