Iranian Actors and Celebrities in Hollywood
Persia was once the largest empire in the world. It is now officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, although the terms Persia and Iran are often used interchangeably
It is bordered by the countries of Armenia, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Tehran
It is bordered by the countries of Armenia, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The capital and largest city is Tehran
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- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Freddie Mercury was born on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara, sent him off to a private school in India, from 1955 til 1963. In 1964, he and his family flew to England. In 1966 he started his education at the Ealing College of Art, where he graduated in 1969. He loved art, and because of that, he often went along with his friend Tim Staffell, who played in a band called Smile. Also in this band where Brian May and Roger Taylor.
When Staffell left the band in 1970, Mercury became their new singer. He changed the band's name into Queen, and they took on a new bass-player in February 1971, called John Deacon. Their first album, "Queen", came out in 1973. But their real breakthrough was "Killer Queen", on the album "Sheer Heart Attack", which was released in 1974. They became immortal with the single "Bohemian Rhapsody", on the 1975 album "A Night At The Opera".
After their biggest hit in the USA in 1980 with "Another One Bites The Dust", they had a bad period. Their album "Flash Gordon" went down the drain, because the movie Flash Gordon (1980) flunked. Their next, the disco-oriented "Hot Space", was hated not only by rock critics but also by many hardcore fans. Only the song "Under Pressure", which they sang together with David Bowie, made a difference. In 1983, they took a year off. But, in 1984 they came back with their new album called "The Works". The singles "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free" did very well in the UK but a controversy over the video of the latter in the USA meant it got little exposure and flopped. Plans to tour the USA were cancelled and the band would not recover their popularity there during Mercury's lifetime.
In April 1985, Mercury released his first solo album, the less rock-oriented and more dance-oriented "Mr. Bad Guy". The album is often considered now to have been a flop, but it actually wasn't. It peaked at number six in the UK and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks, making it the most successful Queen solo project. The band got back together again after their barnstorming performance at Live Aid (1985) in July 1985. At the end of the year, they started working on their new album, "A Kind Of Magic". They also held their biggest ever world tour, the "Magic Tour". They played Wembley Stadium twice and held their very last concert in Knebworth, in front of 125.000 people.
After 1986, it went silent around Queen. In 1987, he was diagnosed with AIDS but he kept working at a pace. He released a cover of the 1950s song "The Great Pretender", which went into the UK top ten. After that, he flew to Spain, where he made the magnificent album "Barcelona", together with Montserrat Caballé, whom he saw performing in 1983. Because Mercury loved opera, he became a huge fan of her. For him, this album was like a dream becoming reality. The single "Barcelona" went huge, and was also used as a theme song for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
After "Barcelona", he started working with the band again. They made "The Miracle", which was released in early 1989. It was another success, with hits such as "Breakthru", "I Want It All", "The Invisible Man" and the title track. At this point, Mercury told the band he had AIDS, meaning that a tour of the album was out of the question. After Mercury told the band, he refused to talk about it anymore. He was afraid that people would buy their records out of pity. He said he wanted to keep making music as long as possible. And he did. After "The Miracle", Mercury's health got worse. They wanted to do one more album, called "Innuendo." They worked on it in 1990 and early 1991. Every time when Mercury would feel well, he came over to the studio and sang. After "Innuendo" was released in January 1991, they made two video clips. The first one was the video clip of "I'm Going Slightly Mad", shot in March 1991. Because Mercury was very thin, and had little wounds all over his body, they used a lot of make-up. He wore a wig, and the clip was shot in black and white.
Mercury's final video clip was released in June 1991. The clip, "These Are The Days Of Our Lives", later turned out to be his goodbye song, the last time he appeared on film. You could clearly see he was ill, but he still hadn't told the world about his disease. Rumours went around that he some kind of terrible disease. This rumor was confirmed by Mercury himself, one day before he passed on. His death was seen as a great loss for the world of popular music.Was Persian and Indian, born in Zanzibar (now Tanzania); birth name was Farrokh Bulsara
Both of his parents were Parsi Indians, members of the Zoroastrian ethnoreligious group; Parsis are descended from Persians who migrated to medieval India
DIED November 24, 1991, age 45, of AIDS- Actor
- Casting Department
Omid Abtahi was born on 12 July 1979 in Tehran, Iran. He is an actor, known for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015), Brothers (2009) and My Own Worst Enemy (2008).Father is Iranian; mother may be Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Shohreh Aghdashloo was born Shohreh Vaziri-Tabar on May 11, 1952 in Tehran, Iran. In the 1970s at age 20, she achieved nationwide stardom in her homeland of Iran, starring in some prominent pictures such as The Report (1977) directed by the renowned Abbas Kiarostami, which won critics awards at the Moscow Film Festival. In 1978, she won wider acclaim and established herself as one of Iran's leading ladies with Desiderium (1978) directed by the late Ali Hatami. During the 1978 Islamic revolution, Aghdashloo left Iran for England, to complete her education. Her interest in politics and her concern for social injustice in the world would lead her to receive a Bachelor's degree in International Relations.
She continued to pursue her acting career, which eventually brought her to Los Angeles, California in 1987. She went on to marry actor/playwright Houshang Touzie, performing in a number of his plays, successfully taking them to national and international stages. However, this was not easy getting work in Hollywood as a Middle Eastern actress with an accent; she had roles in some decent, though not great, films, including Twenty Bucks (1993), Surviving Paradise (2000) and Maryam (2002). She received good reviews for her 12 episodes on the fourth season of the Fox television series 24 (2001) as Dina Araz, a terrorist undercover as a well-to-do housewife and mother in Los Angeles. She had to wait quite some time to receive her break in Hollywood.
