Episode 64: Hollywood Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo On Why Doing Films On Violence Against Women Is her Passion
Shohreh Aghdashloo is an Emmy Award-winning, Oscar-nominated actress. In this episode Shohreh and I talk about her newest film Still Smiling, a film about domestic violence- a topic that she’s passionate about, we talk about her early life in Iran, and what she’s working on.
Shohreh Aghdashloo is an Emmy Award-winning, Oscar-nominated actr ess. Originally from Iran, she is not banned from her native country. Her prolific work on stage and screen has been lauded for decades in both her native Iran and worldwide, especially in her adopted home, the United States. American audiences know her best from her Oscar-nominated performance in House Of Sand And Fog and her Emmy-winning role in HBO’s acclaimed “House Of Saddam.” But I know Shohreh from her 2008 film The Stoning of Soraya M.
As a diverse talent and voice-over artist, Shohreh has moved between television, film, and theatre with much ease. Shohreh has an iconic voice, and has voiced characters for the video games Mass Effect, Destiny and animated TV series like Arcane. She also has narrated audiobooks like "The Bible of Clay" by Julia Navarro, "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini. You may have seen her on Law & Order: SVU, Will & Grace, or in Star Trek: Beyond, X-Men - The Last Stand, and The Lake House.
In this episode Shohreh and I talk about her newest film Still Smiling, a film about domestic violence- a topic that she’s passionate about, we talk about her early life in Iran, and what she’s working on.
Episode 3: Ever Bold and Ever Talented Egyptian Actress Amina Khalil Opens Up About Acting in A Time Of Corona, Fashion, and How Once Living In NYC Made Her Independent
Born in Chicago, Egyptian-American actress Amina Khalil is an influential woman. Acting is her way of connecting with people. The thirty-two-year-old and I talk about a range of topics from acting, women in the Middle East, her experience of living alone in NYC- something that’s not the norm for single Arab women, her overcoming Covid, fashion, and her charity work.
Photo Credit: Ahmed Zaatar | MakeUP: Perry Saber
Born in Chicago, Egyptian-American actress Amina Khalil is an influential woman. As a child she would act out Disney movie scenes, casting her friends to play other roles, so it’s no surprise to those who know her best that she’s an actress. But, she’s not in it for the fame, acting is her way of connecting with people.
Her roles bring attention to the culture of the Middle East and the challenges women face in society. In a series called Leh La’a (‘Why Not?’) in english, directed by Mariam Ab, Khalil played a thirty-year-old woman who wants to gain independence from her family, move out, get a job, and live on her own. It was planned that she would marry, and though the marriage wasn’t arranged, it was a pushed union and Khalil’s character brought attention to this.
The thirty-two-year-old and I talk about a range of topics from acting, women in the Middle East, her experience of living alone in NYC- something that’s not the norm for single Arab women, her overcoming Covid, fashion, and her charity work.
Episode 2: Tenacious Egyptian Actress Tara Emad Opens Up About Her Journey From Modeling To Film, And Why Almost Giving Up On Her Dream Was Not An Option
Sitting down with Egyptian actress Tara Emad in her hotel room during the October 2020 El Gouna Film Festival in El Gouna Egypt to do this interview we talk fashion, her acting work, the festival, her charitable work, and why giving up is not an option.
Photo Credit: Batool Al Daawi
Tara Emad is an Egyptian actress and model. Her father is Egyptian father and her mother comes from the former Yugoslavia.
Tara started her career when she was 4-years-old, appearing numerous TV commercials, and she started working as a clothing model at the age of 14. In 2010 when she was 17, Tara participated in the Miss World beauty pageant for teenagers in Brazil, winning “Miss Africa” and the first-runner up for Miss World for Teens. After high school, Tara began studying Business Administration at American University in Cairo and pursued “acting workshops” with actor Ahmed Kamal and online with American organizations. Her first acting experience was in 2011 in the TV series “El Gama’a” (University) directed by Hani Khalifa in which she acted alongside other young actors.
I sat down with Emad at her hotel room during the October 2020 El Gouna Film Festival in El Gouna Egypt to do this interview. We talk fashion, her acting work, the festival, and her charitable work.