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by Scott Juba Published: March 21, 2005
Once in London, Aghdashloo earned a degree in international relations and was ready to embark on a career as a journalist until a friend asked her to act in a play that he wrote. She credits that experience with leading her to her current line of work. “I wanted to become a political journalist to help the people of Iran and the militants to free themselves from religious tyranny,” Aghdashloo says. “I had experienced it first hand, and I thought I would be useful as a journalist. When the play came around, even though I had promised myself that I would never act, I said that I would read it. I discovered that it was a political play about Iran. I realized that maybe I could be even more helpful by portraying such powerful stories on the stage and on the screen.” Aghdashloo currently stars on the FOX drama, “24”. In tonight’s episode, her character, Dina Araz, who is at the core of an impending terrorist attack, takes center stage. “Audiences will see another face of Dina, a woman torn between her cause and her love for her son,” Aghdashloo comments. “They’ll see how she reacts to it. Dina’s a strong woman. She’s a very complex person. I feel like I’m playing multiple roles under the name of one character.” “24” has come under fire from many Arab American groups concerned with the show’s depiction of Muslim terrorists. Aghdashloo, however, assures her fellow Arab Americans that the criticism is misguided. “24 is not representative of Arab or Muslim families,” she explains. “This show is not a portrayal of Muslims. It’s a portrayal of terrorists who claim to be Muslims. Islam is a religion about submission, compassion, love, and forgiveness. More importantly, committing suicide in Islam is forbidden. Terrorists commit suicide. Therefore, it’s by no means a portrayal of a Muslim or Arab family. It’s a portrayal of terrorists. We live in the post 9/11 era. 24 has intelligent writers who are responsible artists that have been inspired by the events of the day.” Prior to her work on "24", in 2003 Aghdashloo achieved a milestone when she received an Oscar nomination for her affecting depiction of an Iranian immigrant wife and mother in “House of Sand and Fog”. “On the second day of shooting, we were in downtown Los Angeles in our trailers, and I was standing at the door of the trailer with a big smile,” she says. “Vadim Perelman, our director, was passing by and he said, ‘What’s that big smile for?’ I said, ‘I can see the headlines saying that the United States is praising House of Sand and Fog. It’s become so successful that it’s going to get Oscar nominations.’ Vadim laughed and said, ‘My God, woman, you are so positive.’[laughs].” Aghdashloo believes that in order to be successful in any profession, it is necessary to maintain a positive outlook on the future. “If you want the world to turn into its positive side for you, always try to stay on the positive side,” she says. “It’s like a boomerang. It’s karma. If you are creating positive energy, that’s what you’ll receive in return.” Aghdashloo’s positive energy is infectious. As genuine a person as you will ever meet, Shohreh Aghdashloo is the definition of what it means to be a class act. Links 24 Official Site Sirlinksalot |
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