And finally, years after having read the acclaimed novel "House of Sand and Fog", DreamWorks were in the process of bringing the story to the silver screen. After having cast Ben Kingsley (as Massoud Amir Behrani) and Jennifer Connelly in the lead roles, they were looking for a relatively unknown Iranian actress to play Kingsley's wife, Nadi. Shohreh Aghdashloo was duly cast. She stole the limelight and earned herself an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actress amongst many other prestigious awards, including the Independent Spirit Sward as best supporting actress in a feature film, the New York and Los Angeles film critics award and others.Both parents were Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran; birth name was Shohreh Vaziri-Tabar
Aghdashloo was the surname of her first husband- Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is known for playing Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2007-2010), Alesha Phillips in crime procedural drama Law & Order: UK (2009-2011), Amanita Caplan in the Netflix science fiction drama Sense8 (2015-2018), and Dr. Helen Sharpe in the NBC medical procedural series New Amsterdam (2018-2022).Mother is Iranian; father is African from Ghana
Was born in London, England - Director
- Actress
- Writer
Desiree Akhavan was born on 27 December 1984 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a director and actress, known for Appropriate Behavior (2014), The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) and The Bisexual (2018).Both parents are Iranian; was born in New York City- Writer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Christiane Amanpour was born on 12 January 1958 in London, England, UK. She is a writer and actress, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), Iron Man 2 (2010) and Trash (2014). She was previously married to James Rubin.Father was Iranian; mother was English; birth name was Christiane Maria Heideh Amanpour; was born in Ealing, England
Is an acclaimed journalist who is the host of CNN International's nightly interview program "Amanpour;" Is also the host of "Amanpour & Company" on the PBS network- Tala Ashe stars as Zari Adrianna Tomaz in The CW series "DC's Legends of Tomorrow." Ashe is an Iranian-American actress who speaks fluent Farsi and received a BFA in Acting from Boston University, with training from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and UCB theater. She was recently seen in the off-Broadway production of "The Profane" at Playwrights Horizons, a New York Times Critic's Pick exploring what it means to be Muslim in America. Her additional theatre credits include "Troilus and Cressida" at The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park, "Head Over Heels" at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the off-Broadway productions of "The Who & The What" at Lincoln Center Theatre and "Urge for Going" at The Public Theater. Ashe's television credits include a recurring role on "American Odyssey," opposite Anna Friel and Peter Facinelli, and an arc on "Smash," opposite Debra Messing, as well as guest spots on "30 Rock," "Law & Order" and "Covert Affairs."Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran; birth name was Talayeh Ashrafi
- Mina Badie was born on 28 November 1970 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Road to Perdition (2002), Greenberg (2010) and Eleventh Hour (2008).Father was Iranian; mother was Ashkenazi Jewish with Austrian, Hungarian, and Spanish ancestry
Was born in Los Angeles, California; is the half-sister of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Kimia Behpoornia was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Atypical (2017), Hacks (2021) and Abbott Elementary (2021).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Los Angeles, California- Actress
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Catherine was born in London, but she moved to California with her Iranian mother at the age of two. Her mother still acts as her personal assistant. As a girl, she acted in various TV advertisements. She went to UCLA to study biology/ pre-medicine, but she dropped out to become a model in Japan. She moved back into acting with a Mexican commercial for American Express, and then she followed that up by being Isabella Rossellini's nude body double in Death Becomes Her (1992), when she also met her future husband, Adam Beason, who was the director's Robert Zemeckis's assistant. As of 2018, the two reside near Los Angeles with their daughter Gemma Beason and son Ronan Beason.Mother is Iranian; father is Scottish; was born in London, England- Actress
- Soundtrack
Nadia Bjorlin was born the fifth out of six children. Her parents were Ulf Björlin (a Swedish conductor and composer, known to be the world's most active opera composer during the 20th century) and Fary Bjorlin. Her siblings are Katja, Kaj, Kamilla, Ulf Jr and Jean Paul. (Each sibling have a history of artistic or creative work in their background. A very stunning and talented family indeed). Nadia was born in Newport, Rhode Island (USA), but her family soon moved to Sweden. This was only for a few short years before moving back to the USA again.
Nadia worked the opera scene before becoming an actress. It was a fast lane change by a sudden contract with NBC who needed an opera singing girl for a permanent part in a television series. Nadia has since then appeared in both movies and TV series. She has played lead characters in big screen productions and she has been a guest star in shows like CSI, Two an a half men, Two Broke Girls, as well as other comedy shows. Her talent is strong in comedy as well as in drama. She is also quite the dancer, which can be seen in Ricky Martin's music video "Shake Your Bon Bon". She was second runner up placing in Miss Teen Florida. Her voice won a sought after first place in a world proclaimed a opera competition in Italy.
Nadia is fluent in Swedish, English and Farsi. Because of her education in opera, she is schooled in several more languages like Italian and French. Nadia was a child prodigy who excelled in her studies at school as well as voice, theater, dance, and music. She started her professional career at six years old and won several awards while attending the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
She currently (2014) lives in California. Her school years were mostly in Palm Beach, Florida and New York. Her most beloved father died of leukemia in 1993. This has inspired Nadia to become a spokesperson and represent The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for many years now.Mother is Iranian; father is Swedish composer and conductor Ulf Björlin; was born in Newport, Rhode Island- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Nazanin Boniadi film and television credits are a testament to her versatility, spanning a breadth of genres including drama, comedy, sci-fi, fantasy and action. She recently starred as Bronwyn in the first season of Amazon's global hit series adaptation The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), she also starred alongside J.K. Simmons in the critically acclaimed Starz series Counterpart (2017), created and produced by Justin Marks. She was the female lead of the Thunder Road / Bleecker Street feature Hotel Mumbai (2018) from director Anthony Maras, in which she starred opposite Dev Patel and was nominated for an Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Award (AACTA), as well as had a supporting role in the Jay Roach and Charles Randolph's Roger Ailes film BOMBSHELL for Lionsgate and BRON opposite Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie. She also portrayed Ester in the 2016 major motion picture Ben-Hur (2016), and had a supporting role in Jon Favreau's Iron Man (2008).
Among her many television credits, Boniadi earned an outstanding drama ensemble SAG nomination for her work on Showtime's hit series Homeland (2011) in which she played CIA analyst Fara Sherazi. She portrayed Nora, a relatively longstanding love interest to Neil Patrick Harris's Barney Stinson, in seasons six and seven of How I Met Your Mother (2005). She also appeared as the notorious Adnan Salif in season three of Shonda Rhimes' hit political drama Scandal (2012).
Born in Tehran in the direct aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, Boniadi's parents relocated to London, England, shortly thereafter, where she was raised with an emphasis on education. While she was involved in theatre early in life, Boniadi later decided she wanted to become a physician. She moved to the United States at the age of 19 to attend the University of California, Irvine, where she received her Bachelor's Degree, with Honors (Dean's Academic Achievement and Service Award) in Biological Sciences, and won the "Chang Pin Chun" Undergraduate Research Award for her work in heart-transplant rejection and cancer research.
Switching gears to pursue her first love, Boniadi then decided to study acting, which included training in Contemporary Drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London under the supervision of dramaturge Lloyd Trott.
