- Interviews
The Quarantined Talent: Shohreh Aghdashloo Tries To Be Productive
In 2009, Iranian American actress Shohreh Aghdashloo became the first Iranian woman to win an Emmy for her performance as Saddam Hussein’s wife in the HBO miniseries House of Saddam. She is also the first woman from the Middle East to be nominated for an Oscar for her role in House of Sand and Fog. Before the Coronavirus pandemic broke out the actress wrapped production on the new (and fifth) season of the futuristic Amazon series The Expanse, where she plays high-ranking United Nations Deputy Secretary Chrisjen Avasarala. I spoke with the actress about reprising her role and breaking stereotypes.
How are you coping with the pandemic?
What is your second book about?
What can we expect to see in season five of The Expanse?
Were you a fan of the science fiction genre before you got the role?
Star Trek came to Iran. Every Friday we would get in line to watch it. I was a child and it left its marks. It made me feel so curious about outer space and the future.
Do you think life on another planet is possible?
You grew up in Tehran, Iran before you left for the UK to study. How would you describe your childhood?
What did you study?
The
Do you see yourself as a role model?
The Expanse, I was smiling and my husband asked me “what’s the smile for?” I told him I am portraying the Deputy Secretary of the United Nations and Dominique Tipper plays the engineer. 20 years ago if you had made the same series, these roles would have been played by men. It’s so heartwarming to see the change. Not just because I’m an actress and I would like to play a variety of roles. The important notion is that when young women in the Middle East or elsewhere see me playing such an important role in an American TV series, it will give them hope for the future that they can become whatever they want to become.
Do you think stereotypes about women from the Middle East have changed?
Oh my god, yes they have. I think social media played a great role in it. We are far more familiar with what is going on in the Middle East or elsewhere and that’s all thanks to social media. We get our news right away without being aware that we’re studying other people’s lives in other countries. We see clips from Italy, Africa, and other parts of the world. So we’re far more familiar with the life and people of other countries without ever having to travel there. And filmmakers are finally paying attention to that.
Can we call you a trailblazer?