Armenian Filmmakers in Hollywood and Beyond

1. Rouben Mamoulian

Rouben Mamoulian was born on October 8, 1897 in Tiflis, Russian Empire [now Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia]. He was a director and writer, known for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Applause (1929) and Becky Sharp (1935). He was married to Catharine Azadia Newman. He died on December 4, 1987 in ...

2. Sergei Parajanov

Director | Tini zabutykh predkiv

One of the 20th century's greatest masters of cinema Sergei Parajanov was born in Georgia to Armenian parents and it was always unlikely that his work would conform to the strict socialist realism that Soviet authorities preferred. After studying film and music, Parajanov became an assistant ...

3. Steven Zaillian

Writer | Searching for Bobby Fischer

Steven Zaillian was born on January 30, 1953 in Fresno, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), The Irishman (2019) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). He is married to Elizabeth Zaillian. They have two children.

4. Atom Egoyan

Director | The Sweet Hereafter

Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, he was raised in Western Canada. Both his parents were painters, and he planned to be a playwright, but after making a short film, he became hooked on telling stories visually. Returned to ethnic "homeland" when he filmed Calendar (1993) in Armenia. Won attention ...

5. Andy Serkis

Actor | War for the Planet of the Apes

English film actor, director and author Andy Serkis is known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for such computer-generated characters as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001-2003) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), ...

6. Eric Bogosian

Actor | Talk Radio

Eric Bogosian was born in Boston and grew up in Woburn, Massachusetts. After graduating from Woburn Memorial High School in 1971, he attended the University of Chicago and graduated from Oberlin College in 1976, whereupon he moved to New York City. In New York he was hired by the Kitchen as an ...

7. Simon Abkarian

Actor | Casino Royale

Simon Abkarian was born Simone Abkarian on March 5, 1962, in Gonesse, a northeastern suburb of Paris, France, into a French - Armenian family. Young Simon Abkarian grew up in a trilingual environment, he learned French at school in addition to his native Armenian, and also learned English by ...

8. Mardik Martin

Writer | Mean Streets

Mardik Martin is in the elite group of screenwriters on WGA's list of 101 Greatest Screenplays ever written. He immigrated to the United States from Iraq to attend 'New York University'. He won the Mahler award and graduated with a Master's degree in Screenwriting in 1968, then went on to teach at ...

9. Akim Tamiroff

Actor | Touch of Evil

Though born in Georgia and having a Russian-sounding name, Akim Tamiroff is actually of Armenian descent. At 19 he decided to pursue acting as a career and was chosen from among 500 applicants to the Moscow Art Theater School. There he studied under the great Konstantin Stanislavski, and launched a...

10. Charles Aznavour

Actor | Tirez sur le pianiste

Beloved French chanson entertainer Charles Aznavour, who wrote more than 800 songs, recorded more than 1,000 of them in French, English, Italian, German and Spanish and sold over 100 million records in all, was born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian on May 22, 1924, in Paris, the younger of two ...

11. Arlene Francis

Actress | The Thrill of It All

Arlene Francis, the witty actress and popular television personality, was born Arlene Francis Kazanjian on Oct. 20, 1907, in Boston. Her father was an Armenian immigrant, later painter and portrait photographer; her mother was the daughter of actor Alfred Davis. Even at an early age, Arlene said, "...

12. Marco Khan

Actor | 10,000 BC

Marco Khan(lian) is a true citizen of the world. He was born March 27th of Armenian parents in Tehran, Iran. His father, Levon was born in Lebanon and raised in Iran where he met his wife Anna, born in Babol, Iran. Marco's grandparents (from his mother's side) were a grandfather from Russia and a ...

13. William Saroyan

Writer | The Human Comedy

Oscar winner and Pulitzer Prize recipient William Saroyan, who gained world fame with his classic book "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" (1934), was born in California to Armenak and Takoohi Saroyan.

