Arian Moayed

{{Short description|Iranian-American actor (born 1980)}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Arian Moayed 2024 Emmys 03 (cropped).png

| caption = Moayed in 2024

| image_size =

| name = Arian Moayed

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|04|15}}

| birth_place = Tehran, Iran

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|screenwriter|director}}

| education = Indiana University Bloomington (BA)

| years_active = 2002–present

| spouse = Krissy Shields

| children = 2

}}

Arian Moayed ({{langx|fa|آرین مؤید}}; born April 15, 1980) is an Iranian-American actor, screenwriter, and director. Moayed received two Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performances in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (2011) and A Doll's House (2023), and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his role as Stewy Hosseini in HBO's Succession.{{cite news|first=Mark |last=Kennedy |title=Arian Moayed loving life thanks to 'Bengal Tiger' |url=https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/2011-06-03/entertainment/29619918_1_baba-baghdad-zoo-bengal-tiger |agency=Associated Press |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2011-06-03 |access-date=2011-06-07}}{{cite news |first=Melena|last=Ryzik|title=From Starry-Eyed to Star: Arian Moayed Is Acclaimed for 'Bengal Tiger' and Waterwell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/theater/arian-moayed-is-acclaimed-for-bengal-tiger-and-waterwell.html |work=The New York Times |date=2011-05-01 |accessdate=2011-06-07}}{{cite web|title=Arian Moayed|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1573892/|publisher=imdb.com}}

Moayed portrayed Todd Spodek in Netflix's Inventing Anna and Agent P. Cleary in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home and Disney+ series Ms. Marvel.

Early life

Arian Moayed was born in Tehran, Iran. His father is a banker by profession. His parents emigrated from Iran in 1986. The family settled in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, when Moayed was five years old. He grew up in a family that he has described as "Muslim, practicing Muslims."{{Cite web |last=Gostin |first=Nicki |date=11 March 2023 |title=Arian Moayed ‘hates’ that ‘A Doll’s House’ resonates so much with present day |url=https://pagesix.com/2023/03/11/arian-moayed-hates-that-a-dolls-house-resonates-with-present-day/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405192210/https://pagesix.com/2023/03/11/arian-moayed-hates-that-a-dolls-house-resonates-with-present-day/ |archive-date=5 April 2025 |website=Page Six TV |quote=...he said, before noting that “the vast majority of my family is Muslim, practicing Muslims and they are also very much, ‘Why are you telling that person what to do?'”}} He speaks Persian.{{cite news |first=Irene|last=Lacher|title=Arian Moayed aims to show the world the true face of Middle Easterners |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-29-et-arian-moayed29-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2009-05-29 |access-date=2011-06-07}}

Moayed graduated from Glenbrook South High School in 1998. He then received a bachelor's degree from Indiana University in 2002. During college, he appeared in plays by Samuel Beckett, Carlo Goldoni and William Shakespeare.

Career

File:Arian Moayed at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (cropped).jpg for Shell]]

Moayed moved to Manhattan after college. In 2002, Moayed and director Tom Ridgely, who was Moayed's roommate at Indiana University, co-founded the Waterwell, a theater, education and film company based out of New York. Waterwell has produced more than a dozen stage productions and shows since the theater was established.

He portrayed the character of Musa in Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, where Moayed appeared opposite Robin Williams. Moayed received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Musa at the 65th Tony Awards in 2011. He also received a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance and received a Theater World Award.

As a writer/director, Moayed wrote and directed his first short Overdue, which premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival and was released on The Business of Being Born website. His second film, Day Ten, stars Omar Metwally and is about the days after September 11, 2001, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In 2016, he starred as Babur, one of two characters in Guards at the Taj, a play written by Rajiv Joseph, alongside Omar Metwally as Humayun. For his performance, he received a 2016 Obie Award presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Village Voice.{{Cite web |last=Cox |first=Gordon |date=2016-05-24 |title=2016 Obie Awards: ‘The Humans,’ ‘Eclipsed’ Score; ‘Guards at the Taj’ Wins Play Prize (FULL LIST) |url=https://variety.com/2016/legit/news/2016-obie-awards-full-list-1201781374/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

In 2017, Moayed starred as Richard Saad in Stephen Karam's The Humans, which performed at the Roundabout Theater off-Broadway, Helen Hayes Theater and Gerald Schoenfeld Theater on Broadway as well as the Hampstead Theater in London, United Kingdom. The production, directed by Joe Mantello and produced by Scott Rudin, won a Tony Award for Best Play at the 70th Tony Awards, and garnered Moayed a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble.

