Showtime’s Homeland Has Been a Boon for Actors of Persian Descent

By Iman Sadri

Shaun Toub as Majid Javadi in Homeland (Season 3, Episode 6). - Photo: Kent Smith/SHOWTIME
Shaun Toub as Majid Javadi in Homeland (Season 3, Episode 6). – Photo: Kent Smith/SHOWTIME

It’s no secret that Showtime’s Homeland has been one of most award winning television dramas in Hollywood over the past several years. It has been consistently nominated or has won a mutlitude of awards. Including the Golden Globes, SAG, the Emmys, and more. Homeland has helped launch or revitalize the careers of many actors. Damian Lewis came to prominence from the cable drama. Mandy Patinkin enjoyed a reboot in the second act of his career. Claire Danes became a familar face to a new generation of television viewers, who were otherwise not familiar with her in My So-Called Life. Another group of thespians who have also benefited from Homeland are a series of talented actors of Persian descent. Namely, Navid Negahban, Nazanin Boniadi, and Shaun Toub.

Nazanin Boniadi and Navid Negahban have played pivotal roles on Showtime's hit drama series Homeland (Image Credit / Getty)
Nazanin Boniadi and Navid Negahban have played pivotal roles on Showtime’s hit drama series Homeland (Image Credit / Getty)

Navid Negahban’s Abu Nazir was the central villain during the first several seasons of Homeland. Spoiler Alert : Even after his character’s capture and demise at the hands of Danes’ Carrie Mathison, the importance of Negahban’s character still echoes in the plot twists of Homeland’s subsequent episodes.

Navid Negahban as Abu Nazir in Showtime's Homeland (Image Credit / Homeland)
Navid Negahban as Abu Nazir in Showtime’s Homeland (Image Credit / Showtime)

Nazanin Boniadi’s character of Fara Sherazi became an important figure as more storylines in the drama series unfolded. Her role as the hijab wearing CIA analyst broke Middle Eastern and gender stereotypes, that were otherwise associated with her character. Boniadi’s Sherazi played a pivotal role in counter terrorism in the drama series.

Nazanin Boniadi's Fara Sherazi broke stereotypes on Showtime's Homeland. (Image Credit / Getty)
Nazanin Boniadi’s Fara Sherazi broke stereotypes on Showtime’s Homeland. (Image Credit / Getty)

Shaun Toub is the most prolific Iranian American actor in Hollywood history, with appearances in over 35 films and 100 episodics. Including unforgettable roles in Crash, The Kite Runner and Iron Man. But, it has been Toub’s role as Majid Javadi that has been one of the most impactful of his television career. ( Read our Q+A with Shaun Toub – persianobserver.com/prolific-persian-qa-shaun-toub-godfather/ )

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Claire Danes’ character Carrie Mathison conversing with Shaun Toub’s character Majid Javadi (Image Credit / Showtime)

Homeland has also provided important roles for Iranian American actors including Parviz Sayyad, Houshang Touzie, and Omid Abtahi.

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Nazanin Boniadi Mandy Patinkin’s characters in deep discussion in Homeland ( Image Credit / Showtime)

Sayyad, best known for his role of Samad, played the father of Nazanin Boniadi’s character. Touzie played the role of the boss of Shaun Toub’s character. Abtahi played a conflicted would-be bomber.

(L-R) Actors Mandy Patinkin, Tracy Letts, Nazanin Boniadi, Jackson Pace, F. Murray Abraham and Navid Negahban attend the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. - 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (Image Credit / Getty)
(L-R) Actors Mandy Patinkin, Tracy Letts, Nazanin Boniadi, Jackson Pace, F. Murray Abraham and Navid Negahban attend the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (Image Credit / Getty)

Spoiler Alert: Out of all of the Persian born actors on Homeland, only the character of Shaun Toub’s Majid Javadi is still alive. All others were killed in different circumstances. During our interview with him, Shaun Toub would not comment on speculation about Javadi’s reemergence in Season 6 of Homeland, which is set to air January 15th on Showtime. We could only hope to see more of Toub on the tube.

Shaun Toub's and Mandy Patinkin in Homeland (Image credit / Showtime)
Shaun Toub and Mandy Patinkin in Homeland (Image credit / Showtime)

Shaun Toub’s character, Majid Javadi, was once a villain. He turned and became a CIA asset. Just as Javadi has become a CIA asset, actors of Persian descent have become assets for Showtime.

Shaun Toub and Claire Danes in Homeland (Image Credit / Showtime)
Shaun Toub and Claire Danes in Homeland (Image Credit / Showtime)

Iman Sadri writes for Persian Media outlets and is founder of HollywoodSmile TV

 

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