Leila Hatami
{{short description|Iranian actress (born 1972)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Leila Hatami
| image = Leila Hatami 20190204 03 (cropped).jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Hatami at the 2019 Fajr Film Festival
| native_name = لیلا حاتمی
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1972|10|01}}
| birth_place = Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
| occupation = Actress
| notable_works =
| height =
| alma_mater = École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
| death_date =
| death_place =
| native_name_lang = Fa
| othername =
| yearsactive = 1984–present
| parents = Ali Hatami
Zari Khoshkam
| spouse = {{marriage|Ali Mosaffa|1998}}
| children = 2
| relatives = Amir Banoo Karimi (mother-in-law)
| website =
}}
Leila Hatami ({{langx|fa|لیلا حاتمی}}; born 1 October 1972) is an Iranian actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of Iranian Cinema, she is considered one of the most prominent performers in the 21st century. She is recognized for her realistic acting in drama films and she rose to international fame for her role as Simin in Academy Award-winning film A Separation (2011), for which she received the Silver Bear for Best Actress.
Hatami made her film debut portraying Kamal-ol-molk in the drama Kamalolmolk (1984). She played her first lead role in the drama Leila (1997) as an abarren woman, for which she won the Diploma of Honor at the Fajr Film Festival and gained public attention. Her portrayal of a naive woman in Penniless (2009) earned her the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress at the Fajr Film Festival, and she later won the award again for her portrayal of a disordered woman in Subdued (2017). She has also been nominated for the Crystal Simorgh for her roles in Sheida (1999), The Deserted Station (2002), Season Salad (2005), Forty Years Old (2010), A Separation (2011), The Orange Suit (2012) and Time to Love (2015).
Hatami won the Montreal World Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Deserted Station (2002). She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival for her performance in the drama A Separation (2011). In 2017, IndieWire praised her performance in the film as one of the best performances of the 21st century and considered Hatami deserved one Oscar Award for her performance in it.{{Cite web |date=2017-09-23 |title=Leila Hatami Among 21st Century Best Actresses |url=https://financialtribune.com/articles/art-and-culture/72917/leila-hatami-among-21st-century-best-actresses |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=FinancialTribune |language=en}} She received the Crystal Globe for Best Actress at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for her performance in The Last Step (2012). In 2012, she was appointed Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government.{{Cite web |date=2012-08-02 |title=اعطای نشان هنر و ادب فرانسه به لیلا حاتمی |url=https://www.bbc.com/persian/arts/2012/08/120802_ka_leyla_hatami_france |access-date=2022-08-04 |publisher=BBC News |language=fa}} She has been included in the list of the most beautiful women in the Middle East by the website Wonderslist.{{Cite web |date=2016-11-08 |title=Most Beautiful Middle-Eastern Women - Top 10 Beautiful Arab Women |url=https://www.wonderslist.com/beautiful-middle-eastern-women-top-10/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=www.wonderslist.com |language=en-US}}
Early life
File:Leila-hatami-childhood.jpg and Zari Khoshkam]]
Leila Hatami was born on 1 October 1972, in Tehran, Iran, to influential Iranian director Ali Hatami and actress Zari Khoshkam. Leila first appeared in a film when she was 10, times of the 19th century Iranian painter Kamal-ol-Molk. In it, she played the painter as a young boy. Then eight years later in 1992, she appeared in another one of her father’s films called Love-stricken where she played a blind princess. However she did not originally intend to pursue acting. At high school, she studied mathematical physics.{{Cite web |title=Iran Chamber Society: Iranian Cinema: Leila Hatami |url=https://www.iranchamber.com/cinema/lhatami/leila_hatami.php |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=www.iranchamber.com}} After finishing high school, she moved to Lausanne, Switzerland and started her studies in Mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). After two years she changed her major to French literature.{{cite book|author=Tom Vick|title=Asian cinema: a field guide|url=https://archive.org/details/asiancinemafield0000vick|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=Collins}} She completed her study of French before moving back to Iran. Then her father became ill and she went back to Iran. He died in 1996. That same year, she played her first adult role in drama Leila which was directed by prominent film director Dariush Mehrjui. Her acting received praise both inside and outside of Iran.{{Cite web |title=Iranian Women You Should Known: Leila Hatami |url=https://iranwire.com/en/special-features/61308/ |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=iranwire.com |language=en}}
Career
Hatami played several small roles in her father's productions throughout her youth, including in the Hezar Dastan television series and the Kamalolmolk movie.{{cite book|author1=Terri Ginsberg|author2=Chris Lippard|title=Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cWs0N_l_o14C&pg=PA175|date=11 March 2010|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7364-3|pages=175–}} Her first leading film appearance was the title role in the 1997 film Leila, directed by Dariush Mehrjui. She received the Diploma of Honor for Best Actress from the 15th Fajr Film Festival.[http://www.fajrfestival.ir/english/fajr/asp/awards.asp?f_number=15 15th Fajr Film Festival Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629041136/http://www.fajrfestival.ir/english/fajr/asp/awards.asp?f_number=15 |date=29 June 2009 }}. Fajr International Film Festival, Retrieved 25 June 2006. Following this, she continued to act regularly in Iranian cinema.
