Meet Dafi Cramer | Actress

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dafi Cramer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dafi, how do you think about risk?
One of my favorite things about acting is the moment when I embrace the unknown and jump into the cold water. Usually, that’s the moment when the atmosphere in the room changes, and new and unexpected things are created. When I feel the butterflies in my stomach the most, I know there’s an opportunity worth chasing.

When I was 21, I finished my mandatory military service in the IDF, and there were a lot of unanswered questions in my mind. There was one question, though, that did have an answer: what do I want to do with my life. And the answer was to tell stories, and to do it on the big stage, bigger than the ones I could back in Israel.

Among a handful of ideas, moving to New York was the most daring one, as there was a significant amount of risk involved. From the typical worries of pursuing an acting career — will it work out? — to the fears of moving thousands of miles away from home — will I find my people? Will I be able to adjust to the language and to the culture?

At the airport, with nothing but a purple suitcase and a vague idea of what expected me on the other side of the ocean, I felt a mix of excitement and fear. Moving was either going to be a huge mistake, or the key to the future I’ve been dreaming of. I chose to focus on the excitement and not on the worries, and I took that risk.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Recently, I was fortunate enough to play the title role in Taiwanese writer and director Yi Chiang Lin’s feature film, with co-actor Leon Lee, who came from Taiwan for the shoots. A bunch of immigrants creating art under the manhattan skyline.

When a group of people from different cultures and life experiences comes together, there is a unique opportunity to create art that is one of a kind. I can’t wait for the film to come out to share it and hopefully influence other people as much as creating it has influenced me.

Another recent project I’ve worked on recently is “Mannequin Diaries”, a new play directed by Tony award-winner Trazana Beverly, in which I feel lucky to have performed. It was an incredible experience to take part in an original play and work as an ensemble to breathe life into it.

I am currently working on a few exciting projects that i’ll be shring soon, and I am just very grateful to be constantly learning and evolving myself and my craft.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am currently based in NYC. So for me the ultimate hang out would be meeting in the West village, getting sushi lunch at Tomoe sushi (the best affordable sushi in manhattan, if you ask me), and then if it’s a beautiful day we walk uptown, maybe we spend a few minutes-hours at the Drama bookshop, and then getting a drink and standing in line to find last-minute rush tickets to an off-broadway show we’re daying to see. The next day we would go check out some art (it’s impossible to choose one museum in NYC, but some of my favorites are Moma PS1, The Jewish Museum, and the Whitney), and then get a blanket, some fruits, and cheeses from Trader Joe’s and find a grassy spot in prospect park to chill and play cards/board games.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My partner, who besides his endless support, is also the best self-tape reader on the planet.

Website: daficramer.com

Instagram: @daficramer