Actor/Writer Eric Bogosian Gives Talk at Cultural Foundation

Bogosian, who has starred in many movies, including Stephen King’s “Dolores Claiborne” in 1995, said that for him, the 1990s were defined by working with Atom Egoyan in “Ararat.” The intense immersion experience alongside Egoyan shook Bogosian, whose knowledge of Armenian history up to that point was superficial and summed up by the following: “My grandfather told me if you ever meet a Turk, kill him,” he recalled.

Before and during the making of “Ararat,” Bogosian immersed himself in studying history. “Egoyan recreated this town in Van. I walked through there, among these people, and I got it. It was then that Peter Balakian’s Black Dog of Fate came out.” Watching the news then, concurrently, when the former Yugoslavia was breaking up and genocide was being waged against Bosnians, made the subject that much more intimate for Bogosian.

One of the threads of post-Genocide history that fascinates Bogosian is the story of Soghomon Tehlirian, who assassinated Talaat Pasha in Berlin. The more commonly-told story is that Tehlirian’s family was slaughtered in front of him and that after he managed to escape to Germany, he spotted Talaat and after meticulously studying his routine, shot him pointblank. As the story goes, his heartfelt story justified the murder in the eyes of the German jury. However, Tehlirian, as history buffs know (and Bogosian found out), was not a mere student, but an assassin in Operation Nemesis, based in Watertown, Mass., run by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The group, which also included Shahan Natalie, knew many of the Young Turks from the years before the Young Turks came to power and waged genocide against the Armenians. Thus, after their erstwhile friends became their enemies, they knew exactly who their targets were and through Operation Nemesis, dispatched the top eight leaders, including Talaat, Enver and Jamaal. The group disbanded once the eight Turk masterminds (as well as three Armenian traitors who had fed information to the Ottoman and Turkish authorities) were killed.

There is original research in the book, including some of Tehlirian’s papers, translated by Aram Arkun.

Bogosian said the more he learns about Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, the more impressed he becomes. “They could not have had that empire without Armenians. [By killing the Armenians] they killed themselves.”

Bogosian is married to director Jo Bonney and has two sons. “My younger son has taken the trouble to learn Armenian,” he said. “It’s weird, because I’m only used to old people speaking it,” he joked.

Among the plays he has performed in and written are “Funhouse,” “Drinking in America” and “Suburbia.” He has published several books, including Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead and Mall. He has also been in movies such as “Under Siege 2: Dark Territory,” with Seagal, Woody Allen’s “Deconstructing Harry,” the mystery thriller, “Gossip,” “Wonderland” with Val Kilmer and “Igby Goes Down.” He was also on TV’s “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” for many years.

A reception followed his talk, during which he gamely answered questions from many fans.