She has starred in dozens of films, and has often garnered critical acclaim and accolades. For her performance in The Deserted Station (2002), she was nominated for the Fajr Film Festival Award for Best Actress and she won the Best Actress Award at the 26th Montreal World Film Festival.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060414200134/http://www.ffm-montreal.org/palmares/en_2002.html Awards 2002]}}. World Film Festival, Retrieved 25 June 2006.
She has appeared in her husband's films as a director, Portrait of a Lady Far Away (2005) and The Last Step (2012). She also designed the sets and the costumes of The Last Step and, in addition to receiving the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance, she received a nomination for the Crystal Simorgh Fajr Film Festival Award for Best Production Design and Costume Design for her work on the film.
File:Leila Hatami Cannes 2013.jpg]]
In 2012, she received international attention for her role in the critical acclaimed Asghar Farhadi film, A Separation, which won dozens of accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.{{cite web|url= http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/irans-leila-hatami-among-best-actresses-21st-century/|title= Iran's Leila Hatami among Best Actresses of 21st Century|website= IFPNews|date= 24 September 2017}} Her performance earned critical acclaim and various awards, including the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival.{{Cite web |title=Gold and Silver Bears for Iranian film as Berlinale closes |date=20 February 2011 |url=http://www.dw.com/en/gold-and-silver-bears-for-iranian-film-as-berlinale-closes/a-14856453 |access-date=30 January 2018 |website=dw.com |language=en}} IndieWire praised her portrayal as one of the best female performances of the 21st century.{{Cite news|url=http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/irans-leila-hatami-among-best-actresses-21st-century/|title=Iran's Leila Hatami among Best Actresses of 21st Century|date=24 September 2017|work=IFP News|access-date=30 January 2018|language=en-US}}
In June 2017, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Leila Hatami to become a member.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-30 |title=10 Iranian Cineastes Among New Oscar Academy Members |url=https://financialtribune.com/articles/art-and-culture/67348/10-iranian-cineastes-among-new-oscar-academy-members |access-date=2024-06-15 |website=Financial Tribune |language=En}}
= Judging at film festivals =
In April 2014, she was announced as a member of the main competition jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/60563.html |title=The Jury of the 67th Festival de Cannes |access-date=28 April 2014 |work=Cannes}} Whilst there, she greeted Cannes President Gilles Jacob with a kiss on the cheek, which is a form of greeting in France.[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/cannes-2014-iran-criticises-leila-hatami-kissing-film-festival-president-1449108 Cannes 2014: Iran Criticises Leila Hatami for Kissing Film Festival President]. Ibtimes.co.uk (19 May 2014). Retrieved on 16 October 2015. Iran's Deputy Culture Minister Hossein Noushabadi offered criticism of her for this:
"I hope that those who attend international arenas as Iranian women would be careful about the chastity and dignity of Iranians so that the image of the Iranian woman is not tainted before the world," he said. "If they respect Islamic norms and the national culture and beliefs of Iran, it would be a desirable thing for Iranian celebrities to go abroad, but if their presence lacks regard for social values and ethical criteria, the Iranian nation is not going to accept it."
