Iranian-American wins Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries

September 20, 11:54 PMSan Jose Persian Community ExaminerShirindokht Nourmanesh

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At the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on Sunday (September 20) in Los Angeles, academy Award nominee, Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog, 2003) won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for House of Saddam, a four-part miniseries on the BBC and HBO that chronicles the rise and fall of Saddam Hossein. Conspicuously flaunting a green wristband in support of Iran’s Green Movement, she wore a Lorena Sarbu gown with Stuart Weitzman shoes and Cartier jewels.

After her acclaimed role in House of Sand and Fog, Aghdashloo has appeared in such films as The Lake House, X-Men 3 and The Nativity Story, as well as such television shows as 24 and Will and Grace.

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

“Aghdashloo was born in Tehran, Iran as Pari Vaziri-Tabar ("Aghdashloo" is the family name of her former husband, famous Iranian painter Aydin Aghdashloo), to a wealthy family. Aghdashloo started acting at the age of 20. Following numerous starring roles on the stage, she was offered her first film role in Goz?resh (The Report) directed by renowned director Abbas Kiarostami, which won the Critics Award at the Moscow Film Festival. Her next film was Shatranje Baad (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 the year 1978, where she completed her education [… and] earned a Bachelor's degree in International Relations. […] 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.” [source]