Boniadi is fluent in both English and Persian. She is also a longtime, renowned human rights activist, with a focus on her homeland Iran. Among her numerous recognitions she is the 2023 Sydney Peace Prize laureate. She has served as an ambassador for Amnesty International UK since 2020, and has been a member of the board of directors of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran since 2023. She is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
David Dastmalchian is originally from Kansas. He moved to Chicago, IL, to study acting at The Theatre School, DePaul University. After college, David worked as a professional fisherman in Alaska, a circus performer, movie theatre usher and playwright. He is an ensemble member of Shattered Globe Theatre Company and Caffeine Theatre in Chicago.Father is Iranian; mother has English, German, and Italian ancestry; was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
An actor and stand up comedian, born in London to Iranian parents of the Baha'i faith. He studied English and Theatre Studies. He recently starred in the Netflix Global drama The Letter for the King (2020) as Sir Fantumar and the HBO/BBC series His Dark Materials (2019). A Perrier Award nominee in 2002 and Edinburgh Comedy Award Panel Prize winner in 2016, Omid has starred in films such as the smash hits Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), the Oscar nominated Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015), Oscar winning Gladiator (2000), Sex and The City 2, The Mummy and The Infidel. Other films include Mr Nice, Grown Your Own, Over the Hedge, Casanova, Modigliani, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Calcium Kid, Anita & Me, Mean Machine and Spy Game. Other notable TV credits include two series of his own BBC One show, The Omid Djalili Show (2007), and a co-starring role in Whoopi Goldberg's NBC sitcom Whoopi. Omid was also part of the 2018 line-up for ITV's We Are Most Amused and Amazed, a televised celebration for The Prince of Wales' 70th birthday. Omid executive produced the acclaimed 2015 documentary We Are Many (2014) about the global anti-war demonstrations that took place in 800 cities on 15th February 2003.Both parents were Iranian and members of the Bahá’í faith; was born in London, England- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Ramin Djawadi is an Iranian-German film score composer known for composing the hit HBO series Game of Thrones and the Marvel films Blade: Trinity, Iron Man and Eternals. He also composed Clash of the Titans, A Wrinkle in Time, Pacific Rim, Westworld, Gears of War 4 and 5, Medal of Honor, Open Season 1 and 2, Jack Ryan and Warcraft. He won two Emmy Awards for Game of Thrones.Father is Iranian; mother is German; was born in Duisburg, West Germany
Emmy Award-winning composer best known for scoring the TV show "Game of Thrones," and the films "Clash of the Titans," and "A Wrinkle in Time""- Emun Elliott was born on 28 November 1983 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), Prometheus (2012) and Filth (2013).Father is Iranian; mother is Scottish; birth name was Emun Mohammedi
Was born in Edinburgh, Scotland - Actor
- Director
- Producer
Eman Esfandi was born on 27 September 1994 in Laredo, Texas, USA. He is an actor and director, known for King Richard (2021), 120 (2018) and The Inspection (2022).Father is Iranian; mother is Ecuadorian
Was born in Laredo, Texas- Reza Farahan was born on 5 August 1973 in Tehran, Iran. He is an actor, known for Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015), Shahs of Sunset (2012) and Comedy Bang! Bang! (2012).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran
- Actress
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Composer
Golshifteh started her acting career in theater at the age of 6 and has always kept a strong link with theater, but it was at the age of 14 that she acted in her first film The Pear Tree (1998), for which she won the prize for the Best Actress from the international section of the Fajr film festival, immediately making her one of the stars of Iranian cinema. Since then she has played in more than 15 films, many of which have been screened or awarded at international festivals. Amongst her latest films are Bahman Ghobadi's Half Moon (2006) (winner of the Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián film festival 2006), Dariush Mehrjui's controversial The Music Man (2007), still banned in Iran, and the late Rasool Mollagholi Poor's M like Mother (2006), which after a huge success in Iran was chosen to represent Iran for the Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards in 2008. After playing in Body of Lies (2008) by Ridley Scott, Golshifteh became the first Iranian star to act in a major Hollywood production. Subsequently she was banned from her country. Her last film in Iran About Elly (2009) won a Silver Bear in Berlin and the Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca (2009). Golshifteh graduated from music school, she sings and plays the piano amongst other instruments. She is also fluent in French and English and lives in Paris now.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran; birth name was Rahavard Farahani
Is an actress and social advocate; has been exiled from Iran since 2008 for refusing to wear a hijab (head covering worn by Muslim women) while appearing in films- Shaghayegh Farahani was born on 24 July 1972 in Tehran, Iran. She is an actress, known for Butterfly in the Wind (2004), The Sinners (2012) and An Umbrella for Two (1999).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran; is the sister of Golshifteh Farahani
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Asghar Farhadi was born in 1972 in Iran. He became interested in cinema in his teenage years and started his filmmaking education by joining the Youth Cinema Society of Esfahan in 1986 where he made 8mm and 16mm short films. He received his Bachelors in Theater from University of Tehran's School of Dramatic Arts in 1998 and his Masters in Stage Direction from Tarbiat Modarres University a few years later. During these formative years, Farhadi made six shorts and two TV series for Iran's National Broadcasting Corporation (IRIB) of which Story of a City (2000) is most noteworthy. In 2001, he debuted in professional cinema by co-writing the script for Low Heights (2002), a post-9/11 political chronicle of Southwest Iran, with famed war film director, Ebrahim Hatamikia. The film was met with both critical and public success. The following year, Farhadi made his directorial debut, Dancing in the Dust (2003), about a man forced to divorce his wife and go hunting snakes in the desert in order to repay his debts to his in-laws. The film earned recognition at Fajr and Moscow International Film Festivals and a year later, Beautiful City (2004), a grave work about a young man condemned to death at the age of sixteen, received awards from Fajr and Warsaw International Film Festivals. His third film, Fireworks Wednesday (2006), won the Gold Hugo at the 2006 Chicago International Film Festival. His fourth film, About Elly (2009), was called "a masterpiece" by film critic David Bordwell and won the Silver Bear for Best Director at 59th Berlin International Film Festival as well as Best Picture at Tribeca Film Festival. It was also Iran's official submission for the Foreign Language Film competition of Academy Awards in 2009. His more recent film, A Separation (2011), became a sensation. It got critical acclaim inside and outside of Iran; Roger Ebert called it "the best picture of the year," and it was awarded the Crystal Simorgh from Fajr Film Festival, Golden Bear and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury from Berlin International Film Festival, and also won Best Foreign Language Film from The Boston Society of Film Critics, Chicago and Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review, Golden Globes, César Award, Independent Spirit Award, and ultimately the Academy Award in the "Best Foreign Language Film of the Year," making him the first Iranian filmmaker ever to win an Oscar. His Oscar acceptance speech at the 84th Academy Awards, a