Sarah Shahi
 |
Sarah Shahi | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aahoo Jahansouz Shahi January 10, 1980 |
| Other names | Sara Shahi |
| Occupation(s) | Actress Model |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | Steve Howey (2009–present) |
| Website | http://www.sarahshahi.com/ |
Aahoo Jahansouzshahi (Template:Lang-fa), also known as Sarah Shahi (born January 10, 1980) is an American actress of Iranian and Spanish descent. A former NFL Cheerleader, Shahi was named #90 on the Maxim magazine "Hot 100 of 2005" list;[1] she moved up to #66 in 2006.[2] She also ranked Rank No. 5 on the AfterEllen.com hot list in 2007.[3] She is probably best known for starring in The L Word as Carmen de la Pica Morales and Life as Detective Dani Reese. She is currently starring as Kate Reed in the 2011 legal drama Fairly Legal on the USA Network.
Early life and career
Sarah Shahi was born in Euless, Texas, to an Iranian father, Abbas Shahi, and a Spanish mother, Muslim name Mahmonir.[4][5] She has an older brother and a younger sister Samantha Jahansouzshahi.[6] She is a great-great-granddaughter of the 19th century Iranian king Fath Ali Shah Qajar.[7] Her real given name, Aahoo, is Persian for deer.[8] She attended Trinity High School and Dallas' Southern Methodist University, majoring in English and Theater. Shahi started her career as a beauty queen during her teen years. She won the Miss Fort Worth USA pageant in 1997. She joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 1999–2000 squad and appeared on the cover of their 2000 calendar. She is fluent in English and Persian.[9]
Acting career
Ironically, before she was married to Steve Howey (actor), she guest-starred as two different people on Reba (TV series). In "To Tell the Truth", she plays Kate, the publicist for Van's football team, with whom Cheyenne thinks he's cheating on her with. In "Cheyenne's Rival", she plays Bridgit, Cheyenne's drill team rival.
While working as an extra on the set of Dr. T and the Women, she met director Robert Altman, who encouraged her to move to Hollywood. Once in L.A., she got various recurrent roles in several famous series, such as Alias, where she played Jenny, and Dawson's Creek, where she was Sadia Shaw. Shahi was also the first ghost in Supernatural, the CW paranormal drama series.
She is best known for her role as the Mexican-American DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales in the Showtime drama television series The L Word, which she joined in its second season. Shahi did not renew her contract with the series for the fourth season, and consequently her character was written out. She makes a guest appearance on the last episode of the series.
She also played the role of Farah in the second season of Sleeper Cell. She also appeared in HBO's The Sopranos, in the Season 6b episode "Kennedy and Heidi", as Sonya Aragon, a stripper and college student who spends a weekend with Tony after a death in his family.
She co-starred in the NBC series Life along with Welsh actor Damian Lewis as detective Charlie Crews. Shahi played homicide detective Dani Reese.[10]
In October 2009, Shahi landed the lead role in an upcoming pilot entitled Facing Kate. Shahi began filming in November 2009.[11] On March 15, 2010, it was announced that USA network had ordered 11 episodes of the series. The show will follow the life of Kate Reed, a top litigator who is frustrated with the bureaucracy and injustice she witnesses in legal system. She decides to become the ultimate anti-lawyer: a mediator. The series title was later changed to Fairly Legal. It was the second female-centered drama to get the greenlight from USA in 2009.[12] The series is scheduled to begin airing on USA in January 2011.[13]
On February 3, 2010, Shahi appeared on an episode of Psych called "Thrill Seekers and Hell Raisers"[14] playing Burton Guster's new girlfriend. Her husband Steve Howey also guest-starred in the same episode.[citation needed]
Shahi is currently working on a drama entitled Untitled Beatle Boyin Project, where she plays Carla. The movie is currently in production and should be released sometime in Fall 2010. [15]
It was announced in April 2010 that Shahi had landed a lead in an upcoming film entitled East Fifth Bliss. Shahi will play Hattie Skunk/ Hattie Rockworth, the movie is currently being filmed in New York City. Also co-starring Michael C. Hall, Peter Fonda, Chris Messina and Brad Henke. [16] [17]
Personal life
Shahi speaks English, Persian, and some Spanish. She lived with her mother after her parents divorced. She has a brown belt in karate.
Shahi is married to actor Steve Howey, whom she met when she guest starred on Reba. They were engaged in June 2007 while vacationing in Hawaii, and married on February 6, 2009 in Las Vegas. On July 9, 2009, their first child, William Wolf Howey, was born.