With his unmistakably American literary works, deeply rooted in his Armenian heritage, ...

14. Aram Khachaturyan

Soundtrack | 2001: A Space Odyssey

Aram Khachaturyan was born in 1903, in Tiflis, Russian Empire (now Tbilisi, Georgia). He was the fourth son in a modest Armenian family. His father was a book-binder and a craftsman; he noticed the son's musical talent and got him a used piano, but he did not have money for a music teacher. ...

15. Arthur Sarkissian

Producer | Rush Hour

Arthur Sarkissian was born on May 11, 1960 in Leninakan, Armenian SSR, USSR [now Gyumri, Armenia]. He is a producer and executive, known for Rush Hour (1998), Last Man Standing (1996) and The Foreigner (2017).

16. Roger Kupelian

Visual_effects | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Roger Kupelian is a multi-faceted cinematic artist and has contributed visuals to major Hollywood film projects. for close to three decades. His extensive list of credits includes Peter Jackson's Academy award winning The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, Tim ...

17. Edwin Avaness

Producer | 1st Born

Edwin Avaness received his Master of Arts Degree from Northwestern University's Radio-TV-Film Program, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film and Digital Media productions at University of California, Santa Cruz. He joined the executive board of Arpa Foundation for Film, Music & Art in 1999 and ...

18. Serj Minassians

Producer | Epic Denied: Depriving the Forty Days of Musa Dagh

Serj Minassians is known for Epic Denied: Depriving the Forty Days of Musa Dagh, Stream of Social Intercourse (1990) and Without Baggage.

19. Michael A. Goorjian

Actor | SLC Punk!

Michael Goorjian, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an American actor, filmmaker, and writer. As an actor, Michael won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for David's Mother (1994) with Kirstie Alley. He is also well known for his role as ...

20. Michael Vartan

Actor | Alias

Michael Vartan came to international acclaim with his starring role as 'Agent Michael Vaughn' on the worldwide hit ABC series, "Alias," which ran for five seasons. With upcoming film and television roles, he continues to explore the different facets of his talent and versatility.

Vartan currently ...

21. Sid Haig

Actor | House of 1000 Corpses

Tall, bald and nearly always bearded, Sid Haig provided hulking menace to many a low-budget exploitation film and high-priced action film.

Sid Haig was born Sidney Eddie Mosesian on July 14, 1939 in Fresno, California, a screaming ball of hair. His parents, Roxy (Mooradian) and Haig Mosesian, an ...

22. Peter Macdissi

Actor | The Losers

Peter Macdissi is an actor and producer who can be seen in the comedy-drama film "Uncle Frank," written and directed by Alan Ball. Macdissi produced and co-stars alongside Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis. He portrays 'Wally' who joins a road trip with his partner 'Frank' (Bettany) and his niece '...

23. Michel Legrand

Composer | The Thomas Crown Affair

Michel Legrand is a three-time Academy Award-winning French composer, conductor and pianist who composed over 200 film and television scores as well as recorded over a hundred albums of jazz, popular and classical music.

He was born on February 24, 1932, in Becon-les-Bruyeres, in the Paris suburbs, ...

24. Ludwig Manukian

Actor | Bosch

Born and raised in Southern California, Ludwig is an actor, writer, director, and martial artist. He is an advocate for Armenian causes and an ensemble member in the "Big Bad Armo Show". The Los Angeles Times called his one-man show, "I Ask You Ladies and Gentlemen", "harrowing ...powerful......

25. Anahid Avanesian

Actress | 10E

Born in Tehran, Iran of Armenian descent, Anahid Avanesian has been recognized as a genuine comedic force on stage and on the small and big screens. Cutting her comedic chops in several years of sketch comedy for television, Avanesian is considered one of the top Armenian and Persian performers in ...

26. Vahik Pirhamzei

Producer | My Uncle Rafael

Vahik Pirhamzei was born on November 6, 1968 in Tehran, Iran. He is a producer and actor, known for My Uncle Rafael (2012), Guardian Angel (2014) and 10E (2019).