message of peace in tens political times in his country, made him an instant hero among st Iranians. His film also received nomination for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award in the "Best. Film Not in the English Language" category and for an Academy Award in the "Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen" category. A few days after receiving an Oscar, Farhadi signed with the United Talent Agency (UTA). While A Separation (2011) was being screened in different festivals and countries, Asghar Farhadi and his family moved to Paris so he could start work on the screenplay of The Past (2013), a story that takes place outside of Iran. The main character, Ahmad, returns to Paris after a four-year absence to finalize the legal aspects of his divorce from Marie. Ahmad's presence in Marie's life after all this time creates a complicated situation for them, and forces them to dig into their common past. The Past (2013) was released in 2013 in France during the Cannes Film Festival and again it had around one million admissions. It won the Best Actress Award at Cannes Festival and was nominated for the Golden Globes and the César. Farhadi returned to Iran in 2015 to shoot The Salesman (2016). The film was completed in 2016 and selected in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where Farhadi won Best Screenplay while Shahab Hosseini, the lead actor, took home Best Actor. The Salesman (2016) was released in France that fall as well as in Iran where it became Farhadi's biggest success. In February 2017, he won his second Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language, making him one of the few directors worldwide who have won the category twice. A few months after, Farhadi kicked off his following project for which he reunites on screen Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. All shot in Spain and in Spanish, Everybody Knows (2018) also stars the Argentinean actor Ricardo Darín. The film is selected as the 71st Cannes Film Festival's opening film while also being in competition. Then at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, for his fourth appearance on the Official Competition, he presented A Hero (2021), which won the Grand Prix.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Khomeyni Shahr, Iran
Is an Oscar-winning director and screenwriter. In 2012, he was named on the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. He also received the Legion of Honour from France in 2012- Actress
- Producer
Pegah Ghafoori was born on 18 April 1999 in Tehran, Iran. She is an actress and producer, known for From (2022), One Must Wash Eyes and Hello Au Revoir (2021).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran- Golnesa Gharachedaghi, known to millions of fans as G.G., is one of the stars of the hit Bravo reality television series, Shahs of Sunset (2012).
The highly-rated show features the captivating lives of six young Persian-American friends as they navigate through life, love and the pursuit of happiness in Beverly Hills. The show is produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions for Bravo.
G.G. was born and raised in Los Angeles by her parents, who came to the United States from Iran in 1975, after getting married. Her father operates one of the most successful boutique architecture firms on the West Coast and her mother works in the Los Angeles textile and garment industry. Her older sister is an entrepreneur, who runs several businesses, ranging from real estate to fashion and beauty.
While attending high school, G.G. was an accomplish gymnast and trained for placement on the U.S. Olympic team competing in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. After deciding she did not want to pursue a career as an amateur or professional athlete, G.G. graduated from high school and went on to pursue a degree at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She received her certification in addiction treatment counseling and went on to help establish a halfway house to help people struggling with alcohol and drug dependency.
A self-professed fashion diva and shopaholic, G.G. began designing a collection of couture. She then went into business with her sister to start "G.G.'s Extensions", that offers a variety of premium synthetic and human hair extensions that can be worn without clips, tape or glues and do not damage the hair using a new, patented technology.
G.G. currently resides in Los Angeles.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Los Angeles, California - Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Nicholas Guilak was born in Houston,Texas and raised in La Jolla, California, moved to Los Angeles in 1991 and received his Bachelors of Arts from USC in Theatre, Humanities and Film. He then studied in London then Scotland were he performed in thirteen different shows, 168 performances and received two Fringe First nominations for directing and starring as Aldo Scaliki in John Patrick Shanely's Italian American Reconciliation at the '94 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He came back for his Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from UCLA and garnered the Laura Pell's Scholarship for great achievements in Acting. Being a strong advocate of the stage, he and fellow colleagues created the Los Angeles based non-profit theatre company, Big Dog Little Dog Productions, which was named "Top five not-for-profit theatre companies in Los Angeles" in 2000 by Bravo. Nico has been fortunate to play in over sixty different stage productions around the globe including The Last Days of Judus Iscariot, Glengarry Glen Ross, A Lie of the Mind, Hedda Gabler, Homesteaders, Twelfth Night, The Misanthrope, Three Sisters, The Rover, Baal among others. He has produced and directed over twenty plays, most recently David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and has written several screenplays among them, Shattered, Parker: A Life Least Expected, and Happiness in New York City.
His film and television credits:
The Laundromat, Nefertari: Journey to Eternity, American Fighter, The Lost Weekend, Think Like a Man Too, American Wrestler; The Wizard, Cardle Swapping, 1979 Revolution, Laleh, His Secret Family, In Search of America, Inshallah, A Conscious Mind, Retribution, Of God and Kings, Solar Flight,The Lost Room,The Exquisite Continent, Delta Farce, Got Papers, Double Deception, Two Coyotes, Will Unplugged, Let the Devil Wear Black, Cruel Intention2 among others. His television credits include Ray Donovan, Henry Danger, Bones, Saving Jessica Lynch, Homeland Security, NCIS:LA, two seasons on 24, Chuck, HawthoRNe, Dark Blue, Las Vegas, CSI:Miami, NCIS, The Agency to JAG, She Spies, Threat Matrix, Dragonfire, Jane Doe, War Stories among others, for more information on credits go to resume.Both parents are Iranian; birth name was Arash Edward Guilak; was born in Houston, Texas- Actress
- Costume Designer
- Production Designer
Award-winning actress, Leila Hatami, was born on October 1, 1972 in Tehran, Iran, to legendary Iranian Director, Ali Hatami, and actress mother, Zari Khoshkam (Zahra Hatami). During her childhood, she appeared in several of her father's films including the historical TV series, Nightingales (1988), and biopic Kamalolmolk (1984), as well as a role as Leila, the blind Turkish princess in the film The Love-stricken (1992). After completing high school, she moved to Lausanne, Switzerland and started her studies in Electronic Engineering. However, after two years she changed her major to French Literature. She completed her studies in a couple of years and moved back to Iran.
After a pause in her film career of a few years which included her studies in Switzerland, she made her professional entry into cinema with Dariush Mehrjui's film Leila (1997) as the title character. Her performance in the film received rave reviews from critics and audiences worldwide. She also received the Diploma of Honor for Best Actress from the 15th Fajr Film Festival. Later, she married her co-star Ali Mosaffa in 1999. They now have two children: a son named Mani (born February 2007) and a daughter named Asal (born October 2008).
