Shohreh Aghdashloo
Encyclopedia
Shohreh Aghdashloo is an Iranian American actress.
After establishing a theatre and film career in Iran, Aghdashloo moved to England during the Iranian Revolution
in 1979, and subsequently became a citizen of the United States. After several years playing supporting roles in television and film, her performance in House of Sand and Fog (2003) brought her several film critics' awards and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
. She has continued to play supporting and character
roles in film and television and won an Emmy Award for her work in the television drama House of Saddam
(2008).
, Iran
as Shohreh Pari Vaziri-Tabar ("Aghdashloo" is the family name of her former husband, Iranian painter Aydin Aghdashloo
), to a wealthy Muslim family. Aghdashloo started acting at the age of 18. Following numerous starring roles on the stage, she was offered her first film role in Gozāresh (The Report) directed by director Abbas Kiarostami
, which won the Critics Award at the Moscow Film Festival. Her next film was Shatranje Bad (loosely translated: Chess With The Wind), directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani which screened at several film festivals. Both films were banned in her home country, but in 1978, Aghdashloo won acclaim for her performance in Sooteh Delan (Broken Hearts), directed by the late Iranian filmmaker Ali Hatami
which established her as one of Iran's leading actresses.
During the 1979 Revolution
, Aghdashloo left Iran for Windermere, Cumbria, England
in 1978, where she completed her education. Aghdashloo still owns a separate vacation villa that she attends during most summer
parts of the year. She earned a Bachelor's degree
in International Relations
. She continued to pursue her acting career, however, which brought her to Los Angeles
. In 1987 Aghdashloo married actor/playwright Houshang Touzie. They had one daughter in 1989. She has since performed in a number of Touzie's plays, successfully taking them to national and international stages, primarily in the Iranian community.
Aghdashloo narrated a documentary called Iranium
which documents the development of Iran's nuclear threat, beginning with the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the ideology installed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini; tracks Iran's use of terror as a tool of policy, beginning with the 444 day seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, through Iran's insurgent actions in Iraq and Afghanistan; details the brutal nature of the Iranian regime to its own citizens, and the Iranian people's desire to rejoin the international community; and outlines the various scenarios the greater Middle East and the Western world may face should Iran cross the nuclear threshold. She came under heavy criticism for her role in the movie from organizations in the Iranian Diaspora, such as the National Iranian American Council. Criticism of the movie and her role in it were also documented by BBC Persian.
television series Matlock
, titled "Nowhere to Turn: A Matlock Mystery Movie". Aghdashloo played a saleslady and was credited for this simply as Shohreh. She returned to American TV three years later when she played a guest role in the popular comedy series Martin. In the episode from April 1, 1993, she played the character Malika. In that same year she also made her next film appearance in Twenty Bucks
, playing Ghada Holiday.
After seven years, Aghdashloo returned once again to the American film industry in 2000, starring in the critically acclaimed Surviving Paradise
(راز بهشت), the first English language Iranian-American feature film released in the United States, written and directed by Kamshad Kooshan
. Having been shown at major International Film Festivals, Surviving Paradise went on to become one of the most well received Iranian films in the U.S. Aghdashloo made a brief two-episode performance in short-lived Honduran
television series, The Honduran Suburbs, in which she played Zereshk, an Iranian woman who had arrived in the country to help the poor situation. In that year she also starred in Maryam
(in which she played Mrs. Armin). After appearing as an exiled actress in America So Beautiful in 2001, Aghdashloo played opposite Ben Kingsley
and Jennifer Connelly
in director Vadim Perelman
's House of Sand and Fog (2003). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
, however the award was won by Renee Zellweger
for Cold Mountain
.