In May 2014, after receiving significant backlash for the kiss in Iran—including calls for her to be flogged—Hatami later apologized for her actions in a letter.{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/10853504/Iranian-actress-Leila-Hatami-apologises-for-kissing-Cannes-president-on-the-cheek.html|title=Iranian actress Leila Hatami apologises for kissing Cannes president on the cheek|access-date=24 May 2014 |work=The Telegraph|date=24 May 2014 }}{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/leila-hatami-student-group-calls-for-iranian-actress-to-be-flogged-following-cannes-kiss-9422990.html|title= Leila Hatami: Student group calls for Iranian actress to be flogged following Cannes Film Festival kiss |newspaper= Independent|date= 24 May 2013}}
==Full list==
- 2001 - Dubai Short Film Festival
- 2006 - 41st Karlovy Vary Film Festival – Main competition
- 2011 - Marrakech Film Festival
- 2011 - Deauville Film Festival
- 2012 - Rome Film Festival
- 2012 - Kastendorf Film Festival (Jury President)
- 2013 - Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival
- 2014 - 67th Cannes Film Festival – Main competition
- 2022 - Vesoul Film Festival of Asian Cinema (Jury President)
- 2022 - 79th Venice Film Festival – Main competition
Personal life
She married Ali Mosaffa, her co-star in Leila (1997) in 1998. They have two children: a son named Mani (born February 2007) and a daughter named Asal (born October 2008).
Beside her native Persian language she is fluent in French, English, and German.{{Cite web |title=Iranian stars who speak multiple languages |url=https://en.ifilmtv.ir/News/Content/35599/ |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=ifilm-آیفیلم |language=en}}
Filmography
= Film =
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:100%
! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" | Director ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes | |
scope=row|1984
|Young Kamal-ol-molk | | |
---|---|
scope=row|1992
|Leila||Ali Hatami | | |
scope=row|1997
|Leila||Dariush Mehrjui | | |
scope=row|1999
|Sheida Fatemi||Kamal Tabrizi | | |
scope=row|2000
| The Mix |Ms. Salimi||Dariush Mehrjui |Cameo appearance | |
scope=row rowspan="2" |2001
|Maryam||Fereydoun Jeyrani | | |
Sweet Jam
|Jalal's Mother | Marzieh Boroomand
| |
scope=row rowspan="2" |2002
|Mahtab||Alireza Raeesian | | |
Low Heights
|Narges | Ebrahim Hatamikia
| |
scope=row rowspan="4" |2005
|Leila||Fereydoun Jeyrani | | |
Portrait of a Lady Far Away
|The Young Lady | Ali Mosaffa
| |
Poet of the Wastes
|The Young Lady | Mohammad Ahmadi
| |
The Command
|Foroozandeh | Masoud Kimiai
| |
scope=row|2007
|Atiyeh||Rasoul Sadrameli | | |
scope=row|2008
|Woman in Audience||Abbas Kiarostami | | |
scope=row|2009
|Shokouh||Hamid Nematollah | | |
scope=row rowspan="3" |2010
|Negar||Alireza Raeesian | | |
A Walk in the Fog
|Roya | Bahram Tavakkoli
| |
There Are Things You Don't Know
|Doctor | Fardin Sahebzamani
| |
scope=row rowspan="3" |2011
|Yasi||Maziar Miri | | |
A Separation
|Simin | Asghar Farhadi
| |
Beloved Sky
|The Lady | Dariush Mehrjui
| |
scope=row rowspan="3" |2012
|Leyli||Ali Mosaffa |Also costume designer | |
The Orange Suit
|Nahal Nahavandi | Dariush Mehrjui
| |
Meeting Leila
|Leila | Adel Yaraghi
| |
scope=row|2013
|Saba||Hadi Moghaddamdoost | | |
scope=row|2014
|What's the Time in Your World? |Goli Ebtehaj||Safi Yazdanian | | |
scope=row|2015
|Time to Love |Bita Tamadon||Alireza Raeesian | | |
scope=row|2016
|I |Azar Mirzaei||Soheil Beiraghi | | |
scope=row|2017
|Mina||Hamid Nematollah | | |
scope=row rowspan="4" |2018
|Shahrzad (Voice) |Animation | |
Pig
|Shiva Mohajer | Mani Haghighi
| |
Bomb: A Love Story
|Mitra | Peyman Moaadi
| |
Tale of the Sea
|Parvaneh | | |
scope=row rowspan="2" |2019
|Saye Tamadon |Alireza Raeesian | | |
We Are All Together
|Mrs. Mozhdehi | Kamal Tabrizi
| |
scope=row|2022
|Various |Ali Behrad |Hatami played 8 roles. | |
scope="row" |2024
|Rana |Oktay Baraheni | | |
scope="row" |2025
|Ziba |Hamid Nematollah | | |
{{TBA}}
|A Time in Eternity |Maryam |Completed | |
{{TBA}}
|Completed | |
{{TBA}}
|The Rook | |Hamid Nematollah |Post-production |
= Web =
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:100%
! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" | Director ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Platform !Notes |
scope=row|2019
|Anahita Kashef |Recurring role |
---|
scope=row|2022–2024