To date, Hatami has worked with some of the most celebrated Iranian directors. Moreover, her performance in The Deserted Station (2002) won the Best Actress award from the 26th Montreal World Film Festival. She also appeared in her husband's directorial debut film, Portrait of a Lady Far Away (2005). In 2011, she won the prestigious Silver Berlin Bear award at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival for the Best Actress in a Leading Role in Asghar Farhadi's internationally acclaimed film, A Separation (2011).Both parents were Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran- Actress
- Producer
Mikaela Mehrizi Hoover was born on July 12 in Colbert, Washington and is the first of 4 siblings. Mikaela started taking dance classes at age 2 and stared school plays and local commercials as a child. She was a cheerleader in high school and the captain of her high school dance team as well as being on the Debate team. After graduation she was accepted to Loyola Marymount University's theatre program in Los Angeles. After getting her BA in theatre she booked the first movie she auditioned for called "Frank". She later went on to play the role of Madison in the WB's "Sorority Forever" and landed a recurring role on the ABC show "Happy Endings". She has guest starred on many extremely popular sitcoms including "How I Met Your Mother", "Two and a Half Men", "Saint George", "The League", and "Anger Management". She has done many projects with writer/director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) including "The Sparky and Mikaela Show", "PG Porn", "Humanzee", and the movie "Super".Mother is Iranian; father has English and German ancestry; was born in Colbert, Washington- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Maz Jobrani was born on 26 February 1972 in Tehran, Iran. He is an actor and writer, known for Friday After Next (2002), Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero (2016) and Dragonfly (2002). He has been married to Preetha since 2006. They have two children.Both parents were Iranian; birth name was Maziyar Jobrani; was born in Tehran, Iran- Skandar Amin Casper Keynes (born 5 September 1991) is an English actor best known for starring as Edmund Pevensie in the 2005 film adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He returned in the role of Edmund in the film's sequels The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Keynes was born in London, to writer Randal Keynes and Zelfa Cecil Hourani, and has a sister called Soumaya. Through his father, Keynes is the great-great-great grandson of the famous scientist Charles Darwin. His paternal great-grandfather, Edgar Douglas Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1932.
His maternal grandfather, Cecil Fadlo Hourani, is a famous writer, and the brother of Albert Hourani, also a well-known writer and professor. Skandar's father is of English descent and his mother is of Lebanese, as well as Persian and Turkish, ancestry. He attended the Anna Scher Theatre School from 2000 to 2005, and the all-boys City of London School.Mother is one-quarter Iranian, one-half Lebanese, and one-quarter Turkish; father is English
Was born in London, England - Actor
- Writer
Currently starring in Hulu's "Love, Victor" Anthony Keyvan is a veteran actor that has been portraying various roles in both film and television since a young age of 5 years old. In "Love, Victor", Anthony plays Rahim, an unrestrained and funny LGBTQ+ student, following the events of the successful hit movie 'Love, Simon' starring Nick Robinson. In the past, Anthony has held recurring roles on networks including HBO, ABC, Netflix, TNT, CBS, Nickelodeon, Hulu, and more and has brought characters to life in shows such as "Generation", "Alexa & Katie", "Fresh Off the Boat", "The Rookie", "Major Crimes", "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland".
Hailing from Orange County, CA, Anthony is of Filipino and Iranian descent. He started acting school at a very early age and booked his first commercial, a TV spot for Disneyland within the first 5 months of training. Soon after, he booked a guest role on ABC's "Lost" which also happened to be the first theatrical audition he was sent on. Shortly after, he booked a major guest star role on 'Law & Order: SVU.' Other projects on Anthony's resume include ABC's "Schooled", CBS' "NCIS", CBS' "Bad Teacher", and ABC Family' "Twisted".
When Anthony is not pursuing his career in acting, he lives a healthy Vegan lifestyle and is very much interested in charities for mental health.Father is Iranian; mother is Filipino; was born in Long Beach, California- Yasmin Le Bon (née Parvaneh) is an English model, one of the highest-earning models during the 1980s, and known for being the wife of Simon Le Bon. She modeled for a local agency while she attended school, and after leaving signed with Models 1 Agency in London. In April 1987, she was hired by Guess? for an advertising campaign. She appeared on the cover of the first American and British issues of Elle and has also been on the covers of Vogue, V, I.D., Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar. As a model, Le Bon has also represented Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Bergdorf Goodman, Biotherm, Bloomingdale's, Bonwit Teller, Calvin Klein, Versace, Chanel, Christian Dior, Clairol, Escada, Filene's, Frasercard, Avon and Gianfranco Ferré. In January 2012, Le Bon wore a gown weighing 50 kg in the Stéphane Rolland spring/summer Haute Couture show in Paris.Father was Iranian; mother was English; birth name was Yasmin Parvaneh; was born in Oxford, England
Is married to Simon LeBon of the band Duran Duran - Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Andy Madadian is known for House of Sand and Fog (2003), Guardian Angel (2014) and American Wrestler: The Wizard (2016). He has been married to Shani Rigsbee since 11 November 2011.Is Iranian and Armenian; birth name was Andranik Madadian; was born in Tehran, Iran- A native of Valencia, CA, Nazanin Mandi Pimentel is a natural- Born Performer; Singing at age 5, Modeling at age 10, performing the Mozart Requiem at Carnegie Hall and acting at age 15. Her beginnings in the world of entertainment whispered Greatness from an early age.
Her evolution continues to be televised on hit shows, such as BET's "Twenties", CBS's "The Young and The Restless", Disney's "That's so Raven", E! Channel's "The Platinum Life" & currently a recurring role on BET's "Games People Play". With an inspiring array of print campaigns, that includes Savage x Fenty; Summer and Valentine's Day Campaign, Olay, Missguided, along with numerous editorials, interviews and films - "DreamCatcher" out March 2021 and "The Last Conception" out now on all streaming platforms. Her debut single "Forever Mood" premiered on Billboard in the summer of 2019 & in September 2020 she walked the official Savage X Fenty Show. Now a Certified Life Coach she hopes to bring ordinance and positivity to many for years to come.Is Iranian, Mexican, Spanish, and Native American; was born in Santa Clarita, California - Actor
- Producer
Marshall Manesh was born in Iran. He lost his father at an early age and was raised by his beloved mother, whom he feels he got his strength from to make it in show biz. He came to the United States in the mid '70s and joined the Persian Theater Group and traveled extensively through out the US, Canada and Europe for 8 years. His debut film was "True Lies" as Jamal Khaled, directed by James Cameron. Marshall has done more than 100 feature films, television projects and more than 40 commercials. He had a recurring roles on Will & Grace as Mr. Zamir, How I Met Your Mother as Ranjit, Scrubs as Dr. Akbar, and was also a series regular on Andy Barker P.I.Both parents were Iranian; was born in Masshad, Iran- Actress
- Producer
Sepideh Moafi is an American actress and singer. Moafi is best known for her role as Gigi Ghorbani in The L Word: Generation Q and Loretta in The Deuce. Moafi has also starred in Notorious, Falling Water and The Killing of Two Lovers. Moafi was born on September 18, 1985, in a refugee camp in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany.Prior to Moafi's birth, Moafi's parents had to flee Iran after the Islamic Revolution. After two years in Turkey and then Germany where Moafi's parents sought political asylum and claimed refugee status, Moafi's family were granted visas to come to the United States.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Regensburg, West Germany- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Marnò was born in Los Angeles, and went to boarding school at Phillips Academy, in Andover, Massachusetts. She then received a BA in Comparative Literature from Barnard College, Columbia University and an MFA in Acting at the Yale School of Drama. She has received additional training at the Guthrie Theater in Minnesota and at the Public Theater's Shakespeare Lab in New York.