Following this exposure, she received good reviews for her 12 episodes on Season 4 of the Fox Broadcasting Company
television series 24
, playing Dina Araz, a terrorist undercover in Los Angeles
as a well-to-do housewife and mother. This storyline raised controversy in Iranian-American
and Muslim-American communities, and in an interview with Time
magazine, Aghdashloo stated that although she had previously resisted reinforcing the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists, the strength and complexity of the role convinced her to accept the part. She went on to guest star on two episodes of NBC shows that were broadcast the same night, March 23, 2006: The "Cowboys and Iranians" episode of the comedy Will & Grace
, in which she played a wannabe interior designer who, to the confusion of Grace, is a Persian Jew; and the "Lost in America" episode of the medical drama ER
, playing a bereaved mother who loses her daughter in the trauma room. Her real daughter Vanessa played the young girl.
Aghdashloo continued to appear in films. She played Dr. Adani in the 2005 movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose
and also appeared as the Asian-Indian Dr. Kavita Rao in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand
. Two other parts also came her way in 2006, that of a wealthy housewife whose family lovingly takes in their cousin (who has been sent by Pakistani terrorists to kill the American president) in the satirical comedy American Dreamz
and that of Dr. Anna Klyczynski, friend and colleague to Sandra Bullock
's character Kate, in The Lake House
.
On January 19, 2011, Aghdashloo starred in "Dirty", an episode of the NBC crime drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Detective Saliyah 'Sunny' Qadri.
Her other credits include narrating and producing a documentary Mystic Iran: The Unseen World, narrating the PBS documentary Iran: A Celebration of Art and Culture, narrating the audiobook version of Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia and lending her vocal talents to animated movie Babak and Friends
- A First Norooz. She also starred in the 2004 one-hour-long pilot episode "The Secret Service" (which was not picked up) and played the character Charlie in two of three aired episodes of the flopped TV series Smith
.
At the end of 2006, Aghdashloo appeared as Elizabeth
, cousin of the Virgin Mary, in the biblical film The Nativity Story
. Aghdashloo has noted the irony that she is a Muslim
playing a Jewish character.
In the movie Mona's Dream, Aghdashloo portrays Mona's mother, who is a Baha'i.
Aghdashloo plays the lead character, Zahra Khanum, in the movie The Stoning of Soraya M.
, a drama film released on June 26, 2009 in the United States. This film marks the first time during her career in America where she plays a leading character in a major feature-length motion picture.
Aghdashloo won a 2009 Emmy Award
for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries, her first Emmy, for her supporting role on the HBO original miniseries, House of Saddam
.
Speaking to a crowd of over 1,400 people at George Washington University
’s Lisner Auditorium on September 12, 2009, Aghdashloo, author Dr. Azar Nafisi
, and Dr. Dwight Bashir, Associate Director for Policy at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
, added their voices to those concerned about human rights in Iran
and the persecution of Bahá'ís
in Iran. Aghdashloo's talk in particular was posted to YouTube
.
Aghdashloo voiced Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, a character from the videogame Mass Effect 2
.
On October 9, 2010, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans awarded Aghdashloo their Career Achievement Award during its first annual gala.
After establishing a theatre and film career in Iran, Aghdashloo moved to England during the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
in 1979, and subsequently became a citizen of the United States. After several years playing supporting roles in television and film, her performance in House of Sand and Fog (2003) brought her several film critics' awards and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. She has continued to play supporting and character
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
roles in film and television and won an Emmy Award for her work in the television drama House of Saddam
House of Saddam
House of Saddam is a 2008 drama that charts the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO Films, the series was first broadcast on BBC Two in four parts between 30 July and 20 August 2008. The mini-series has been very well received across the Arab...
(2008).
Early life
Aghdashloo was born in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
as Shohreh Pari Vaziri-Tabar ("Aghdashloo" is the family name of her former husband, Iranian painter Aydin Aghdashloo
Aydin Aghdashloo
Aydin Aghdashloo is an Iranian painter, author, art critic, art historian and graphic designer.He currently lives in Tehran, Iran and lectures in different Iranian Universities besides his professional work.- Early life :...
), to a wealthy Muslim family. Aghdashloo started acting at the age of 18. Following numerous starring roles on the stage, she was offered her first film role in Gozāresh (The Report) directed by director Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. An active filmmaker since 1970, Kiarostami has been involved in over forty films, including shorts and documentaries...