27. Robert Nazar Arjoyan

Editor | I Promised Her Life

Award-winning filmmaker Robert Nazar Arjoyan was born in Glendale, CA to Armenian parents. As a child, he was consumed by rock & roll and feature films, especially those directed by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg early in their careers. He began playing guitar at the age of 10, and started ...

28. Silvana Ambar

Animation_department | Close Enough

Silvana Ambar has had a long and successful career creating visual art for the entertainment industry in animation. As an Art Director and Visual Development Artist she designed and created the scenery and backdrop for various 2D TV shows and 3D animated feature films. Of the many great experiences...

29. Levon Shant Demirjian

Special_effects | Captain America: The First Avenger

Levon Shant was born in Madrid, Spain in 1986 and resides in Los Angeles, Ca.

Of Armenian decent, Levon Shant started working in the industry at an early age, getting his first big break n 2006 when he started working for Roger Kupelian and his visual effects studio.

Levon Shant has worked on many ...

30. Samuel Khachikian

Director | Ghesseye shab-e Yalda

Born 1923 in Tabriz to a family of Armenian immigrants. Khachikian's father escaped the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and settled in Tabriz. His mother admired cinema and the arts and often took her children to the theater. Samuel Khachikian published his first poem "The Prison" in the Armenian ...

31. Allen Hughes

Director | The Book of Eli

Albert and Allen Hughes began making movies at age 12, but their formal film education began their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled How To Be A Burglar and people began to take notice. Their next work, Uncensored videos, was ...

32. Albert Hughes

Director | The Book of Eli

Albert and Allen Hughes began making movies at age 12, but their formal film education began their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled How To Be A Burglar and people began to take notice. Their next work, Uncensored videos, was ...

33. Anna Melikyan

Producer | Zvezda

Anna Melikian (born February 8, 1976) is an Armenian-Russian film and TV director/ producer whose work has been recognized with several awards. After her participation at Sundance Film Festival she was listed in the TOP 10 of most perspective film directors by Variety magazine.

Melikian studied at ...

34. Robert Guédiguian

Producer | Marius et Jeannette

Robert Guédiguian was born on December 3, 1953 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He is a producer and writer, known for Marius and Jeannette (1997), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (2011) and La ville est tranquille (2000). He has been married to Ariane Ascaride since 1975.

35. Robert Kechichian

Director | Aram

Robert Kechichian is known for Aram (2002), The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988) and Taxi 2 (2000).

36. Richard C. Sarafian

Director | Vanishing Point

Richard C. Sarafian was born on April 28, 1930 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and actor, known for Vanishing Point (1971), Bugsy (1991) and Blue Streak (1999). He was married to Helen Joan Altman. He died on September 18, 2013 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

37. Deran Sarafian

Producer | Swamp Thing

Deran Sarafian began his filmmaking career attending UCLA and working for Roger Corman on films such as ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL. Inspired by European filmmakers, he moved to Rome where he began writing and quickly sold and directed his first low budget independent feature film THE FALLING, starring...

38. Francis Veber

Writer | Le dîner de cons

Francis Veber was born on July 28, 1937 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France. He is a writer and director, known for Le Dîner de Cons (1998), The Birdcage (1996) and Ruby & Quentin (2003). He has been married to Françoise Veber since January 11, 1964. They have two ...

39. Henri Verneuil

Director | I... comme Icare

Henri Verneuil was born on October 15, 1920 in Rodosto, Ottoman Empire [now Tekirdag, Turkey]. He was a director and writer, known for I... For Icarus (1979), The Sheep Has Five Legs (1954) and Mother (1991). He was married to Françoise Bonnot and Véronique Sedro. He died on January 11, 2002 in ...

