Sarah Shahi

Sarah Shahi was born Aahoo Jahansouzshahi on {{birth date|1980|01|10}}{{cite news|last=Rose|first=Mike|title=Today's famous birthdays list for January 10, 2023 includes celebrities Rod Stewart, Sarah Shahi|work=The Plain Dealer|date=January 10, 2023|access-date=January 10, 2023|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/01/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-january-10-2023-includes-celebrities-rod-stewart-sarah-shahi.html}} and raised in Euless, Texas.{{r|mills20110124}} Her father, Abbas Jahansouzshahi, and her mother, Mahmonir Soroushazar, an interior designer, divorced when she was ten years old.{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2011/01/30/court-of-appeal/ |title=Court of appeal |date=January 30, 2011 |author=Robert Rorke |publisher=New York Post |access-date=April 6, 2022}} Her mother was born in Spain to an Iranian father and a Spanish mother.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHP0tynaomk |title=Mujer de Hoy | Sarah Shahi habla y su familia | MDH |website=YouTube |date=30 January 2013 |access-date=2015-06-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310061239/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHP0tynaomk |archive-date=2016-03-10 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/sarah-shahi-life-19450/|title=For Sarah Shahi, Life is Beautiful |date=October 6, 2008 |author=Ileane Rudolph |publisher=TV Guide |access-date=April 6, 2022}} Her father is from Iran. Her father's family left Iran two years before the Iranian Revolution.{{cite web |url=http://www.askmen.com/women/actress_300/317c_sarah_shahi.html |title=Sarah Shahi Biography |website=AskMen.com |access-date=May 16, 2007 |archive-date=February 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229195245/http://www.askmen.com/women/actress_300/317c_sarah_shahi.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|last=Baron|first=Jeff|date=January 4, 2011|title=With New Show, Sarah Shahi Is Ready for Her Close-Up|url=http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2011/January/20110104163817ffej0.6563532.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209103030/http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2011/January/20110104163817ffej0.6563532.html|archive-date=February 9, 2011|access-date=January 7, 2011|work=America.gov|publisher=U.S. Department of State}} Her father, who was working at the American embassy in Iran, was slated for execution when the last Shah's regime collapsed in 1979, but was able to flee the country. Shahi has an older brother, Cyrus,{{cite web |url=http://tvline.com/2013/02/20/person-of-interest-season-2-spoilers-sarah-shahi/|title=On Person of Interest, Sarah Shahi trades 'wink-wink, flirt-flirt', for being 'the ultimate bad-ass' |date=February 20, 2013 |author=Matt Webb Mitovich |website=TVLine|access-date=February 21, 2013}} and a younger sister, Samantha, who is a production assistant.{{cite web |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/01/24/life-hasnt-been-easy-for-fairly-legals-sarah-shahi/ |title=Life hasn't been easy for Fairly Legal's Sarah Shahi |date=January 19, 2011 |author=Luaine Lee |publisher=The Mercury News |access-date=April 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225033342/http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/19/928690_life-hasnt-been-easy-for-actress.html |archive-date=February 25, 2013 }}{{cite web |url=http://iran.usembassy.gov/ahooshahi2.html |title=Sarah Shahi |publisher=Virtual Embassy of the United States Tehran, Iran |access-date=December 16, 2014}}

Her birth name, Aahoo ({{langx|fa|آهو}}), means 'gazelle' in Persian. Shahi adopted Sarah as her name in second grade after hearing a song called "Sarah" because she was "tormented" by other children about her birth name, Aahoo.{{r|mills20110124}} At her father's behest, she grew up speaking Persian in addition to English. Shahi's parents began entering her in beauty pageants at the age of eight. Shahi attended Trinity High School,{{cite news |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/living/article63216047.html |title=North Texas actress Sarah Shahi to play Nancy Drew |first=Jay |last=Betsill |date=February 29, 2016 |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |access-date=January 18, 2025}} and Southern Methodist University.{{cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20129846,00.html |title=Rah of Iran |date=November 22, 1999 |publisher=People |access-date=August 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019232934/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20129846,00.html |archive-date=October 19, 2012}} She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega during her time at SMU. Shahi won the Miss Fort Worth pageant in 1997.{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sarah-shahi/bio/192469 |title=Sarah Shahi: Biography |publisher=TV Guide}} Hoping to become an actress, she joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1999–2000) squad, despite not having cheered before. Later, she moved to Los Angeles.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2011-01-22-sarah-shahi_N.htm |title=Sarah Shahi turns cheerleading into 'Legal' experience |last=Mills |first=Nancy |date=January 24, 2011 |newspaper=USA Today |access-date=January 24, 2011}}