, which won the Critics Award at the Moscow Film Festival. Her next film was Shatranje Bad (loosely translated: Chess With The Wind), directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani which screened at several film festivals. Both films were banned in her home country, but in 1978, Aghdashloo won acclaim for her performance in Sooteh Delan (Broken Hearts), directed by the late Iranian filmmaker Ali Hatami
Ali Hatami
Ali Hatami was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, art Director and costume designer.-Background:Graduated in cinema from Faculty of Dramatic Arts, his debut was Hasan Kachal , the first Iranian musical film...
which established her as one of Iran's leading actresses.
During the 1979 Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
, Aghdashloo left Iran for Windermere, Cumbria, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1978, where she completed her education. Aghdashloo still owns a separate vacation villa that she attends during most summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
parts of the year. She earned a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. She continued to pursue her acting career, however, which brought her to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In 1987 Aghdashloo married actor/playwright Houshang Touzie. They had one daughter in 1989. She has since performed in a number of Touzie's plays, successfully taking them to national and international stages, primarily in the Iranian community.
Aghdashloo narrated a documentary called Iranium
Iranium
Iranium is a 2011 documentary film that explores the Iranian nuclear program as it pertains to strategic threats against the West, and Islamic fundamentalism in Iran....
which documents the development of Iran's nuclear threat, beginning with the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the ideology installed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini; tracks Iran's use of terror as a tool of policy, beginning with the 444 day seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, through Iran's insurgent actions in Iraq and Afghanistan; details the brutal nature of the Iranian regime to its own citizens, and the Iranian people's desire to rejoin the international community; and outlines the various scenarios the greater Middle East and the Western world may face should Iran cross the nuclear threshold. She came under heavy criticism for her role in the movie from organizations in the Iranian Diaspora, such as the National Iranian American Council. Criticism of the movie and her role in it were also documented by BBC Persian.
Career in the United States
Aghdashloo made her American film debut in 1989 in a starring role in Guests of Hotel Astoria. Her TV debut came in 1990 in a guest role in the 25 September, two-hour episode of the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
, titled "Nowhere to Turn: A Matlock Mystery Movie". Aghdashloo played a saleslady and was credited for this simply as Shohreh. She returned to American TV three years later when she played a guest role in the popular comedy series Martin. In the episode from April 1, 1993, she played the character Malika. In that same year she also made her next film appearance in Twenty Bucks
Twenty Bucks
Twenty Bucks is a 1993 film that follows the travels of a $20 bill from a crisp new note from the ATM in downtown Minneapolis through various transactions and incidents from person to person through the city....
, playing Ghada Holiday.
After seven years, Aghdashloo returned once again to the American film industry in 2000, starring in the critically acclaimed Surviving Paradise
Surviving Paradise
Surviving Paradise is a 2001 American Family Adventure/drama film written & directed by Kamshad Kooshan. With three months of theatrical release in Major theaters in Southern California and San Francisco Bay Area, it is considered to be the First English Language Iranian-American film distributed...
(راز بهشت), the first English language Iranian-American feature film released in the United States, written and directed by Kamshad Kooshan
Kamshad Kooshan
Kamshad Kooshan is an Iranian-American Movie Writer and Director. Iranian-born & Bay Area film director, screenwriter and film producer, , immigrated to the United States at the age of Sixteen. He has been involved with photography since the age of 12 and has had many exhibitions...
. Having been shown at major International Film Festivals, Surviving Paradise went on to become one of the most well received Iranian films in the U.S. Aghdashloo made a brief two-episode performance in short-lived Honduran
Hondurans
Hondurans are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage from Honduras. Most Hondurans live in Honduras, although there is also a significant Honduran diaspora, particularly in the United States with smaller communities in other countries around the world...
television series, The Honduran Suburbs, in which she played Zereshk, an Iranian woman who had arrived in the country to help the poor situation. In that year she also starred in Maryam
Maryam (film)
Maryam is a 2002 film about a young woman who is an Iranian immigrant living in the United States at the time of the Iran hostage crisis. The film was written and directed by Ramin Serry. Mariam Parris plays the young woman...
