Shohreh Aghdashloo

Shohreh Aghdashloo (Persian: شهره آغداشلو, born May 11, 1952) is an Academy Award-nominated Iranian-American actress and activist. Shohreh played Dina Araz during Season 4 of 24.

Biography

Shohreh Aghdashloo was born in Tehran, Iran, as Shohreh Vaziri-Tabar. She donned her artistic name from the family name of her first husband, Iranian painter Aydin Aghdashloo, who was 12 years her senior. After marrying Aydin in 1972, Shohreh began attending theater workshops against the wishes of her family, and started playing leading roles in Iranian theater and film. Shohreh divorced Aydin in 1979 when she left Iran at the start of the Iranian Revolution.

Aghdashloo settled in England, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in International Relations. However, she decided to pursue a career in acting instead, and moved to Los Angeles for that intent. In 1987, Shohreh married for a second time to actor/playwright Houshang Touzie. Their first daughter, Tara, was born in 1989. Shohreh has performed in a number of Touzie's plays.

Career

Aghdashloo's big break came in 2004, when she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in House of Sand and Fog. The film, which was released a year before her appearance in 24, also featured Jonathan Ahdout as her son. Other films in which she has appeared are X-Men: The Last Stand (with John Pyper-Ferguson), The Nativity Story (with Alexander Siddig), The Stoning of Soraya M. (with Navid Negahban), and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.

Aside of her theater and film work, Aghdashloo has had recurring or regular roles in TV shows like House of Saddam (with Akbar Kurtha), FlashForward (with Thomas Kretschmann), Grimm (with Silas Weir Mitchell and Chris Mulkey), and The Expanse (with Cas Anvar). She has also appeared in Matlock (with James Cromwell), ER (with Leland Orser and Maury Sterling), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (with Tamara Tunie), NCIS (with Pauley Perrette), and The Punisher (with C. Thomas Howell, Tony Plana and Paul Schulze).

Role on 24

With Joel Surnow and Michael Loceff at a party.

Shohreh played the role of terrorist matriarch Dina Araz during Season 4 of 24. She appeared in a total of 12 episodes. Throughout that season, Aghdashloo received the "and" credit in the guest cast.

At the time the season aired, the role of Araz sparked controversy among the Iranian community, which felt that it reinforced the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists. Aghdashloo has said that "the reason I accepted the role wasn't political at all", but because it was complex and challenging.

However, Aghdashloo has admitted having "clashes" with show star Kiefer Sutherland. On an interview with Fox & Friends, she said:

"I'm afraid working with him proved to be hard. That young man was pretty angry ... At the end of the day, I thought he was angry with himself."

Aghdashloo added that she thinks her character's death was prompted by Sutherland's intervention. She said that "the plot changed. I have a feeling that he did [have a role in my departure]."

However, in a 2020 reply to a tweet from a Wiki 24 administrator, Aghdashloo said "24 is indeed one of my best best best experiences in television. Love it!"

24 credits

• Season 4
  • "Day 4: 7:00am-8:00am"
  • "Day 4: 8:00am-9:00am"
  • "Day 4: 9:00am-10:00am"
  • "Day 4: 10:00am-11:00am"
  • "Day 4: 11:00am-12:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 2:00pm-3:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 3:00pm-4:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 4:00pm-5:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 5:00pm-6:00pm"
  • "Day 4: 8:00pm-9:00pm"

24-related appearances

• Aghdashloo provided DVD audio commentary for the episode "Day 4: 8:00pm-9:00pm" (with Tim Iacofano).

Selected filmography

• Renfield (2023)
• The Cuban (2019)
• Simple Wedding (2018)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Rosewater (2014)
• Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)
• On the Inside (2011)
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
• X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
• The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
• House of Sand and Fog (2003)

Television appearances

• Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (2023)
• The Expanse (2015-2022)
• The Punisher (2017)
• Bones (2014)
• Grimm (2013-2014)
• Portlandia (2012)
• NCIS (2011)
• House (2011)
• FlashForward (2009)
• Smith (2006-2007)
• Grey's Anatomy (2007)
• ER (2006)
• Will & Grace (2006)

Video games

• Destiny 2: The Witch Queen (2022)
• Destiny 2 (2017)
• Destiny (2014)
• Mass Effect 3 (2012)
• Mass Effect 2 (2010)

External links

• Shohreh Aghdashloo at Wikipedia
• Shohreh Aghdashloo at the Internet Movie Database
• Shohreh Aghdashloo (@SAghdashloo) on Twitter