Marnò received rave reviews for the one-woman show "Nine Parts of Desire" in which she portrayed nine different Middle Eastern women which ran at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
Marnò has lived in France, Germany, Sweden and Argentina, and speaks english, French, German, Farsi, and Spanish.
She is also a playwright. Her first play, When the Lights Went Out, premiered at New York Stage & Film, starring Laura Innes, directed by Kate Whoriskey.
She is the voice of Mirabelle Ervine and Namira in the video game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Los Angeles, Californis
Previously used the stage name Mozhan Marnò- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Born in Mashhad, Iran, Navid Negahban's passion for acting led him to Germany where he spent eight years before embarking on Hollywood. Dubbed as "the man of a thousand faces," he garnered critical acclaim for his role "Abu Nazir" on the Emmy® Award-winning series Homeland. His quiet and composed depiction of the al-Qaeda leader won Negahban worldwide recognition, but it was his portrayal of the Sultan, in Disney's remake of Aladdin, which made him a household name.
Negahban's film credits include Twelve Strong, American Assassin, Damascus Cover, Baba Joon, and American Sniper. His extensive and diverse television portfolio consists of the portrayal of "Amahl Farouk/The Shadow King" on FX's Legion, making him the first Farsi speaking character in the Marvel Universe. He has also guest starred in classics such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Law & Order: SVU, Veep, CSI:NY, The Closer, The West Wing, and more.
Negahban received a historic BAFTA nomination for his performance as "Hajj Agha" in the video game 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, marking the first time a Middle Eastern and Muslim actor has been nominated in this category.
In 2019 he started Romany Road Artist Foundation, a safe haven celebrating artistry, built by artists for artists.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Mashhad, Iran- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Kayvan Novak was born on 23 November 1978 in London, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Four Lions (2010), Fonejacker (2007) and Facejacker (2010).Both parents are Iranian; was born in London, England- Younan Nowzaradan was born on 11 October 1944 in Tehran, Iran.Both parents were Assyrian, a religious and ethnic minority in Iran; was born in Tehran, Iran
Received his medical degree from the University of Iran - Actor
- Director
- Producer
Adrian Pasdar was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Rosemarie Pasdar (née Sbresny), who owns a travel agency, and Homayoon Pasdar, a prominent heart surgeon. His father is Iranian and his mother, who was born in Germany, is of German, and some Polish, descent. At the age of 2, his father moved the family to Powelton, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. In high school, he excelled at football, eventually leading to a football scholarship at the University of Florida in 1983. Football may have been a promising future, had it not been for a terrible accident during his freshman year that left his face scarred and his legs badly injured. A very driven Adrian finished his freshman year in a wheelchair, doing intensive physical therapy and turning his attention to campus stage productions and rediscovered a childhood interest in writing and acting. No longer able to play football, he dropped out of school and returned home, taking a job with a theater group "People's Light and Theatre Company". Here, he worked on sound, lighting and set construction. While constructing a set, he cut off the end of his left thumb. Adrian, having the ability to turn tragedy into triumph, used his medical compensation to pay for attendance at the famous Lee Strasberg Theater Institute. At the age of 19, he auditioned for a role in Top Gun (1986). Director Tony Scott was so impressed that he wrote the part of "Chipper" just for him. This led to bigger roles in Solarbabies (1986), Streets of Gold (1986), and Kathryn Bigelow's 1987 cult vampire movie Near Dark (1987), with Adrian in the lead role of "Caleb Colton". He also appeared in Vital Signs (1990). Adrian has always been an actor ahead of his time, opting for roles in independent and cable movies long before they were considered fashionable for feature actors to do. In 1992, feeling completely out-of-touch with reality, Adrian left Hollywood to return to New York. He worked as a cashier for room and board, while taking the occasional small part, such as "Frankie" in Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (1993). Another major break came in 1995, when Adrian was cast as the title character on the short-lived Fox series Profit (1996). He continues to act in supporting roles and has now added directing to his already impressive body of work. He wrote and directed the short film Beyond Belief (1999) and also directed a feature film entitled Cement (2000).Father was Iranian; mother was German; was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts- Actress
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- Producer
Artemis Pebdani was born in Houston, Texas, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005), Scandal (2012) and Big City Greens (2018).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Houston, Texas- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Nasim Pedrad (born November 18, 1981) is an American actress and comedian best known for her five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1975) from 2009 to 2014. She has since gone on to co-star in sitcoms such as Mulaney (2014), Scream Queens (2015), People of Earth (2016), and New Girl (2011).
Pedrad was born in Tehran, Iran, to a Muslim family. Her parents are Arasteh Amani and Parviz Pedrad. Pedrad's family emigrated to the United States in 1984 when she was three years old. Her younger sister is comedy writer Nina Pedrad. Both sisters are fluent in Persian. The sisters were raised in Irvine, California, and graduated from University High School. Nasim graduated from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 2003. She was a member of the UCLA Spring Sing Company.
Pedrad was a performer with the Sunday Company at The Groundlings. She frequently performed her one-woman show Me, Myself & Iran at the Los Angeles divisions of ImprovOlympic and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. The show was selected for the 2007 HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. She received an LA Weekly Best Comedic Performance of the Year Award as the lead in the comedic spoof After School Special.
Pedrad made her first television appearance on an episode of Gilmore Girls (2000). In 2007, she made a guest appearance on The Winner (2007). She had a recurring role on ER (1994) as Nurse Suri. In 2009, she had a guest appearance on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005).