(in which she played Mrs. Armin). After appearing as an exiled actress in America So Beautiful in 2001, Aghdashloo played opposite Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley, CBE is a British actor. He has won an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards in his career. He is known for starring as Mohandas Gandhi in the film Gandhi in 1982, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
and Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Lynn Connelly is an American film actress, who began her career as a child model. She appeared in magazine, newspaper and television advertising, before making her motion picture debut in the 1984 crime film Once Upon a Time in America...
in director Vadim Perelman
Vadim Perelman
Vadim Perelman is a Ukrainian-American film director. Perelman made his feature film directorial debut in 2003 with House of Sand and Fog, following a successful career as a commercial director. The film, nominated for three Academy Awards, also marks his first screenplay credit...
's House of Sand and Fog (2003). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
, however the award was won by Renee Zellweger
Renée Zellweger
Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
for Cold Mountain
Cold Mountain (film)
Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier...
.
Following this exposure, she received good reviews for her 12 episodes on Season 4 of the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, playing Dina Araz, a terrorist undercover in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
as a well-to-do housewife and mother. This storyline raised controversy in Iranian-American
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
and Muslim-American communities, and in an interview with Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine, Aghdashloo stated that although she had previously resisted reinforcing the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists, the strength and complexity of the role convinced her to accept the part. She went on to guest star on two episodes of NBC shows that were broadcast the same night, March 23, 2006: The "Cowboys and Iranians" episode of the comedy Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, in which she played a wannabe interior designer who, to the confusion of Grace, is a Persian Jew; and the "Lost in America" episode of the medical drama ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, playing a bereaved mother who loses her daughter in the trauma room. Her real daughter Vanessa played the young girl.
Aghdashloo continued to appear in films. She played Dr. Adani in the 2005 movie The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 American courtroom drama horror film directed by Scott Derrickson. The film is loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic defense lawyer representing a parish priest who is accused by the state of negligent homicide...
and also appeared as the Asian-Indian Dr. Kavita Rao in the 2006 film X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
. Two other parts also came her way in 2006, that of a wealthy housewife whose family lovingly takes in their cousin (who has been sent by Pakistani terrorists to kill the American president) in the satirical comedy American Dreamz
American Dreamz
American Dreamz is a 2006 comedy/parody film that satirizes both American politics and popular entertainment.Director/producer/writer Paul Weitz has stated that the movie is meant to satirize both the TV show American Idol and the Bush Administration...
and that of Dr. Anna Klyczynski, friend and colleague to Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
's character Kate, in The Lake House
The Lake House (film)
The Lake House: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released in 2006.# "This Never Happened Before" - Paul McCartney# " Make You Mine" - The Clientele# "Time Has Told Me" - Nick Drake# "Ant Farm" - Eels...
.
On January 19, 2011, Aghdashloo starred in "Dirty", an episode of the NBC crime drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
as Detective Saliyah 'Sunny' Qadri.
Her other credits include narrating and producing a documentary Mystic Iran: The Unseen World, narrating the PBS documentary Iran: A Celebration of Art and Culture, narrating the audiobook version of Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia and lending her vocal talents to animated movie Babak and Friends
Babak and Friends
Babak and Friends - A First Norooz is a direct-to-DVD animated film by Norooz Productions, later renamed Big Bad Boo Studios. The 33-minute cartoon was released in 2005. The film was made to teach children about the Persian New Year Norooz, celebrating the coming of spring and is about a little boy...
- A First Norooz. She also starred in the 2004 one-hour-long pilot episode "The Secret Service" (which was not picked up) and played the character Charlie in two of three aired episodes of the flopped TV series Smith
Smith (TV series)
Smith is an American television drama that premiered on September 16, 2006 at 10:00 PM ET on CBS and on September 18, 2006 on CTV in Canada...
.
At the end of 2006, Aghdashloo appeared as Elizabeth
Elizabeth (Biblical person)
Elizabeth is also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva...
