Azita Ghanizada

Last updated

Azita Ghanizada
Born1978or1979(age 44–45)
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
OrganizationMENA Arts Advocacy Coalition

Azita Ghanizada (born 1978or1979) [1] is an American television, film and stage actress. She is known for her work on the television series Alphas , [2] and the Broadway musical The Kite Runner . In addition to her acting work, Ghanizada is also the founder and President of the MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition. [3]

Contents

Life and career

Ghanizada's life in America began as a political asylum seeker. The relationships her father made working at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran afforded her family the opportunity to flee Afghanistan when she was a baby. She learned most of her English from watching American television in the Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C. It was this learning from American T.V., combined with the family's regular trips to a local cinema that showed Bollywood movies, and her mother's passionate love of Indian and American film stars, that inspired Ghanizada to become an actress. [4] She relocated to Los Angeles, California and began her on-camera career by working in television commercials and guest starring on popular television shows. [4] A few of her notable television guest-starring roles include How I Met Your Mother , Entourage , Veronica Mars , The Mentalist , Psych , Ghost Whisperer , Castle , and Up All Night . In 2016, she was named "One of The 7 Sundance Break-out Actresses You Need to Know," [5] for her work in "Complete Unknown."

Her first main role on television was in 2008, when Ghanizada joined the cast of the General Hospital prime-time spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift for season 2 as Dr. Saira Batra, a specialist in holistic medicine. [6] The following year, she joined the all-star cast of the television pilot Tough Trade starring opposite Sam Shepard and Cary Elwes, from Weeds creator Jenji Kohan, and executive producer T Bone Burnett. In 2010, she joined David Strathairn as a primary cast member of the American Syfy Channel series Alphas where she played Rachel Pirzad, a woman with enhanced sensory abilities. [7] Alphas was picked up to series in 2011 but only lasted two seasons. She went on to film the comedy pilot Ellen More or Less in 2014 as a primary cast member for NBC directed by Peyton Reed, the television pilot was not picked up to series. In 2016, Azita appeared in the feature Complete Unknown opposite Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon, in 2017 she began production on Kevin Smith's feature film KillRoy Was Here . [8] In 2019, she began recurring roles on both Ballers and Good Trouble. [9]

In 2022, she made her Broadway Debut in the stage adaptation of The Kite Runner on Broadway, cast as Soraya (original). [10]

Ghanizada is also a notable Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) advocate for Middle Eastern North African (MENA) and South West Asian North African (SWANA) performers in Hollywood, and activist for women in Afghanistan. In 2016, she founded the MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition, MAAC; and in 2017 she succeeded in lobbying the Screen Actors Guild and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (SAG-AFTRA) with other performers to include MENA as its own diverse category in theatrical contracts. This success marked the first new hiring category in a labor contract in 37 years. [11] She also works as a global Ambassador for "Women for Women International", focusing on getting women in Afghanistan back to work and educated. [12]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2004 A Kiss on the Nose ChiaraShort film
2007X's & O'sAnita
2010You, Only Better...Kali Parker
2011Blood ShotZahra
2016 Complete Unknown Raminafilm
2020 Our Friend Elizabethbiography
2022 KillRoy Was Here [8] Sarahfilm
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2005 The Closer NeighborEpisode: "Batter Up"
2006 Numbers PritaEpisode: "Harvest"
2007 Bones GirlfriendEpisode: "The Man in the Mansion"
2007 The Wedding Bells JodyEpisode: "Wedding from Hell"
2007 Veronica Mars Amira KrimaniEpisode: "Un-American Graffiti"
2008 General Hospital: Night Shift Dr. Saira Batra14 episodes
2009 How I Met Your Mother Sexy Female CopEpisode: "As Fast as She Can"
2009 Entourage KellyEpisode: "Amongst Friends"
2009 Psych MinaEpisode: "Bollywood Homicide"
2009 Ghost Whisperer ChareeEpisode: "Devil's Bargain"
2010Tough TradeSabinaTV movie
2010 Castle Mistress SapphireEpisode: "The Mistress Always Spanks Twice"
2010 NCIS: Los Angeles Rochelle StantonEpisode: "Disorder"
2011 Friends with Benefits TasiEpisode: "The Benefit of Full Disclosure"
2011–2012 Alphas Rachel PirzadMain role
2012 Body of Proof Annabelle KipEpisode: "Cold Blooded"
2012 Up All Night NatashaEpisode: "The Game of Life"
2013 The Mentalist DefianceEpisode: "Green Thumb"
2014 Major Crimes Angela SoamesEpisode: "Frozen Assets"
2014Ellen More or LessLucyPilot
2016 I Love Dick SaharEpisode: "Cowboys and Nomads"
2017 Wisdom of the Crowd TanyaEpisode: "User Bias"
2018 9-1-1 Kelly WessonEpisode: "Let Go"
2018 Elementary Dr. Sepi ChamanaraEpisode: "The Worms Crawl In, The Worms Crawl Out"
2019 Baller Saphia Mena2 Episodes
2019–2020 Good Trouble Kendra Zahir5 episodes
2020 Magnum P.I Maxine GilbertEpisode: "May The Best One Win"
2021–2022 United States of Al Ariana8 Episodes

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References

  1. ↑ "UVa, Tech Grads Land Jobs on Soap Opera Spinoffs". The Daily Progress . Washington Post News Service. October 5, 2008. p. C11. Ghanizada, 29, emigrated from Afghanistan as a baby when her family was granted asylum in the United States.
  2. ↑ "Book Azita Ghanizada for Speaking, Events and Appearances". APB Speakers.
  3. ↑ "Azita Ghanizada | Women for Women International". www.womenforwomen.org. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  4. 1 2 Grundey, Adam (May 1, 2011). "Azita Ghanizada's Rise to Alpha Female". Rolling Stone Middle East . Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  5. ↑ "The 7 Sundance Break-Out Actresses You Need to Know". InsideHook. January 28, 2016.
  6. ↑ Krystal, Becky (October 5, 2008). "At This Hospital, Virginia Doctors Are In". The Washington Post . Washington DC: WPC. ISSN   0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 28, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2011. Ghanizada, 29
  7. ↑ Radish, Christina (July 8, 2011). "Azita Ghanizada Interview ALPHAS". Collider . Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  8. 1 2 McNary, Dave (June 15, 2017). "Kevin Smith Filming Horror Movie 'Killroy Was Here' at Florida College". Variety . Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  9. ↑ https://tvline.com/2019/07/31/good-trouble-season-2-episode-8-azita-ghanizada-specuklate/ [ bare URL ]
  10. ↑ "The Kite Runner's Azita Ghanizada Makes Emotional Curtain Call Speech on 1-Year Anniversary of Taliban Takeover | Playbill".
  11. ↑ "How Azita Ghanizada has fought for recognition for Mena actors in Hollywood". The National. October 31, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Azita Ghanizada | Women for Women International". www.womenforwomen.org.
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