With society asking for more inclusion across productions, many studios have heeded the call. Organizations like Time’s Up and production companies like LuckyChap are opening doors for actors, producers, and writers who are either typecast or work exponentially much harder to be recognized. This strain of the industry is an uphill battle for those who are not white, thin, and blonde. While the Bechdel Test measures gender diversity in film, Nikesh Shukla created the Shulka Test, which measures racial diversity in a film. Indeed, PBS reports that in 2015, 73.1% of the 30,000 characters in entertainment are white, 12.5% are Black, 5.3% are Asian, 4.9% are Hispanic, and 4.2% were other. Yet, these categories are generalist, considering the continent of Asia is made up of 48 countries like Russia, Indonesia, and Iran.

Over the past eight decades or so, western audiences have enjoyed Asian-made movies and TV shows. However, the countries represented as “Asian” are predominantly Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and Korean — just four nationalities to somehow represent nearly 50 countries. When it comes to Western Asian representation, the portrayal of Middle Eastern characters is often down to a select few actors who are largely typecast. Whether the Middle Eastern woman is silent or submissive or the Middle Eastern man is a terrorist or a taxi driver, the typecasting of Middle Eastern characters is just as inadequate and troublesome as the moniker “Asian.” At present, however, with all eyes on Iran and its ongoing revolution, some Iranian actresses have become activists in between filming their next feature film or TV show. Here are the best Iranian actresses working in Hollywood today.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

9 Nazanin Boniadi

     New Line Cinema

Fans of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will recognize Nazanin Boniadi, who portrays Bronwyn, a healer in Tirharad. Bronwyn is a bold leader, something Boniadi does naturally. In a round table interview, covered by The Wrap, Boniadi said that her audition for Bronwyn was inspired by her roots: “My audition, way before the current crisis in Iran, and I remember doing the scene and drawing strength from all the women I’d been fighting for and whose stories I’ve been hearing inside Iran and I remember thinking, OK, if I get this role, those women were gonna be my inspiration for this role.” Currently, Boniadi is spreading awareness about the ongoing revolution in Iran.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

8 Sepideh Moafi

     Showtime Networks

Starring in the miniseries Black Bird and The L Word: Generation Q, Sepideh Moafi is a powerhouse on screen. On The L Word: Generation Q, she portrays Gigi Ghorbani, who is finding herself after a divorce. Moafi discusses the importance of being an openly queer Iranian woman with Awards Radar: “Seeing an Iranian or really any person from the S.W.A.N.A. region, the Southwest Asia-North African region, who is openly queer, is still stigmatized… If you’re gay, and they find out, you will be tried…and that is an executable offense. Seeing that kind of bravery makes it even more important to echo their bravery and keep this representation alive.” In between roles, Moafi spends her time speaking at marches and art installations.

7 Nina Ameri

     Netflix

Atypical is a comedy-drama that centers on the experience of Sam, an 18-year-old man with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Elsa, Sam’s mother, relies on her friend Luisa for support. Luisa is portrayed by Nina Ameri. Currently, Ameri is starring in Iranian playwright Sanaz Toossi’s play, English. In the play, four women students in Iran are studying for the Test of English as a Foreign Language to earn their green cards. English premieres in January 2023 at Milton Theater.

6 Nazanin Nour

     Filmstreet Productions

Nazanin Nour is a judge on Persia’s Got Talent. She has also appeared in episodes of Madam Secretary and Criminal Minds. In May 2022, she starred alongside Colin Ferguson and Rebecca Liddiard in A Thousand Little Cuts, a thriller centering on a woman who wakes up in a hospital only to discover she experienced something so traumatic. When Nour isn’t on Persia’s Got Talent or acting, she is meeting with world leaders or sharing the horrific events of the current revolution in Iran on CNN.

5 Ana Lily Amirpour

     Say Ahh Productions

Actress, writer, director, and advocate Ana Lily Amirpour is booked. Although she has starred in indie films like A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and The Bad Batch, she has become quite comfortable behind the camera as a director. Her first directorial role where she wasn’t also acting was in the horror series Legion. One of her biggest titles is the indie film Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, starring Kate Hudson and Jeon Jong-seo. She has also directed an episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. In between projects, Amirpour uses her TikTok and Instagram accounts to discuss the Islamic Republic’s atrocious acts toward Iranians.

4 Zar Amir-Ebrahimi

     Profile Pictures

Starring in Holy Spider, Iranian actress Zar Amir-Ebrahimi portrays an investigative journalist named Rahimi. The film is based on real-life serial killer Saeed Hanaei, who killed 16 sex workers in the name of God. In Holy Spider, Rahimi discovers that uncovering the truth will be difficult as many people believe the Spider Killer is a hero. The film premiered in theaters on December 20. In between promoting the film, Amir-Ebrahimi uses her Instagram account to share videos of protests in Iran.

3 Nasim Pedrad

     TBS

One of the most recognizable Iranian-American actresses, Nasim Pedrad, was a regular on Saturday Night Live, New Girl, and starred in the live-action Aladdin. She has her own autobiographical show called Chad and is currently starring in Pretzel and the Puppies as Greta. Pedrad has long been championing Iranian stories and characters in her projects. She doesn’t shy away from big topics like racism or misogyny either. Along with Boniadi and Nour, Pedrad has been attending council hearings at the United Nations on behalf of the Iranian people.

2 Shohreh Aghdashloo

     Alcon Entertainment

Another top contender for the most recognizable Iranian-American actress is Shohreh Aghdashloo. She has appeared on countless hit TV shows like Will & Grace, Portlandia, and Flight Attendant. One of her recognizable features is her poetic voice, which is sharp but gentle. Aghdashloo also starred in plenty of films like Septembers of Shiraz, which details many Iranians escaping the regime just after it came into power in 1979. Her biggest role was as Chrisjean Avasarala on the futuristic series, The Expanse.

1 Taraneh Alidoosti

     Iranian Independents

By far the most famous Iranian actress is Taraneh Alidoosti. She has starred in many Iranian films and TV series like Subtraction and Shahrazad. Recently, Alidoosti criticized the regime for the execution of activist Mohsen Shakeri in a post on Instagram and was arrested by the state police. According to CNN, her social media accounts have been deleted over her condemnation of the regime. The Oscar-winner is one of many Iranian celebrities and journalists who have been arrested for supporting women’s liberation inside of Iran.