From 2018 to 2023, Moayed starred as Stewy Hosseini in HBO's Succession, for which he received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2022 and 2023.{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=2022-07-12 |title=Emmys 2022: The Complete Nominations List |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/awards/emmys-nominations-list-2022-1235313788/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Michael |date=2023-07-12 |title=Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/2023-emmy-nominations-list-1235666521/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

=Waterwell=

Waterwell focuses on socially conscious and civic minded approach to theater, education, and film. Waterwell mission states, "empower its audience to change their lives and the world in which they live."

As the co-founder of Waterwell, Moayed has helped devise over a dozen original productions including most recently a dual-language Hamlet (played the title role) to critical acclaim. Also with Waterwell, Moayed produced a forgotten war musical called Blueprint Specials, produced on board of the Intrepid with a cast of veterans.{{Cite web|url=http://americantheatrewing.org/working-in-the-theatre/blueprint-specials/|title=Blueprint Specials|website=The American Theatre Wing|language=en-US|access-date=2018-10-17}}

With Waterwell Films, he has written and directed the Emmy nominated{{Cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/accidental-wolf|title=The Accidental Wolf|website=Television Academy|language=en|access-date=2018-10-17}} and Webby nominated The Accidental Wolf, a premium short form series starring Kelli O'Hara, Laurie Metcalf, Denis O'Hare, Brandon Dirden, Ben McKenzie, Judith Ivey, Reed Birney, Marsha Stephanie Blake and a cast of over 70 Tony nominees on its own platform, theaccidentalwolf.com.

Personal life

Moayed lives in New York City with his wife, Krissy Shields, and two daughters.

In October 2023, Moayed signed the Artists4Ceasefire open letter to Joe Biden, President of the United States, calling for a ceasefire of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza in response to the October 7th terror attack.{{Cite web |title=Artists4Ceasefire |url=https://www.artists4ceasefire.org/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=Artists4Ceasefire |language=en-US}}

Acting credits

= Film =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:100%

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" | Notes

scope=row| 2003

| Phileine Says Sorry

|Taxichauffeur 2

|

scope=row| 2007

| Arranged

|Ahmed Khaldi

|

scope=row| 2008

| The Christians

|Darmon

|

scope=row| 2011

| Roadie

|Irfan

|

scope=row rowspan="3" | 2014

| Appropriate Behavior

|Ali

|

Rosewater

|Hamid

|

Saint Janet

|Dr. Apte

|

scope=row rowspan="2" | 2015

| The Rumperbutts

| Gavin

|

Rock the Kasbah

| Riza

|

scope=row| 2019

| Abe

| Amir

|

scope=row| 2021

| Spider-Man: No Way Home

| Agent P. Cleary

|

rowspan="2" scope="row" | 2023

| You Hurt My Feelings

| Mark

|

Retribution

| Sylvain

|

rowspan="2" scope="row" | 2024

| Shell

| Dr. Hubert

|

House of Spoils

| Andres

|

scope="row" | 2025

| Fountain of Youth

| Inspector Jamal Abbas

|

=Television=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:100%

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" | Notes

scope=row| 2003–2004

| Late Night with Conan O'Brien

|Various

|3 episodes

scope=row| 2004–2010

| Law & Order: Criminal Intent

|Samil Al-Bana / Eli Gold

|2 episodes

scope=row| 2005

| Law & Order

|Fadi Abu Ubdeh

|Episode: "Bible Story"

scope=row| 2006

| Six Degrees

|Jay

|Episode: "A New Light"

scope=row rowspan="2" | 2007

| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

|Amal Qinawi

|Episode: "Philadelphia"

M.O.N.Y.

|Ates Kiliclioglu

| NBC pilot

scope=row| 2009

| White Collar

|Avet

|Episode: "Threads"

scope=row| 2013

| The Following

|David

|2 episodes

scope=row rowspan="2" | 2014

| Believe

|Corey

| 7 episodes

Black Box

|Cyrus

|Episode: "The Fear"

scope=row rowspan="2" | 2015

| The Blacklist

|Burke

|Episode: "Ruslan Denisov (No. 67)"

Elementary

|Yusuf Al Shamsi

|Episode: "Absconded"

scope=row| 2017

| Mr. Mercedes

|Augie

|Episode: "Pilot"

scope=row|2017–2019

| Madam Secretary

|Mohammed "Mo" Alwash

|11 episodes

scope=row|2018–2023

| Succession

|Stewy Hosseini

|Main role; 25 episodes

scope=row| 2021

| Love Life

|Kian Parsa

|6 episodes

rowspan="2" scope="row" | 2022

| Inventing Anna

|Todd Spodek

|9 episodes

Ms. Marvel

|Agent P. Cleary

|3 episodes

scope=row|2024

|Elsbeth

|Joe

|season 1 episode 9 "Sweet Justice"

rowspan="2" scope=row|2025

|Nobody Wants This

|Dr. Andy

|Recurring role; season 2

Elsbeth

|Joe

|season 2 episode 20

"Ramen Holiday"

