Inglorious Bastards actress Mélanie Laurent to star in Fauda season five

Israeli drama Fauda has secured one of its biggest casting roles to date. Inglourious Basterds actress Mélanie Laurent has joined the fifth season of the spy thriller Fauda. Details about the two-time Oscar-winning actress' character are still being kept under wraps, but she will appear in seven of the upcoming season's nine episodes, with cameras set to roll later this month.



Laurent (pictured) previously worked with Fauda creator and lead actor Lior Raz on Michael Bay’s Netflix film 6 Underground and Chris Weitz’s Operation Finale. The actress is one of France’s biggest stars. She became a household name when she appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Oscar-winning 2009 hit Inglourious Basterds opposite Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz and has since gone on to star in Hollywood films including Now You See Me and Murder Mystery 2. She will soon be seen in Apple TV+’s new six-part thriller series A L’ombre des Forêts.

Based on the true stories of creators Raz and Avi Issacharoff, Fauda follows a team of Israeli undercover agents who capture terrorists. The series has been widely praised for portraying the incredibly complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a fresh way, while opening a valuable window into the contemporary Middle East. Season five will air early next year on yes TV in Israel, and will be followed by a worldwide Netflix premiere as usual. The streamer has acquired all four previous seasons.

Laurent’s casting is a sign that Israeli television continues to punch above its weight. Hugh Laurie was part of the cast of the previous season of a similarly popular Israeli series, Apple TV+’s Tehran.

The new season of Fauda will be directed by season four director Omri Givon and written by Omri Shenhar