40. Arsinée Khanjian

Actress | Ararat

Arsinée Khanjian was born on September 6, 1958 in Beirut, Lebanon. She is an actress and producer, known for Ararat (2002), Exotica (1994) and The Captive (2014). She is married to Atom Egoyan. They have one child.

41. Katherine Sarafian

Producer | Brave

Katherine Sarafian is the Senior Vice President, Talent, at Pixar Animation Studios. In this capacity, she oversees the development and cultivation of Pixar's workforce at all levels, helping shape the filmmaking experience at the studio.

A Pixar veteran, Sarafian produced the Academy Award®-winning...

42. Alain Terzian

Producer | Les visiteurs

Alain Terzian was born on May 2, 1949 in Paris, France. He is a producer and actor, known for The Visitors (1993), Le choc (1982) and Operation Corned Beef (1991).

43. Mark Vahradian

Producer | Transformers

Mark Vahradian is known for Transformers (2007), Infinite (2021) and Deepwater Horizon (2016).

44. Howard G. Kazanjian

Producer | Demolition Man

Howard G. Kazanjian was born on July 26, 1942 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is a producer and assistant director, known for Demolition Man (1993), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He has been married to Carol Anne Eskijian since May ...

45. Ken Davitian

Actor | Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Ken Davitian was born on June 19, 1953 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Borat (2006), Get Smart (2008) and S.W.A.T. (2003). He has been married to Ellen Baca since July 22, 1977. They have two children.

46. Andrea Martin

Actress | My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Heralded as "one of the funniest women on Broadway" by the New York Times, ANDREA MARTIN is a multi-talented award-winning actress who won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in MY FAVORITE YEAR. She has since become the featured actress with the most ...

47. Adrienne Barbeau

Actress | Escape from New York

Adrienne Jo Barbeau is an American actress and author best known for her roles on the sitcom Maude (1972) and in horror films, especially those directed by John Carpenter, with whom she was once married. She was born on June 11, 1945 in Sacramento, California, the daughter of an executive for Mobil...

48. Mike Connors

Actor | Mannix

He once jokingly described himself as 'a frustrated song-and-dance man' who wound up typecast as a TV crime fighter. Tall, handsome Armenian-American Mike Connors had a minor career in the movies before becoming a star on the small screen as the impeccably dressed macho sleuth Joe Mannix. Towards ...

49. Anoush NeVart

Actress | The Kominsky Method

Anoush NeVart was born in the USA. She is an actress, known for The Kominsky Method (2018), Mother's Day (2016) and Ray Donovan (2013).

50. Robert A. Papazian

Producer | Rome

Robert A. Papazian is known for Rome (2005), Nash Bridges (1996) and Inherit the Wind (1988). He has been married to Sandy Papazian since February 1, 1970. They have four children.

51. Tom Mardirosian

Actor | Trading Places

Tom grew up in Buffalo, New York and first got interested in theater while in the Army. A member of the Special Forces theatre troop at Fort Bragg, he toured Third Army service clubs, performing the works of Brecht, Ibsen and Shakespeare. Later, Tom taught acting at the Studio Arena Theatre School ...

52. Ted Bogosian

Producer | Anatomy of a 'Homicide: Life on the Street'

Ted Bogosian was born in 1951. He is a producer and director, known for Anatomy of a 'Homicide: Life on the Street' (1998), What Love Is: The Duke Pathfinders 50 (2012) and Nova (1974).

53. Eric Nazarian

Writer | Die Like A Man

Born in Armenia and raised in Los Angeles, Eric Nazarian is a graduate of the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Cinematic Arts where he earned a B.A. in Film Production.

"The Blue Hour," his first feature film as writer-director, is composed of four stories about working-class ...

54. Cher

Actress | Moonstruck

The beat goes on ... and on ... and as strong as ever for this superstar entertainer who has well surpassed the half-century mark while improbably transforming herself from an artificial, glossy "flashionplate" singer into a serious, Oscar-worthy, dramatic actress ... and back again! With more ups ...