Amir Jadidi

Amir Jadidi (born June 21, 1984 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian actor and former competitive tennis player whose rise from modest beginnings to international acclaim reflects the dynamic evolution of contemporary Iranian cinema. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, he pursued an MBA at Azad University, combining technical expertise with a passion for performance that would later inform his nuanced portrayals of complex characters. Jadidi made his screen debut in 2011 with Houman Seyedi’s Africa, playing a young criminal tasked with guarding a hostage, a role that earned early praise for its raw intensity and set the stage for a prolific career. In 2014 he appeared in Thirteen and End of the Service, performances that secured him an Honorary Diploma for Best Actor at the 32nd Fajr International Film Festival and caught the attention of critics nationwide. The breakthrough arrived with the 2015 thriller Crazy Rook, where his portrayal of Pirouz won both the Best Film and Audience Choice awards at the 33rd Fajr Film Festival, cementing his status as a leading talent in Iran. The following years saw him diversify, starring in Soheil Beiraghi’s I (2016), earning his first Crystal Simorgh nomination, and in the Berlin‑selected A Dragon Arrives!, which showcased his ability to navigate surreal narratives with compelling realism. 2018 marked a year of wide recognition as he delivered award‑winning performances in Bahram Tavakoli’s The Lost Strait and Soheil Beiraghi’s Cold Sweat, each earning a Crystal Simorgh for Best Actor and multiple Hafez Award nominations. 2021 brought global exposure when Asghar Farhadi cast him as the single father Rahim in A Hero, a film that won the Grand Prix at Cannes and propelled Jadidi onto the international stage, resulting in a Palm Springs International Film Festival award and an Asia Pacific Screen Awards nomination. Beyond film, he has embraced theater, winning a Fajr Theater Festival award for Herring (2019) and directing a celebrated production of the 300‑play in 2022, demonstrating his versatility as both performer and creator. In June 2022 he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, underscoring his growing influence in world cinema and hinting at future contributions that will continue to shape the artistic landscape.