Iranian Actors and Celebrities in Hollywood
by jonesie12345 | created - 30 Aug 2022 | updated - 1 week ago | PublicPersia 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
1. Freddie Mercury
Soundtrack | Flash Gordon
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 ...
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
2. Omid Abtahi
Actor | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Omid Abtahi was born on July 12, 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
3. Shohreh Aghdashloo
Actress | House of Sand and Fog
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...
Both parents were Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran; birth name was Shohreh Vaziri-Tabar
Aghdashloo was the surname of her first husband
4. Freema Agyeman
Actress | Doctor Who
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 ...
Mother is Iranian; father is African from Ghana
Was born in London, England
5. Desiree Akhavan
Director | Appropriate Behavior
Desiree Akhavan was born on December 27, 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
6. Christiane Amanpour
Actress | Zoolander 2
Christiane Amanpour was born on January 12, 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
7. Tala Ashe
Actress | Legends of Tomorrow
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 ...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran; birth name was Talayeh Ashrafi
8. Mina Badie
Actress | Road to Perdition
Mina Badie was born on November 28, 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
9. Kimia Behpoornia
Actress | Atypical
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
10. Catherine Bell
Actress | Bruce Almighty
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. ...
Mother is Iranian; father is Scottish; was born in London, England
11. Nadia Bjorlin
Actress | Days of Our Lives
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 ...
Mother is Iranian; father is Swedish composer and conductor Ulf Björlin; was born in Newport, Rhode Island
12. Nazanin Boniadi
Actress | Hotel Mumbai
Nazanin Boniadi is rapidly making her mark in both film and television. She co-starred as CIA analyst Fara Sherazi on seasons three and four of the Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning drama Homeland (2011), for which she shared a 2015 SAG Award nomination in the Outstanding Performance by an ...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran
13. David Dastmalchian
Actor | Oppenheimer
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 ...
Father is Iranian; mother has English, German, and Italian ancestry; was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
14. Omid Djalili
Actor | The Mummy
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 ...
Both parents were Iranian and members of the Bahá’í faith; was born in London, England
15. Ramin Djawadi
Composer | Game of Thrones
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 ...
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""
16. Emun Elliott
Actor | Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Emun Elliott was born on November 28, 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
17. Eman Esfandi
Actor | King Richard
Eman Esfandi was born on September 27, 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
18. Reza Farahan
Actor | Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Reza Farahan was born on August 5, 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
19. Golshifteh Farahani
Actress | Paterson
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 ...
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
20. Shaghayegh Farahani
Actress | Butterfly in the Wind
Shaghayegh Farahani was born on July 24, 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
21. Asghar Farhadi
Writer | Forooshande
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...
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
22. Pegah Ghafoori
Actress | From
Pegah Ghafoori was born on April 18, 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
23. Golnesa Gharachedaghi
Self | Shahs of Sunset
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 ...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Los Angeles, California
24. Nicholas Guilak
Actor | Saving Jessica Lynch
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 ...
Both parents are Iranian; birth name was Arash Edward Guilak; was born in Houston, Texas
25. Leila Hatami
Actress | Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
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),...
Both parents were Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran
26. Mikaela Hoover
Actress | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
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 ...
Mother is Iranian; father has English and German ancestry; was born in Colbert, Washington
27. Maz Jobrani
Actor | Friday After Next
Maz Jobrani was born on February 26, 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
28. Skandar Keynes
Actor | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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 ...
Mother is one-quarter Iranian, one-half Lebanese, and one-quarter Turkish; father is English
Was born in London, England
29. Anthony Keyvan
Actor | XO, Kitty
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...
Father is Iranian; mother is Filipino; was born in Long Beach, California
30. Yasmin Le Bon
Actress | Duran Duran: Girl Panic!
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 ...
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
31. Andy Madadian
Actor | House of Sand and Fog
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 November 11, 2011.
Is Iranian and Armenian; birth name was Andranik Madadian; was born in Tehran, Iran
32. Nazanin Mandi
Actress | Dreamcatcher
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 ...
Is Iranian, Mexican, Spanish, and Native American; was born in Santa Clarita, California
33. Marshall Manesh
Actor | The Big Lebowski
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, ...
Both parents were Iranian; was born in Masshad, Iran
34. Sepideh Moafi
Actress | Black Bird
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 ...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Regensburg, West Germany
35. Navid Negahban
Actor | Aladdin
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 ...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Mashhad, Iran
36. Kayvan Novak
Actor | Four Lions
Kayvan Novak was born on November 23, 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
37. Younan Nowzaradan
Self | My 600-lb Life
Younan Nowzaradan was born on October 11, 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
38. Adrian Pasdar
Actor | Carlito's Way
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 ...
Father was Iranian; mother was German; was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
39. Artemis Pebdani
Actress | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
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
40. Nasim Pedrad
Actress | Despicable Me 2
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 ...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Tehran, Iran
41. Medalion Rahimi
Actress | Before I Fall
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 ...
Mother is Iranian Jewish; father is Iranian Muslim; was born in Los Angeles, California
42. Dominic Rains
Actor | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
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
43. Zuleikha Robinson
Actress | Hidalgo
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
44. Shiva Rose
Actress | David & Layla
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 ...
Father is Iranian; mother has Irish, Welsh, and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry; birth name was Shiva Rose Afshar
Was born in Santa Monica, California
45. Aria Shahghasemi
Actor | Legacies
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...
Both parents are Iranian; was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
46. Sheila Shah
Actress | Rambo: Last Blood
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, ...
Is a former Miss Iran; was born in Toronto, Canada
47. Sarah Shahi
Actress | Black Adam
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 ...
Father is Iranian; mother is Iranian and Spanish; birth name was Aahoo Jahansouzshahi; was born in Euless, Texas
48. Yara Shahidi
Actress | Salt
Yara Shahidi was born on February 10, 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
49. Mike Shouhed
Self | Shahs of Sunset
Mike Shouhed was born on October 12, 1978 in Tehran, Iran. He was previously married to Jessica Parido.
Both parents are Iranian Jewish; was born in Iran
50. Bahar Soomekh
Actress | Crash
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...
Both parents are Iranian Jewish; was born in Tehran
51. Jay Tavare
Actor | Adaptation.
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 ...
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
52. Sheila Vand
Actress | A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
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
53. Benjamin Wadsworth
Actor | Your Honor
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 ...
Maternal grandfather is Iranian; paternal grandmother is Mexican; also has Swedish, Dutch, and English ancestry
Was born in Houston, Texas
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