File:Sarah Shahi - Monte-Carlo Television Festival (2).jpg]]

While working as an extra on the set of Dr. T and the Women in Texas, Shahi met director Robert Altman, who encouraged her to move to Hollywood,{{r|mills20110124}} where she received roles in several series, including Alias, Dawson's Creek, Reba and Supernatural. In 2005, she appeared in the supporting character role of DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales on The L Word, which she joined in its second season. Shahi's two-year contract was not renewed after the end of the fourth season, and her character was written out.{{Cite web|url=http://www.afterellen.com/tv/83465-sarah-shahi-moves-on-from-the-l-word-and-life-to-fairly-legal|title=Sarah Shahi moves on from "The L Word" and "Life" to "Fairly Legal" - AfterEllen|date=2011-01-13|website=AfterEllen|access-date=2016-05-16}} Also that same year, Shahi appeared in the pilot episode of Supernatural as Constance Welch, AKA The Woman in White, the first ghost that Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) encounter.

Shahi was named number 90 on the Maxim "Hot 100 of 2005" list, moving up to number 66 in 2006[http://www.maximonline.com/slideshows/index.aspx?slideId=1971&imgCollectId=94 Sarah Shahi profile on Maxim] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014053427/http://www.maximonline.com/slideshows/index.aspx?slideId=1971&imgCollectId=94|date=October 14, 2007}} and 36 in 2012.{{cite web|title=Beautiful Celebrities and Women of 2012 | Maxim Hot 100|date=5 December 2012 |url=http://www.maxim.com/hot-100/2012|access-date=2014-01-22|publisher=Maxim}} She appeared on the cover of Maxim{{-'}}s 2012 'TV's Hottest Girls' Issue in October 2012.{{cite web|date=2012-09-09|title=Sarah Shahi Covers Maxim's 2012 'TV's Hottest Girls' Issue|url=http://celebrity-gossip.net/sarah-shahi/sarah-shahi-covers-maxims-2012-tvs-hottest-girls-issue-713312|access-date=2014-01-22|publisher=Celebrity-gossip.net}} She ranked number 5 on the AfterEllen.com hot list in 2007.[http://www.afterellen.com/people/14742-the-2007-afterellencom-hot-100 AfterEllen.com ranking] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923150053/http://www.afterellen.com/people/14742-the-2007-afterellencom-hot-100|date=September 23, 2016}}

She played Farah in the second season of Sleeper Cell, and also appeared in HBO's The Sopranos in 2007, in the Season 6b episode "Kennedy and Heidi" as Sonya Aragon, a stripper and college student who spends a weekend with Tony (including a psychedelic trip on peyote) after a death in his family. In 2007, she secured a small role in Rush Hour 3 as Zoe, a scantily clad rich girl who is pursued by Chris Tucker's character, Detective Carter.

In 2007, she took on her first permanent leading role on a TV series, co-starring with Damian Lewis in the NBC series Life as homicide detective Dani Reese. The series ran for two seasons.{{r|mills20110124}}{{cite news|first=Robert|last=Wilonsky|agency=Unfair Park (blog) |work=Dallas Observer|title=At SMU, Apparently, Sarah Shahi Was 'Walking Blue Balls'|url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/08/at_smu_apparently_sarah_shahi.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080814004853/http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/08/at_smu_apparently_sarah_shahi.php|archive-date=August 14, 2008|date=August 12, 2008|access-date=January 7, 2011}}

In October 2009, Shahi landed the lead role in the USA Network pilot, Facing Kate. Shahi began filming in November 2009.{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title=Sarah Shahi lands USA's 'Kate' pilot |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/sarah-shahi-lands-usas-kate-90356/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=April 6, 2022 |date=October 21, 2009}} The show followed the life of Kate Reed, a legal mediator who is frustrated with the bureaucracy and injustice she witnesses in the legal system. The series title was later changed to Fairly Legal. The show was cancelled after two seasons in November 2012.{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2012/11/01/fairly-legal-usa-network-cancelled/|title=Fairly Legal Cancelled After Two-Season Run|date=November 1, 2012|author=Megan Masters|publisher=TVLine|access-date=November 4, 2012}}