, cousin of the Virgin Mary, in the biblical film The Nativity Story
The Nativity Story
The Nativity Story is a 2006 drama film based on the nativity of Jesus starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and Shohreh Aghdashloo. Filming began on May 1, 2006 in Matera, Italy and in Morocco. New Line Cinema released it on December 1, 2006 in the United States and one week later on December 8 in the...
. Aghdashloo has noted the irony that she is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
playing a Jewish character.
In the movie Mona's Dream, Aghdashloo portrays Mona's mother, who is a Baha'i.
Aghdashloo plays the lead character, Zahra Khanum, in the movie The Stoning of Soraya M.
The Stoning of Soraya M.
The Stoning of Soraya M. is a 2008 American drama film adapted from French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam's 1990 book La Femme Lapidée, based on a true story...
, a drama film released on June 26, 2009 in the United States. This film marks the first time during her career in America where she plays a leading character in a major feature-length motion picture.
Aghdashloo won a 2009 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Miniseries, her first Emmy, for her supporting role on the HBO original miniseries, House of Saddam
House of Saddam
House of Saddam is a 2008 drama that charts the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO Films, the series was first broadcast on BBC Two in four parts between 30 July and 20 August 2008. The mini-series has been very well received across the Arab...
.
Speaking to a crowd of over 1,400 people at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
’s Lisner Auditorium on September 12, 2009, Aghdashloo, author Dr. Azar Nafisi
Azar Nafisi
Azar Nafisi, born ca. 1947, is an Iranian academic and bestselling writer who has resided in the United States since 1997 when she emigrated from Iran. Her field is English language literature....
, and Dr. Dwight Bashir, Associate Director for Policy at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate...
, added their voices to those concerned about human rights in Iran
Human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
The state of human rights in Iran has been criticized both by Iranians and international human right activists, writers, and NGOs. The United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Commission have condemned prior and ongoing abuses in Iran in published critiques and several resolutions.The...
and the persecution of Bahá'ís
Persecution of Bahá'ís
The persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
in Iran. Aghdashloo's talk in particular was posted to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Aghdashloo voiced Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, a character from the videogame Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011...
.
On October 9, 2010, the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans awarded Aghdashloo their Career Achievement Award during its first annual gala.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Shatranje Bad | ||
| 1977 | Gozaresh | ||
| 1978 | Sooteh-Delan | Aghdas | |
| 1989 | Guests of Hotel Astoria | Mrs. Pori Karemnia | first American film role |
| 1991 | Raha | Raha | |
| 1993 | Twenty Bucks Twenty Bucks Twenty Bucks is a 1993 film that follows the travels of a $20 bill from a crisp new note from the ATM in downtown Minneapolis through various transactions and incidents from person to person through the city.... |
Ghada Holiday | |
| 2000 | Surviving Paradise Surviving Paradise Surviving Paradise is a 2001 American Family Adventure/drama film written & directed by Kamshad Kooshan. With three months of theatrical release in Major theaters in Southern California and San Francisco Bay Area, it is considered to be the First English Language Iranian-American film distributed... (راز بهشت) |
Pari | First English language Iranian-American feature film distributed theatrically in the United States, written and directed by Kamshad Kooshan Kamshad Kooshan Kamshad Kooshan is an Iranian-American Movie Writer and Director. Iranian-born & Bay Area film director, screenwriter and film producer, , immigrated to the United States at the age of Sixteen. He has been involved with photography since the age of 12 and has had many exhibitions... |
| 2001 | America So Beautiful | Exiled Actress | |
| 2002 | Maryam Maryam (film) Maryam is a 2002 film about a young woman who is an Iranian immigrant living in the United States at the time of the Iran hostage crisis. The film was written and directed by Ramin Serry. Mariam Parris plays the young woman... |
Mrs. Homa Armin | |
| 2003 | Possessed | Woman | Short film by Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat شیرین نشاط is an Iranian visual artist who lives in New York. She is known primarily for her work in film, video and photography.-Background:Neshat's parents were upper middle-class... |
| 2003 | Pulse | Woman | Short film by Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat Shirin Neshat شیرین نشاط is an Iranian visual artist who lives in New York. She is known primarily for her work in film, video and photography.-Background:Neshat's parents were upper middle-class... |