|Women's Secret Network |Delbar |Afshin Hashemi |Namava |Main role |
= Television =
class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style=font-size:100%
! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" | Director ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Network ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
scope=row|1977
|Divorce |Bahare |Massoud Asadollahi |NIRT |Episode: "Addicted" |
---|
scope=row rowspan="2" |1987
|Young Amine-aghdas |1 episode |
Mr. Hekayati
| | scope=row rowspan="2" |Childern's TV show |
scope=row|1984
|Guys Wake Up, Guys Be Alert |Herself | |
scope=row|2000
|Mastaneh Pirayesh |Ziaeddin Dorri |Main role |
scope=row|2007
|Paridokht |Paridokht |Saman Moghaddam |Main role |
Awards and nominations
class= "wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+List of awards and nominations received by Leila Hatami ! Organizations ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Work ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{refh}} | |
scope="row"|Berlin International Film Festival
| style="text-align:center;"| 2011 |{{Won}} | align="center"| {{cite web|last=Child|first=Ben|title=Iranian drama wins top prize at Berlin film festival|website=the Guardian|date=February 21, 2011|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/21/berlin-film-festival-nader-simin|access-date=March 24, 2019|publisher=|archive-date=March 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324125008/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/21/berlin-film-festival-nader-simin}} | |
---|---|
scope="row"|Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
| style="text-align:center;"| 2012 |{{Won}} | |
scope="row"| Montreal World Film Festival
| style="text-align:center;"| 2002 |Best Actress |{{Won}} | align="center"| {{cite news|title=10th Annual Iranian Film Fest Starts|newspaper=Washington Post|date=January 6, 2006|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/01/06/10th-annual-iranian-film-fest-starts/2a4ff4b1-1992-4bb7-96af-d32d1b4bde01/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324123145/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/01/06/10th-annual-iranian-film-fest-starts/2a4ff4b1-1992-4bb7-96af-d32d1b4bde01/|archive-date=March 24, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=March 24, 2019|publisher=|last=|first=}} | |
scope="row"|Palm Springs International Film Festival
| style="text-align:center;"| 2012 |the FIPRESCI for Best Actress | rowspan="4" |A Separation |{{Won}} | align="center"| {{cite web|last=Lee|first=Nathan|title=Palm Springs International Film Festival|website=FIPRESCI|date=January 16, 2012|url=http://www.fipresci.org/festival-reports/2012/palm-springs|access-date=March 24, 2019|archive-date=March 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325103741/http://www.fipresci.org/festival-reports/2012/palm-springs}}{{cite web|title=Top Awards at the 2012 Palm Springs Film Festival Include 'Starbuck' and 'The House'|website=IndieWire|date=January 15, 2012|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2012/01/top-awards-at-the-2012-palm-springs-film-festival-include-starbuck-and-the-house-49790/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190324124520/https://www.indiewire.com/2012/01/top-awards-at-the-2012-palm-springs-film-festival-include-starbuck-and-the-house-49790/|archive-date=March 24, 2019|url-status=unfit|access-date=March 24, 2019|publisher=|last=|first=}} | |
scope="row" rowspan="2" |Asian Film Awards
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |2012 |{{Nom}} | align="center" rowspan="2" |{{cite web|title=Asian Film Awards Nominations 2012 on Notebook|website=Mubi|date=July 1, 2018|url=https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/asian-film-awards-nominations-2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701030624/https://mubi.com/notebook/posts/asian-film-awards-nominations-2012|archive-date=July 1, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=March 24, 2019|publisher=|last=|first=}} | |
Favorite Actress
|{{Nom}} | |
scope="row"|International Cinephile Society
| style="text-align:center;"| 2012 |Best Supporting Actress |{{Nom}} | |
scope="row"|Zimbabwe International Film Festival
| style="text-align:center;"| 2010 |Best Actress |{{Won}} | |
scope="row" rowspan="11" |Fajr Film Festival