Shahi was cast as a recurring love interest for Taylor Kinney's character Lt. Kelly Severide on NBC's show Chicago Fire in October 2012.{{cite web|url=http://tvline.com/2012/10/30/chicago-fire-season-1-cast-sarah-shahi/|title='Chicago Fire' Cast – Sarah Shahi to Play Taylor Kinney's Love Interest|date=October 30, 2012|publisher=TVLine|author=Michael Ausiello|access-date=December 28, 2012}} She was cast in the recurring role of Sameen Shaw on Person of Interest, making her first appearance in the second-season episode "Relevance", which aired in February 2013.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2013/01/08/sarah-shahi-to-recur-on-person-of-interest/|title=Sarah Shahi to recur on 'Person of Interest'|date=January 8, 2013|author=Sandra Gonzalez|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=February 21, 2013}} In May 2013, CBS President Nina Tassler announced that Shahi would be added as a series regular for its third season. She played the daughter of Sylvester Stallone's character in the 2012 action film Bullet to the Head. Her co-star on this film was Jason Momoa, who she worked with again in the 2014 film Road to Paloma. Following the January 7, 2015, episode of Person of Interest, Shahi and the show's producers announced she would be going on maternity leave.{{cite web |last1=Bryant |first1=Adam |title=Person of Interest Bosses, Star on Shocking Exit and That Big Kiss |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/person-of-interest-sarah-shahi-jonathan-nolan-1091505/ |website=TV Guide |access-date=April 6, 2022 |date=January 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111103926/http://www.tvguide.com/News/Person-of-Interest-Sarah-Shahi-Jonathan-Nolan-1091505.aspx|archive-date=January 11, 2015}}

In February 2016, she was cast as iconic detective Nancy Drew in a planned TV series based on the books.{{cite web|last=Hibberd|first=James|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/29/sarah-shahi-nancy-drew|title=Sarah Shahi cast as Nancy Drew in CBS reboot|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=2016-02-29}} In May 2016, CBS passed on the series.{{cite news|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cbs-passes-nancy-drew-reboot-894095|title=CBS Passes on Nancy Drew Reboot; Drama Being Shopped Elsewhere|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 14, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2016}} Also in May, Shahi resumed her appearances as Shaw on Person of Interest, until June 21, 2016, when the show ended.{{cite magazine|last=Li|first=Shirley|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/03/person-of-interest-season-5-preview|title=Person of Interest: EPs preview a final season set to 'blow things up'|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=May 3, 2016|access-date=May 31, 2016}} She starred in the new TV series Reverie in 2018,{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/05/reverie-starring-sarah-shahi-nbc-series-order-1202091947/ |title='Reverie' VR Thriller Drama Pilot Starring Sarah Shahi Gets NBC Series Order |last=Andreeva|first=Nellie |work=Deadline Hollywood|date=May 12, 2017|access-date=May 12, 2017}} but it was cancelled after one season.{{cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Leslie|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/reverie-starring-sarah-shahi-canceled-at-nbc-1158631|title='Reverie,' Starring Sarah Shahi, Canceled at NBC |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date= November 6, 2018|access-date=November 6, 2018}}

In 2018, Shahi played a recurring role on The Rookie as Jessica Russo, a private security consultant and former FBI hostage rescue specialist, who becomes John Nolan's girlfriend.{{r|rookie}}

In 2019, Shahi joined the cast of Showtime's City on a Hill as recurring character Rachel Behnam, an investigator for the district attorney.

In August 2020, Shahi started filming Sex/Life, a Netflix series inspired by BB Easton's book "44 Chapters About 4 Men", in Toronto, Canada.{{Cite web|last=White|first=Peter|date=2020-08-31|title=Netflix Dramedy 'Sex/Life' Restarts Production In Toronto|url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/netflix-sex-life-restarts-production-toronto-1203027581/|access-date=2021-06-18|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine|title='Sex/Life' star Adam Demos on that full-frontal shower scene|url=https://ew.com/tv/sex-life-adam-demos-talks-naked-shower-scene-netflix/|access-date=2021-06-27|magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} She played Billie, a housewife struggling to remain a devoted wife and mother when tempted by an old flame and the freer days of her youth. In October, she was cast as Adrianna Tomaz in the 2022 DCEU film Black Adam opposite Dwayne Johnson and Pierce Brosnan.

