Page 19 - Real Style February 2018

Bivas on the TNT drama The Last Ship saw her playing a member of the US Navy. Off screen, it’s clear that a little bit of her characters’ ery spirit exist within her as well.
“I think that ‘strong women’ is probably the through line between all of them. It probably comes from me being pretty strong. If you dis- sect the character, you will nd that each of them has strong qualities and also a very sensi- tive side as well, which is every woman,” she says.
Lavi can’t hide her own sweet, sensitive side once she starts speaking. We sense a bit of it when she enthusiastically tells us about visit- ing her family at home. “I go back all the time. ItrytogobackasmuchasIcan.Mymomjust came to visit, and it’s just such a long ight. Sometimes, it can be a little exhausting, but it always pays off.”
Indeed, behind her strength, Lavi seems to be traditional at heart, and claims to have a “love hate relationship with social media.” Despite being in the public eye and making a name for herself in Hollywood, there’s a part of Lavi that has remained true to her roots. Her ancestors came from Morocco to Israel, and both countries have inspired her personal style.
“In Morocco, I bought a bunch of little dresses that my grandma would wear around
the house. I took them in and sewed them a lit-
tle bit to make them t my size. It’s the same when I go to the ea market in Israel. I’ll go to the Melrose Trading Post too here in Los Angeles. I love the idea of recycling.”
Lavi actually had a chance to stay in Morocco recently, where she was lming the revived Prison Break series, which aired on FOX in 2017 and also starred original Prison Break star Wentworth Mill- er. “That had me connect with my roots. It was the most beautiful gift a job had ever given me.”
Whether it is on the home front or under the spot- light, it’s clear that passion and dedication are major values for this rising star. Speaking of which, with
the rapidly approaching Valentine’s Day, we have to ask: How is she planning to mark the occasion? For Lavi, February 14 is a day to celebrate all types of love, from the romantic to the familial to self- love. After all, along with playing complex charac- ters, she also adores the complex, strong women in her life. “Most of my girlfriends are messy, and my mom is messy and my sisters are messy. That’s what I love about them. I think aws are what make us beautiful and interesting,” she says.
With today’s pursuit of digital perfection, Lavi’s appreciation for more nuanced depictions of com- plicated women is a breath of fresh air. It certainly makes for more compelling TV as well.
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PhOtO, BravO