| style="text-align:center;"| 1997 | rowspan="11" |Best Actress |{{runner-up}} | align="center"| {{Cite web |title=Fajr Film Festival 1997 |url=https://mubi.com/en/awards-and-festivals/fajr?year=1997 |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=MUBI |language=en}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 1999
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2002
|The Deserted Station |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2005
|{{Nom}} | align="center"| {{Cite web |title=Fajr Film Festival (2005) |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000747/2005/1/ |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2009
|{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2010
|{{Nom}} | align="center"| {{Cite web |title=Fajr Film Festival (2010) |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000747/2010/1/ |access-date=2025-07-06 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} | |
style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" |2011
|A Separation |{{Nom}} | |
There Are Things You Don't Know
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;" |2012
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2015
|Time to Love |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2017
|{{Won}} | |
scope="row" rowspan="14" |Hafez Awards
| style="text-align:center;"| 1997 | rowspan="11" |Best Actress– Motion Picture |Leila |{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 1999
|Sheida |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2001
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2002
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2006
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2011 | Penniless
|{{Nom}} |
style="text-align:center;"| 2014
|The Last Step |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2016
|Time to love |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2017
|I |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2018
|Subdued |{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2019
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2020
|Best Actress – Television Series Drama |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2023
|Best Actress– Motion Picture |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2024
|Best Actress – Television Series Comedy |Women's Secret Network |{{Nom}} | |
scope="row" rowspan="5" |Iran Cinema Celebration
| style="text-align:center;"| 2001 | rowspan="5" |Best Actress |Water and Fire |{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2002
|Low Heights |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2010
|{{Nom}} | align="center"| {{Cite web |title=Iran Cinema Celebration (2010) |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0006002/2010/1/ |access-date=2025-07-07 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2012
|The Last Step |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2017
|Subdued |{{Won}} | |
scope="row" rowspan="9" |Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association
| style="text-align:center;"| 2001 | rowspan="9" |Best Actress |Water and Fire |{{Won}}{{efn|Best Actress of the Year as chosen by Iranian film writers and critics}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2010
|Penniless |{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2010
|A Walk in the Fog |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2012
|The Last Step |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2013
|{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2015
|What's the Time in Your World? |{{Nom}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2016
|I |{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2017
|Subdued |{{Won}} | |
style="text-align:center;"| 2018
|Bomb: A Love Story |{{Nom}} |
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{IMDb name|0368689}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes person|leila_hatami}}
- {{Metacritic person|id=leila-hatami}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Leila Hatami
|list =
{{Crystal Simorgh Best Actress}}
{{Silver Bear for Best Actress}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatami, Leila}}
Category:Iranian television actresses
Category:Iranian film actresses
Category:Actresses from Tehran
Category:Silver Bear for Best Actress winners
Category:Iranian expatriates in Switzerland
Category:Iranian child actresses
Category:20th-century Iranian actresses
Category:21st-century Iranian actresses