The Vampire Diaries actor of Armenian origin Raffi Barsoumian was noticed by the fans in episode 5 of the drama. The famous show does not lack admirers also in Armenia, so the appearance of an Armenian actor in The Vampire Diaries sparked interest also in our country. Raffi Barsoumian played Marcos (the leader of the Travelers, one of the evil characters of the season) in the show broadcast since 2009. Raffi Barsoumian told “Armenpress” about his Armenian origin, The Vampire Diaries, the Armenian Genocide etc.

Raffi Barsoumian on living in the USA

My family left Beirut because the civil war had become too dangerous for them by the mid­1980s. I was my parent’s third child and by the time I was one, they were expecting their fourth. All of my father’s side of the family had already left Beirut because of the conflict and settled in Los Angeles in prior years, so it seemed that was the best place to go. We arrived in Los Angeles when I was barely one and a half so I’ve grown up in the United States. I unfortunately never experienced Beirut as a home, but would love to go back and visit some day.

On Armenian traditions and speaking Armenian

Both my parents are wholeheartedly devoted to our Armenian identity. We grew up only speaking Armenian at home. It was a strict rule my parents kept us to, which, though annoying at the time is such a gift now. I can speak the western dialect, though my reading and writing are not as advanced as I would like! As for traditions – my parents founded a music school and Armenian cultural organization in Glendale, California called the Lark Musical Society. I grew up with lots of other Armenian kids from Armenia, Beirut, Iran, Syria, Turkey and so on – all of us learning about our folk traditions and music. It was a wonderful way to keep us invested in our heritage while living in the Diaspora. My siblings and I continue to be involved with Lark and the community around it.

Visit to Armenia for the first time in 2015

I spent two wonderful weeks in Armenia with my family in 2005. We had the chance to discover the country together. We traveled all over, primarily visiting the sites of old churches, going to the house­museums of famous artists, and spending time with family friends who live there. It was a very moving experience. I particularly remember visiting an orphanage in Gyumri, The amazing temple at Garni, and the artist’s cottages hidden in the green of Dilijan.

Return to Armenia

It is always on my mind. No concrete plans yet, but I hope to return many more times.

Armenian Genocide and family stories

My grandmother on my mother’s side was an orphan and my grandfather grew up in an orphanage. These were direct results of the Genocide. Like most of us in the Diaspora we grew up with a lot of stories about April 24th and the ensuing events that wiped out half the Armenian population at the time. We recognize pretty quickly that it is part of the reason we are so scattered around the world. I feel lucky that in my home we were told these stories and taught our history not as a way to hold on to anger or desire revenge, but as a way to show us how precious and fragile our culture is and to encourage us to find ways to preserve it and add to it.

Love and acting

I set my heart on acting fairly early, at the age of 8. I loved seeing movies and wanted to be part of that world of storytelling. I started taking drama classes in my early teens and began auditioning here in Los Angeles as a kid. But college was where things got more serious and I had the chance to train in a very good conservatory program.

“..the very first roles I had were in home movies my brothers and I made for school projects.”

I have not yet had the opportunity to be in a feature film. I have however made several short films and student films over the years. I’m looking forward to being part of a feature film very much. But the very first roles I had were in home movies my brothers and I made for school projects. My finest work.

On Vampire Diaries and “Marcos”

Vampire Diaries was a great pleasure to work on. I was offered the part of Marcos after auditioning for the casting team in Los Angeles. The cast were incredibly welcoming. After five seasons the cast and crew work together seamlessly, and it is obvious that they are a large, loving family. I was so glad to be a guest among them for the short time I got to work there. It was particularly interesting for me to watch the other actors work, learning from their experience on camera and with this genre of television.

“I loved Markos

” I loved Markos. To me he was a sort of wandering prophet; commanding and confident, but flawed in that he had an absolute vision for the world. Also he was trying to kill everyone’s favorite characters, so he was doomed from the get-­go.

New Year, new expectations

Just before the holidays I closed a beautiful play called Guards At The Taj by Rajiv Joseph. That played for several weeks here in Los Angeles at The Geffen Theater. It was a poetic and moving piece of writing that I was so so happy to be a part of. Now with a new year ahead of us, we will see what it brings!

Interview by Roza Grigoryan

Photos from Raffi Barsoumian’s official website