| 2003 | Mystic Iran | Narrator | Documentary film by Aryana Farshad Aryana Farshad Aryana Farshad is a writer, director, and film producer born in Tehran, Iran.-Education and career:She moved to Paris, France and studied French language and literature at The Sorbonne, prior to receiving her degree from the Institut Des Hautes Etudes Cinematographiques in film production and... |
| 2003 | House of Sand and Fog | Nadereh 'Nadi' Behrani | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.This award has been awarded since 1977.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the New York Film Critics Circle, honoring the finest achievements in filmmaking.... Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated–Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... |
| 2005 | Dr. Sadira Adani | ||
| 2005 | Babak and Friends Babak and Friends Babak and Friends - A First Norooz is a direct-to-DVD animated film by Norooz Productions, later renamed Big Bad Boo Studios. The 33-minute cartoon was released in 2005. The film was made to teach children about the Persian New Year Norooz, celebrating the coming of spring and is about a little boy... - A First Norooz |
Farah | Animated movie |
| 2006 | American Dreamz American Dreamz American Dreamz is a 2006 comedy/parody film that satirizes both American politics and popular entertainment.Director/producer/writer Paul Weitz has stated that the movie is meant to satirize both the TV show American Idol and the Bush Administration... |
Mrs. Nazneen Riza | |
| 2006 | Dr. Anna Klyczynski | ||
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,... |
Dr. Kavita Rao | |
| 2006 | Elizabeth Elizabeth (Biblical person) Elizabeth is also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva... |
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| 2008 | Prof. Nasrin Mehani | ||
| 2008 | Zahra | Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama | |
| 2010 | Did not appear in final cut | ||
| 2010 | Aunt Laila | Pre-production | |
| 2010 | Mass Effect 2 Mass Effect 2 Mass Effect 2 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on January 26, 2010 and for PlayStation 3 on January 18, 2011... |
Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay (voice) | Completed |
| 2011 | Iranium Iranium Iranium is a 2011 documentary film that explores the Iranian nuclear program as it pertains to strategic threats against the West, and Islamic fundamentalism in Iran.... |
Narrator | Documentary film by Alex Traiman |
| 2011 | On the Inside | Dr. Lofton | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Matlock Matlock (TV series) Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar... |
Saleslady | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Martin | Malika | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Zereshk | 2 episodes | |
| 2004 | Lila Ravan | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | 24 24 (TV series) 24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration... |
Dina Araz | 12 episodes Nominated–Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film |
| 2006 | Smith Smith (TV series) Smith is an American television drama that premiered on September 16, 2006 at 10:00 PM ET on CBS and on September 18, 2006 on CTV in Canada... |
Charlie | 5 episodes |
| 2006 | Will & Grace Will & Grace Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters... |
Pam | 1 episode |
| 2006 | ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Mrs. Riza Kardatay | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in... |
Dr. Helen Crawford | 1 episode |
| 2008 | House of Saddam House of Saddam House of Saddam is a 2008 drama that charts the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO Films, the series was first broadcast on BBC Two in four parts between 30 July and 20 August 2008. The mini-series has been very well received across the Arab... |
Sajida Khairallah Talfah | 4 episodes Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie |
| 2008 | Mina | 1 episode Mypods and Boomsticks "Mypods and Boomsticks" is the seventh episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons and first aired on Fox, November 30, 2008. Homer becomes suspicious of Bart's new Muslim friend, Bashir, and decides to invite his family for dinner; having offended them, Homer goes to their home to apologize... |
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| 2009 | FlashForward Flashforward A flashforward is an interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television and other media. Flashforwards are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future... |
Nhadra Udaya | Recurring role |
| 2011 | Law and Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Saliyah "Sunny" Qadri | 1 episode |
| 2011 | House M.D. | Afsoun Hamidi | 1 Episode |
| 2011 | NCIS NCIS (TV series) NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S... |
Mariam | 1 Episode |
Other awards
- 2007: Arpa Career Achievement Award
- 2006: WAALM — Persian Golden Lioness Award