She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Filmography
- Dr. T and the Women (2000) as an uncredited cheerleader
- City Guys: "Shock Treatment" (2000-11-04) as Cheerleader
- Spin City: "Blind Faith" (2000-11-15) as Bachelorette
- Boston Public: "Chapter Eleven" (2001-01-22) as Laura
- Off Centre: "A Cute Triangle" (2001-11-18) as Angelica
- Maybe It's Me: "The Exchange-Student" (2001-12-07) as Rosa
- Alias (2001–02, seven episodes) as Jenny, a budding journalist.
- Class of '06 (2002, undeveloped pilot) as Meg
- Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) as Becky, a Delta-Nu sister
- Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central): "Chinese Baby" (2002-06-05) as TV Diva
- Frasier: "Door Jam" (2003-01-07) as Reservationist
- Old School (2003) as Erica
- Dawson's Creek (2003, four episodes) as Sadia Shaw, a journalist.
- ER: "The Greater Good" (2003-11-06) as Tara King
- Reba: "To Tell the Truth" (2004-01-23) as Kate
- Century City: "Sweet Child of Mine" (2004-04-06) as Ms. Morris
- A Lot Like Love (2005) as Starlet
- Plan B (2005, undeveloped pilot) as Bronwyn
- Supernatural: "Pilot" (2005-09-13) as The Woman in White/Constance Welsh
- The L Word (2005–07) as Carmen de la Pica Morales
- Teachers (2006, six episodes) as Tina
- Damages (2006) as Jennifer Carillo
- The Dog Problem (2006) as Candy
- For Your Consideration (2006) as Wake Up Host
- Sleeper Cell (2006) as Farah
- Reba: "Cheyenne's Rival" (2007-01-28) as Bridget
- The Sopranos: "Kennedy and Heidi" (2007-05-13) as Sonya Aragon
- Life (2007–09) as Dani Reese
- AmericanEast (2007) as Salwah Marzoke
- Shades of Ray (2007) as Sana Khaliq
- Rush Hour 3 (2007) as Zoe (uncredited)
- The L Word (2009) as Carmen de la Pica Morales
- Crossing Over (2009) as Pooneh Baraheri
- Psych (2010) as Ruby, Gus's girlfriend
- Fairly Legal (beginning January 2011 on USA Network), as Kate
- Untitled Beatle Boyin Project (2010, Filming) as Carla
- East Fifth Bliss (2010, Filming) as Hattie Skunk/ Hattie Rockworth
References
- ^ Sarah Shahi Photos, Sarah Shahi Videos, Sarah Shahi News on Maxim.com :: Hot Girls, Sex, Images, Pictures Babes, Chicks, Celebrity, Photo Shoot
- ^ Sarah Shahi of 2006 Hot 100 on Maxim.com
- ^ http://www.afterellen.com/people/2007/6/hotlist
- ^ Interview with Sarah Shahi
- ^ www.thelwordonline.com
- ^ http://www.tv.com/sarah-shahi/person/26645/trivia.html
- ^ http://www.askmen.com/women/actress_300/317c_sarah_shahi.html
- ^ Interview with Sarah Shahi
- ^ Baron, Jeff (January 4, 2011). "With New Show, Sarah Shahi Is Ready for Her Close-Up". America.gov. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ Wilonsky, Robert (August 12, 2008). "At SMU, Apparently, Sarah Shahi Was "Walking Blue Balls"". Unfair Park. Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ http://www.thewrap.com/article/shahi-lands-lead-usas-facing-kate-9022
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62E0ZO20100315?type=entertainmentNews
- ^ Wilonsky, Robert (January 6, 2011). "State Department Thinks Ex-Mustang, Cowboys Cheerleader Sarah Shahi Is Worth a Profile". Unfair Park. Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1539854/
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460706/
- ^ http://omg.yahoo.com/news/peter-fonda-sarah-shahi-cast-in-michael-c-hall-movie-east-fifth-bliss/39192
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1083404/
External links
- Articles with bare URLs for citations from January 2011
- 1980 births
- Actors from Texas
- American cheerleaders
- American film actors
- American television actors
- American female models
- American people of Iranian descent
- American people of Spanish descent
- Hispanic and Latino American actors
- Hispanic and Latino American people
- Living people
- National Football League cheerleaders
- People from Fort Worth, Texas
- People from Tarrant County, Texas
- Southern Methodist University alumni