Pedrad joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2009 as part of the 35th (2009-2010) season. Pedrad is one of a handful of cast members born outside North America (joining Italian-born Tony Rosato, New Zealand-born Pamela Stephenson, English-born Morwenna Banks, and Chilean-born Horatio Sanz). Pedrad became a repertory player in the 2011-12 season after two years of being a featured player. Pedrad left SNL in 2014 to work on Mulaney.
In 2011, she was a recurring voice on the Fox animated series Allen Gregory (2011). She appeared with a small role in the 2011 film No Strings Attached (2011). In 2012, she had a supporting voice role in the animated feature film The Lorax (2012) and a small appearance in The Dictator (2012). In 2013, Pedrad had another supporting voice role in Despicable Me 2 (2013). In the autumn of 2014, she left Saturday Night Live to star in a new Fox sitcom, Mulaney. On October 18, 2014, Fox shut down production of the series by reducing the 16-episode order by three episodes. Filming for the thirteenth episode had just been completed prior to the order reduction, and the fourteenth episode was about to enter production.
Beginning in 2015, Pedrad has a recurring guest role as LAPD officer Aly Nelson on the Fox sitcom New Girl. She portrayed Gigi Caldwell in season one of Fox horror-comedy Scream Queens.
In 2016, she appeared in a commercial for Old Navy alongside comedian Kumail Nanjiani and other SNL cast members Cecily Strong and Jay Pharoah.
In 2017, she joined the cast of season two of the TBS comedy series People of Earth. Later that same year, she also made guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) and Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Medalion Rahimi was born in Los Angeles, California as a first generation Iranian-American. She began modeling at age four but begged her mother to enroll her in music and dance classes instead. She discovered her love for theater and acted in school plays and in local theater companies. After graduating from high school, she attended UCLA's School of Theatre, Film and TV. While at university, she booked starring roles in some of the school productions. She is known for playing Elody in Before I Fall (2017), Princess Isabella in Shondaland's Still Star-Crossed (2017), and Special Agent Fatima Namazi on 'NCIS: Los Angeles.'Mother is Iranian Jewish; father is Iranian Muslim; was born in Los Angeles, California- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Dominic Rains was born in Tehran, Iran. He is an actor and producer, known for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), Burn Country (2016) and The Taqwacores (2010).Both parents are Iranian; birth name was Amin Nazemzadeh; was born in Tehran, Iran- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Zuleikha Robinson was born in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Hidalgo (2004), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Homeland (2011). She was previously married to Sean Doyle.Is Indian, English, and possibly Iranian and Scottish; was born in London, England
Her name, Zuleikha, means “someone beautiful” in Persian- Actress
- Producer
Shiva Rose was born in Santa Monica, Los Angeles. An American of Irish and Iranian decent, she was raised in Iran until the age of ten when she and her family were forced to escape to Paris, then to Los Angeles.
She began her stage career at 15 at several theaters in Santa Monica. She attended UCLA and then married actor Dylan McDermott. While devoting her life as a mother to raise a daughter, she continued to act on stage, television and film.
She gained recognition for her starring role in the critically-acclaimed David and Layla which Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter described as "'A bold, politically relevant film against impossible odds." The film got theatrical distribution, followed by Time Warner's VOD and Digital Distribution. It continues to be distributed abroad.
David & Layla garnered Shiva Rose the "Best Breakthrough Actress" Award.
She continues her career in the theater as an actress and writer. She wrote Fragile Life based on the life of the photographer Tina Modotti.
She is active with several charitable organizations including being a spokesperson for Amnesty International Refugee Program.
Shiva Rose and Dylan McDermott divorced in 2009. She continues to write for various magazines (Vogue, Lucky) and online sites (eco-stilletto, Huffington Post). She maintains a life style website devoted to her organic holistic lifestyle called The Local Rose.
Currently (2011), she is the Executive Producer of a feature film 'Relative Insanity', starring Maggie Grace and Helen Hunt.
Shiva Rose lives with her two daughters in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California.Father is Iranian; mother has Irish, Welsh, and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry; birth name was Shiva Rose Afshar
Was born in Santa Monica, California- Actor
- Additional Crew
Aria Shahghasemi was born in Minneapolis, MN on October 7, 1996 to parents that had migrated to the USA from Iran.
He attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City where he acquired an acting apprenticeship in 2015. While in school there, he also worked as a bartender in a number of restaurants in New York City. He also worked as a production assistant for the short TV-movie, Wackademia.
He made his debut as Davis Bennett in the 2015 series, Unforgettable. In 2016, Aria was featured as Omar in the drama series, Law & Order. He came to some fame when he starred as Vet Tech in the 2018 TV series, Instinct, and as Elias Santoro in the high-ranked 2018 movie, No Alternative. In 2018, he became quite popular in his role as Landon Kirby in the TV show, The Originals, and very popular as Landon Kirby in the supernatural TV show, Legacies.Both parents are Iranian; was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota- Actress
- Producer
Sheila Shah is an actress, producer, advocate and humanitarian. She landed her first role as an FBI Agent in the highly successful franchise "Saw V" (2008) directed by David Hackl.
Sheila Shah grew up in Montreal, Canada, and relocated to Toronto when she was thirteen. She speaks fluent Farsi, French and English. Sheila's passion for the performing arts was evident throughout her early years, from dance performances to theatre, and in 2001, she won the title of Miss Iran, Canada.
Sheila is focus on projects with social impact and social change. The sister of twin brothers, one with cerebral palsy, Sheila has become the ambassador of March of Dimes of Canada and helped create awareness for the disease by attending and speaking at the celebrity golf classic tournaments and other events throughout the years. She is a member of the Global Advisory Council and an Advocate and Ambassador for CARE to help fight poverty by empowering women and girls. Among her efforts to bring awareness to this cause, she attended the National Conference to advocate for CARE in Capitol Hill, Washington, DC and the CAN summit in Atlanta in 2015. She has done campaigns for CARE for International Women's day. Sheila is a strong advocate and an ambassador of White Ribbon USA and White Ribbon Canada, which is the largest in the world MALE initiative, to help against violence towards women and children. She attended the UK Parliament on behalf of White Ribbon USA for The Miranda Brawn Leadership Foundation and met with John Bercow speaker of House of Commons to bring awareness to the cause. she is producing an advocacy short film "Reunited" to advocate for the legislative change of the Hague Convention on the civil aspects of International Child Abduction in the US and in Hague in Domestic violence aspects. In collaboration with White Ribbon Sheila wants to give a voice to thousands of women immigrants and refugee victims of domestic violence who seek asylum for a safer and better path and to protect themselves and their children from their abuser. She has helped and given her voice to other organization such as David Lynch Foundation and Go Campaign. Sheila did a campaign for the United Nation Environment program called "World Is In Our Hands" to raise awareness for climate change. In addition she has also hosted many NGOs including a CARE event for a group of diverse pre-school kids among who were visually impaired or had secondary impairments.
