Ahead of the finale of The Traitors on July 3, actor Elnaaz Norouzi revealed that she had undergone six months of intense preparation to play the role of a traitor on the reality show. In a video posted to her YouTube channel, Norouzi shared how she immersed herself in understanding human behavior and deception to excel at the game. Despite being eliminated, she reflected on the experience with pride, highlighting her deep commitment and strategy.
She studied a wide range of material, including psychology books and global versions of The Traitors, to sharpen her mind and tactics. The actor specifically mentioned reading:
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How to Make Your Audience Fall in Love with You (about acting and presentation)
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The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene
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How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes: Mastermind
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Telling Lies
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How to Read People Like a Book
Norouzi explained that the knowledge she gained from these works allowed her to better understand her fellow contestants and manipulate perceptions. She emphasized that her success as a traitor stemmed from portraying herself as innocent and clueless—faking difficulty with Hindi and playing up her status as a foreigner to gain sympathy and deflect suspicion.
Reflecting on her journey, she admitted that using such psychological tools felt unsettling at times. “It’s a little scary to learn these things,” she said, “because in real life, I don’t like to cheat anybody.” Still, she noted that the preparation gave her a strong edge, even if she didn't win: “It wasn’t about winning; it was about doing well on the show.”
Elnaaz Norouzi is best known in India for her role in Netflix’s Sacred Games. She also appeared in Hollywood action thriller Kandahar alongside Gerard Butler and in Apple TV+’s international espionage series Tehran.
