Navid Negahban

Navid Negahban was born in Mashhad, Iran, on June 2, 1968. He developed an early interest in acting, performing on stage at the age of eight. At 17, he left Iran in 1985, relocating to Turkey and then Germany, where he spent eight years refining his craft with a theater company. In 1993, Negahban moved to the United States to further his acting career. He is fluent in English, German, and Persian, a linguistic versatility that has contributed to his diverse roles.

Negahban’s career spans numerous notable appearances across various platforms. He gained international recognition for his depiction of Abu Nazir in the Emmy-winning series “Homeland” (2011–2013). His filmography includes roles in “Twelve Strong” (2018) as General Dostum and “American Assassin” (2017) as Minister Behruz. A significant milestone in his career was his portrayal of the Sultan in Disney’s live-action remake of “Aladdin” (2019), which brought him broader household recognition. In television, he has appeared in series such as “24,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Veep,” “CSI: NY,” and “The Closer.” Negahban also took on the role of Amahl Farouk/The Shadow King in FX’s “Legion,” making history as the first Farsi-speaking character in the Marvel Universe.

His work extends to video games, where he received a BAFTA nomination for his performance as Hajj Agha in “1979 Revolution: Black Friday” (2016), marking a pioneering achievement for a Middle Eastern and Muslim actor in that category. He also voiced Dr. Challus Mercer in “Dead Space” (2008) and Ra’s al Ghul in “Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham” (2023) and “Gotham Knights” (2022). In 2019, Negahban established the Romany Road Artist Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting artists.