Besides her acting career, sheila earned a Bachelor Degree in Chemistry, a Post Graduate Degree in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, and subsequently worked in the pharmaceutical industry in both Toronto and Miami. While in Los Angeles, she fulfilled another passion of hers, graduating with an Associate of Arts Degree in Merchandise Marketing from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.Is a former Miss Iran; was born in Toronto, Canada- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Sarah Shahi was born Aahoo Jahansouzshahi in Euless, Texas, to an Iranian father and Spanish-Iranian mother. She is a former NFL cheerleader and a descendant of a 19th-century Persian Shah. She attended Trinity High School and Southern Methodist University, studied opera and majored in English. As a teenager, she won several beauty contests and took first place in the Miss Fort Worth USA pageant in 1997. She joined the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and was part of the 1999-2000 squad. She also appeared on the cover of their 2000 calendar.
While working as an extra on the set of Dr. T & the Women (2000), she met director Robert Altman, who encouraged her to move to Hollywood to pursue a career as an actress. Shahi was the first ghost in Supernatural (2005), the CW paranormal drama series. She had recurring roles in several TV series, such as Alias (2001), in which she played "Jenny"; and Dawson's Creek (1998), where she was "Sadia Shaw". She became a fan favorite in her role as the Mexican-American DJ "Carmen de la Pica Morales" in the Showtime series, The L Word (2004), which she joined in its second season. Sarah did not renew her contract with the show for a fourth season and, consequently, her character was written out.
However, she is best-known for her main role as "Sameen Shaw" on the CBS show Person of Interest (2011) playing a CIA agent turned-vigilante with a heart of gold.
She also appeared on HBO's The Sopranos (1999), in the episode Kennedy and Heidi (2007) as "Sonya Aragon", a stripper and a college student who spends a weekend with Tony after a death in his family. Although uncredited by most sources, Sarah also appeared in the Jackie Chan film, Rush Hour 3 (2007), as one of the girls being handcuffed along with Mia Tyler for a traffic offense by Chris Tucker early in the film. She also starred with Damian Lewis in the NBC show, Life (2007).
Sarah speaks English, Farsi, and some Spanish, and has a brown belt in karate.Father is Iranian; mother is Iranian and Spanish; birth name was Aahoo Jahansouzshahi; was born in Euless, Texas- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Yara Shahidi was born on 10 February 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Salt (2010), Black-ish (2014) and Grown-ish (2018).Father is Iranian; mother is African-American; was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota- Mike Shouhed was born on 12 October 1978 in Tehran, Iran. He was previously married to Jessica Parido.Both parents are Iranian Jewish; was born in Iran
- Bahar Soomekh was born on March 30, 1975 in Tehran, Iran, to a Persian Jewish family. She is the daughter of Manijeh and Hamid Soomekh, who owned a women's high fashion company. She has a sister, Saba Soomekh. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1979, to escape the Iranian revolution. She attended a yeshiva, Sinai Akiba Academy, and Beverly Hills High School, where she played the violin in the school orchestra. She majored in environmental studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Soomekh began working at a corporate job, and took acting classes at night, before quitting her job to pursue a full-time acting career.
Bahar began acting at age 27, guest starring in television shows like Without a Trace (2002), 24 (2001), JAG (1995), among others. She got her big break portraying an Iranian-American woman named Dorri, speaking fluent English and Farsi, in the Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Crash (2004). The whole cast won the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. Bahar also appeared in the director's cut version of another Academy Award winning movie, Syriana (2005), playing Yassi. Bahar got some more attention playing Davian's translator in Mission: Impossible III (2006). She had a leading role in the horror film Saw III (2006), playing a victim, Dr. Lynn Denlon. She had also portrayed Margo on the television series Day Break (2006). Recently, Soomekh got one of the lead roles as Hollis on the television series The Oaks (2008), which will come out in the fall of 2008.Both parents are Iranian Jewish; was born in Tehran - Actor
- Additional Crew
- Special Effects
Jay Tavare describes himself best when he says he is a storyteller and a citizen of the world.
Jay's acting performances in several Oscar winning films--with some of our era's most talented and acclaimed directors and actors--are the natural outcome of his eclectic life experiences and the direct result of his intense focus on excellence and dedication to authentic characters. Jay's onscreen roles include:
* Pathfinder (Marcus Nispel, 2007) as Black Wing, with Karl Urban and Clancy Brown * The Missing (Ron Howard, 2003) as Kayitah, with Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones * Cold Mountain (Anthony Minghella, 2003) as Swimmer, Jude Law's Cherokee half brother and fellow Confederate army warrior * Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002) as Matthew Osceola, the enigmatic Seminole orchid thief opposite Meryl Streep * Street Fighter (1994) as Vega, the devilishly handsome and lethal Spanish Ninja * Into the West (Steven Spielberg, 2005 mini-series) as Chief Prairie Fire opposite Keri Russell * CSI Miami season finale, Going Ballistic (2009) as Manny Ortega.
For his role on CSI Miami Jay performed all his own stunts for the episode, including an astounding world class 23 story controlled free fall (more than 200 feet!) which was awarded an Emmy nomination. This sort of feat has given Jay an onset reputation as a bit of a daredevil. But it is more accurate to say he is master of an impressive repertoire of physical skills. Jay does not promote himself as a stuntman, but his experience as an athlete and dancer gives him the rare ability to create seamlessly believable characters by preparing and performing his own stunts when the role calls for it. It's no surprise directors and fellow actors recognize him for this.Both parents were Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran; birth name was Nadar Jai Janani
Claims to be Native American, but this has been disproven- Sheila Vand was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Sheila is an actor, known for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), Argo (2012) and We the Animals (2018).Both parents are Iranian; was born in Los Angeles, California
- Benjamin Hassan Wadsworth was born on November 8, 1999 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor known for Deadly Class (2018), Teen Wolf (2017), and Your Honor (2020).
Benjamin became increasingly interested in acting during his childhood. Always finding himself enthralled with television and movie characters. He made his acting debut in local independent Texas films such as That Day (2015), Blank Check (2015), and Hunter (2017).Maternal grandfather is Iranian; paternal grandmother is Mexican; also has Swedish, Dutch, and English ancestry
Was born in Houston, Texas