THE CALLING chronicles the narrative of Jewish NYPD Detective Avraham Avraham “Avi”, whose faith in humanity serves as his superpower in exposing the truth. Avraham, who is guided by a strong sense of spirituality and religious ideals, is forced to evaluate his own humanity when a seemingly ordinary case goes horribly wrong.
David e. Kelley, executive producer said about the author Dror Mishani: “He wrote a riveting and emotionally complicated series of books, the center of which is Avraham “Avi”.
“Avi is a deeply mysterious, spiritual, and compelling detective, unlike any protagonist I’ve encountered before. Jeff Wilbusch brings him to rich and hypnotic life in front of the camera, and behind the camera Barry Levinson is… Barry Levinson. What a privilege to have him at the helm. Add composer Hans Zimmer to the mix, and the final product is something we hope thrills, moves, and instills a bit of hope in the audience.
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One week shy of his 35th birthday, Jeff Wilbush, the lead actor in The Calling, is living a dream he didn’t dare to dream.
Jeff: “I can tell you. I’m now in a position I always wanted to be in without knowing I did. So my dreams, which I had never had, came true. I would never imagine that I would play a New York detective with a heavy American accent. Isn’t it wonderful? Barry Levinson of Rainman will direct; David Kelly will create the show; and Hans Zimmer, an Academy Award winner, will make the music.”
Tsipi: Where you are now is a very far cry from how you grew up!
Jeff: “In fact, 11 years ago, I didn’t know there were acting schools. I thought you were born an actor. It’s not something you can become or even dream of becoming. But I am who I am. My family and siblings are wonderful. As I grow older, I see everything as a gift.”
Jeff Wilbush, named at birth Iftach Wilbuschewitz, is the eldest son of 14 children, raised in a very orthodox Jewish family. After finishing his graduate degree in economics, he moved to Munich, Germany, and studied acting at the Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts.
His life story immediately brings to mind the series UNORTHODOX, in which he stars with Shira Haas. He played a character based on himself growing up—a Hasidic young man. It was not a natural journey to the stage for a boy who grew up in a Hasidic Satmar community.
However, he’s the main character as an NYPD detective in THE CALLING. A completely different role far from any religious environment. So how come there’s an atmosphere of devotion, dedication, and belief in the air?
I asked Jeff in our recent telephone conversation:
Tsipi: How much of your Hassidic upbringing influenced your acting?
Jeff: “Everything makes me who I am, not just a single experience. I agree that maybe geographically, I came from far away, and maybe the way I grew up was very different. I didn’t watch movies at the beginning, or I didn’t know many things, but it’s not necessarily something bad. I am who I am. The beautiful thing about acting is that if you play Hamlet, I’ll play Hamlet, and your sister will play Hamlet, it’ll be three different shows.”
Tsipi: In other words, your interpretation of the role comes out.
Jeff: “It’s your soul, your personality.”
Tsipi: Yes, we can feel your character from the first moment, as you kneel by the dead man’s body lying on the road. You say a prayer in Hebrew, looking at him with respect and humility. Like Shomer, the deceased. Something more than compassion is in the air. We’re not used to seeing it in crime movies with the police. It must come from your upbringing.
Jeff: “I think you’re right. I think so too.”
Tsipi: That special something in the air is very palatable. I need to find the word that expresses it. How can a crime scene feel so peaceful?
Jeff: “Maybe the word is דבקות – Devotion?”
Tsipi: Were you in touch with the NYPD? Got any training from them?
Jeff: “I’m a very curious person. I had a lot of training. I also view acting as a reason to study the subject. I always want to research and learn about the character. I talked to many detectives. I went to a precinct in NYC and asked them many questions. I was so motivated, they said, half-seriously, ‘Let’s put you on a case!’ I was curious to know how things worked, and I was also interested in the people behind them. I also talked to a Jewish detective.”
Tsipi: Tell me something they mentioned to you that we don’t think about when it comes to the NYPD.
Tsipi: It must be emotionally painful.
Jeff: “Yes, I asked how they stay emotionally well off. Nobody is thinking about it. Hardly anybody is talking about it.”
Tsipi: You do it because you’re a Mensch! We can’t forget that they’re people just like us.
Jeff: “Having said that, it’s a sensitive topic in this country! I’m happy that this series touches on the subject of humanity. It is very important to have this conversation openly.”
Tsipi: I’m glad to see how you’re humanizing people, not treating them just as a case or a number. What would you like the message of THE CALLING to be?
Jeff: “That life isn’t always a reason for not trusting humans. You know, we see so much sadness in the world, but it is essential to stay true to the message of humanity. That people are good, and that everyone is entitled to infinite respect.”