Shahi married actor Steve Howey on February 7, 2009, in Las Vegas. In July 2009, she gave birth to their first child, a son,{{cite web|url=https://people.com/parents/sarah-shahi-steve-howey-welcome-son-william-wolf/|title=Sarah Shahi, Steve Howey Welcome Son William Wolf|date=October 2, 2009|website=People|access-date=October 3, 2019}} during an at-home water birth.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/parents/sarah-shahi-how-i-handled-my-home-birth/amp/|title=Sarah Shahi: How I handled my water birth|date=March 10, 2010|website=People|access-date=October 3, 2019}}/ In January 2015, she announced that she was pregnant with twins.{{cite magazine|last=Snetiker|first=Marc|title='Person of Interest' exit interview: 'It's goodbye for now, but not forever'|url=https://ew.com/article/2015/01/07/person-of-interest-shaw-dead-sarah-shahi-pregnant/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=October 3, 2019|date=January 7, 2015}} In March, a daughter and son were born during another home birth.{{cite web|url= https://people.com/parents/sarah-shahi-steve-howey-welcome-twins-violet-moon-knox-blue/amp/|title=Steve Howey and Sarah Shahi Welcome Twins Violet Moon and Knox Blue|date=March 6, 2015|website=People|access-date=October 3, 2019}} Shahi and Howey filed for divorce in May 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/steve-howey-and-sarah-shahi-split-after-11-years-of-marriage/|website=Us Magazine|title='Shameless' Star Steve Howey and Sarah Shahi Split After 11 Years of Marriage|date=June 29, 2020}} Their divorce was finalized in January 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/steve-howey-wife-sarah-shahi-finalize-divorce-after-split/|title=Shameless' Steve Howey and Sarah Shahi Finalize Their Divorce|publisher=US Magazine|date=April 8, 2021}}

In 2021, Shahi revealed that she was in a relationship with Australian actor Adam Demos, whom she met on the set of Sex/Life.{{Cite web|title=Inside Sarah Shahi and Adam Demos' Real-Life Relationship After Meeting on Sex/Life|url=https://people.com/tv/sarah-shahi-dating-sex-life-costar-adam-demos/|access-date=2021-06-27|website=People}}{{Cite web|date=2021-06-25|title=Sarah Shahi & Adam Demos On Sex/Life|url=https://www.leoedit.com/culture/sarah-shahi-adam-demos-on-sex-life/|access-date=2021-06-25|website=Leo Edit|language=en-US}} It was reported in April 2025 that Shahi had ended her relationship with Demos.{{Cite web|title='Sex/Life’ co-stars Adam Demos and Sarah Shahi split after five years|url=https://pagesix.com/2025/04/16/celebrity-news/sex-life-co-stars-adam-demos-and-sarah-shahi-split-after-five-years/|first=Oli|last=Coleman|date=2025-04-16|access-date=2025-04-18|website=Page Six}}

Shahi studied karate in her youth becoming a 1st dan black belt in Shorin-Ryu karate.{{Cite news |last=Cheney |first=Alexandra |date=2012-03-16 |title='Fairly Legal' Star Sarah Shahi Talks Season 2 Secrets |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-69391 |access-date=2022-03-22 |issn=0099-9660}}

In 2016, Shahi and Howey were sued by a former nanny of their children for sexual harassment and religious discrimination. The lawsuit claimed Shahi mocked her Islamic customs of dress and fasting. The lawsuit also alleged sexual harassment, with Shahi sharing a lewd photograph with the nanny, and grabbing her backside and commenting, "You have a perfect little butt."{{Cite news |last=Kenneally |first=Tim |date=November 11, 2016 |title= Sarah Shahi, Steve Howey Sued for Discrimination by Muslim Nanny |url= https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/sarah-shahi-steve-howey-sued-discrimination-muslim-nanny-235134239.html |website=Yahoo! |access-date=August 11, 2022}} In 2017, the nanny asked for the case to be dismissed.{{Cite web |date=August 16, 2022 |title=Violet Moon Howey: Steve Howey And Sarah Shahi's Lawsuit |url=https://www.solobis.net/violet-moon-howey-steve-howey-and-sarah-shahis-lawsuit/ |website=solobis.net|access-date=February 3, 2023 |language=en-US}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Sarah Shahi}}

• {{Official website|http://www.sarahshahi.com}}{{dead link|date=May 2021}}
• {{IMDb name|1083404|Sarah Shahi}}
• {{Tcmdb name}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahi, Sarah}}

Category:1980 births

Category:20th-century American actresses

Category:21st-century American actresses

Category:Actresses from Texas

Category:American cheerleaders

Category:American film actresses

Category:American people of Iranian descent

Category:American people of Spanish descent

Category:American television actresses

Category:American voice actresses

Category:Living people

Category:NFL cheerleaders

Category:People from Euless, Texas

Category:Qajar dynasty

Category:Southern Methodist University alumni