Golshifteh Farahani

Golshifteh Farahani is an internationally acclaimed Iranian-French actress who has become one of the most prominent Middle Eastern actresses in Hollywood. Born in Tehran to an artistic family, she began acting at age six and became one of Iran’s most popular actresses before being banned from the country for her appearance in Body of Lies (2008) with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Farahani’s Hollywood career has included significant roles in major productions exploring Middle Eastern themes and geopolitical conflicts. In Body of Lies, she played a Jordanian nurse opposite DiCaprio’s CIA operative. She starred in Extraction (2020) alongside Chris Hemsworth, playing Nik Khan, a mercenary with deep knowledge of regional conflicts.

Her unique position as an Iranian actress working internationally gives her performances an authenticity that few Western actors can match. She has spoken openly about the challenges of representing Middle Eastern women in Hollywood and advocating for more nuanced portrayals of her culture.

Beyond Hollywood, Farahani has continued working in European cinema, appearing in acclaimed French and Italian productions. She is also an accomplished musician, playing piano, percussion, and singing. Her 2014 French film My Sweet Pepper Land explored Kurdish resistance, and she appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).