The beloved NBC crime show The Irrational is back for season two and airing new episodes every Tuesday. Arash DeMaxi, who plays the young and intelligent Rizwan, is also back and more present than ever. Since season one, we have seen Rizwan transform from a new student working as an assistant to Professor Alec Mercer to an involved head research assistant who accompanies Alec while behavioral profiling for the FBI. As the season is just getting started, we took some time to chat with Arash DeMaxi to learn more about him and his role as Rizwan. Here’s everything we’ve learned about our favorite up-and-coming character in The Irrational.
All About Arash
Born on September 8, 1998 in California, DeMaxi has always had many aspirations. Psychology played a huge role in his early life because his mother is a psychologist. On the show, DeMaxi’s character is a new graduate student studying psychology under his professor, Alec, on his research staff. “Rizwan is kind of the version of myself if I sort of followed in my mom’s footsteps,” DeMaxi said.
DeMaxi also grew up loving to play, create, and listen to music, especially the guitar. His love for music has remained, though his focus has shifted to acting. “At this current moment I’m looking at this as more of a hobby,” he said. “There’s been times where I’ve been thinking more to get serious and have a career as a musician…and part of me still wants to do that.” As of now, though, the magic of music can been seen through the intersection of DeMaxi’s passions and his role as Rizwan. “My favorite thing is when I get to incorporate [music] in my acting,” he said.
“My scenes with Jesse are always the most fun”
Arash DeMaxi
DeMaxi as Rizwan
Throughout season one, Rizwan can usually be spotted working closely with Molly Kunz’s character, Phoebe. The two play close friends who bond as they work for Alec. The pair’s on-screen dynamic isn’t too far off from reality. “Molly is someone I’ve become really close friends with in real life,” DeMaxi said. Phoebe’s departure after season one left a bitter taste in fans’ mouths, but Molly Kunz’s exit has opened several doors for DeMaxi’s character to take shape with new positions, including the head research assistant role he currently holds.
Another experience Rizwan and DeMaxi share is the feeling of Imposter Syndrome. “The season one premiere is Rizwan’s first day on the job so there’s a lot of Imposter Syndrome that comes with that…I personally believe everyone deals with Imposter Syndrome to some degree,” said DeMaxi. Despite the feelings of being an imposter, Rizwan’s story of being the “new guy” disappears into the rearview in season two. “It’s been cool playing that arc over a second season and kind of seeing where Rizwan goes once he starts to find his place,” DeMaxi revealed. If DeMaxi could offer advice to Rizwan, he would tell him to, “keep doing what he’s doing,” continue stepping into his leadership roles and stop doubting himself.
Being on the cast of The Irrational means that DeMaxi is working with the talented Jesse L. Martin. According to DeMaxi, working with Martin allows you to see how much genuinely Martin cares not just for his own agenda, but for everyone’s. “My scenes with Jesse are always the most fun, I mean he’s such a generous and talented giving actor that he just makes it so easy,” DeMaxi said. Not only is Martin generous, but his talent for acting has impacted his fellow castmates. “When you’re acting with someone of his caliber it’s just like ping-pong back and forth,” DeMaxi said.
As an actor, it is important to DeMaxi to have a voice and creative input. “This is the first project for me that I’ve been involved with since its creation…the writers have really embraced us and they always want to have a conversation with us,” DeMaxi revealed. The writers’ responsiveness and open-mindedness have lead to the idea that this show is a team creation and not a hierarchy of someone’s commands, allowing DeMaxi to feel like he can speak up and have creative input on set.
Season Two Episode Two
As far as season two goes, DeMaxi says he is most excited about his character, “stepping up a little bit and coming into Rizwan’s skin and just feeling him find his place.” We are so excited to see more of the second season of The Irrational and cannot wait to watch as the development of Arash DeMaxi’s Rizwan continues to unfold.
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