= Theatre =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:100%

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" | Venue

scope=row|2005

| The Persians

| Xerxes

|Perry Street Theatre, Off-Broadway

scope=row|2006

| The American Pilot

| The Translator/The Trader/Soldier (u/s)

|New York City Center/Stage II, Off-Broadway

rowspan="2" scope="row" |2007

| The Last Year in the Life of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as Devised by Waterwell: A Rock Operetta

| Performer

|Barrow Street Theatre, Off-Broadway

Queens Boulevard (the musical)

| Abdi

|Peter Norton Space, Off-Broadway

scope=row|2008

| Masked

| Na'im

|DR2 Theater, Off-Broadway

scope=row|2009

| Mahida's Extra Key to Heaven

| Ramin

|Peter Norton Space, Off-Broadway

rowspan="2" scope="row" |2011

| King Lear

| Edgar

|The Public Theater, Off-Broadway

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

| Musa

| Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway

scope=row|2012

| Food and Fadwa

| Emir Azzam

|New York Theatre Workshop, Off-Broadway

rowspan="2" scope="row" |2015

| Guards at the Taj

| Babur

|Linda Gross Theater, Off-Broadway

rowspan=2|The Humans

| rowspan=2|Richard Saad

| Laura Pels Theater, Off-Broadway

scope=row|2016

| Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway

scope=row|2017

| Hamlet

| Hamlet

|Loreto Theater, Off-Broadway

rowspan="2" scope="row" |2023

| A Doll's House

| Torvald Helmer

| Hudson Theatre, Broadway

Gutenberg! The Musical!

|Producer

|James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway

Accolades

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" width="100%"

|+Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination

scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Nominated work

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

scope="row" rowspan="3"| Drama Desk Awards

| align="center"| 2008

| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

| Masked

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="3" align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/arian-moayed-478808#Awards|title=Arian Moayed – Broadway Cast & Staff IBDb}}

align="center"| 2016

| Outstanding Ensemble Performance

| The Humans

| {{won}}

align="center"| 2023

| Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play

| rowspan="2"| A Doll's House

| {{nom}}

scope="row"| Drama League Award

| align="center"| 2023

| Distinguished Performance

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|date=2023-04-25|title=2023 Drama League Award Nominees Announced |url=https://www.theatermania.com/news/2023-drama-league-award-nominees-announced_1699773/|access-date=2023-06-01|language=en-US}}

scope="row"| Hollywood Critics Association Awards

| align="center"| 2023

| Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

| rowspan="5"| Succession

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|title=Hollywood Critics Association's Creative Arts Category Nominations for the 2023 HCA TV Awards – Hollywood Critics Association|url=https://hollywoodcriticsassociation.com/hollywood-critics-associations-creative-arts-category-nominations-for-the-2023-hca-tv-awards/|access-date=2023-07-12|language=en-US}}

scope="row"| Online Film & Television Association Awards

| align="center"| 2022

| Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|title=26th Annual TV Awards (2021-22) – Online Film & Television Association |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/television-awards/26th-annual-tv-awards-2021-22/|access-date=2023-06-01|language=en-US}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| Primetime Emmy Awards

| align="center"| 2022

| rowspan="2"| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{Cite web|last=Buchanan|first=David|url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2022/emmy-nominee-profile-arian-moayed-succession/|title=Emmy nominee profile: Arian Moayed ('Succession') finally earns recognition for his hilarious, shrewd Stewy|website=Gold Derby|date=August 3, 2022|language=en-US|access-date=May 2, 2023}}

align="center"| 2023

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|title=Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series Nominees / Winners 2023 |url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2023/outstanding-guest-actor-in-a-drama-series |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Television Academy|language=en}}

scope="row"| Screen Actors Guild Awards

| align="center"| 2024

| Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite press release|url=https://www.sagawards.org/media/news/releases/nominations-announced-30th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awardsr|title=Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®|publisher=Screen Actors Guild |date=January 10, 2024|access-date=January 10, 2024}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| Tony Awards

| align="center"| 2011

| rowspan="2"| Best Featured Actor in a Play

| Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/tony-awards-complete-list-of-nominees/2011/05/03/AFceNngF_blog.html|title=Tony Awards: Complete list of nominees|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 3, 2011|language=en-US|access-date=May 2, 2023}}

align="center"| 2023

| A Doll's House

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|last1=Sherman|last2=Cohn|first1=Rachel|first2=Gabe |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/theater/tony-award-nominees-list.html|title=Tony Awards Nominations 2023: Updating List|website=The New York Times|date=May 2, 2023|language=en-US|access-date=May 2, 2023}}

References

{{reflist}}