Mohsen Tanabandeh

Mohsen Tanabandeh is an Iranian actor, director and screenwriter whose career spans more than two decades, earning him a reputation as one of the most versatile performers in contemporary Persian cinema. Born on April 15, 1975 in Tehran, he grew up as the second of seven children in a family that moved between Damghan, Tehran and Eslamshahr, giving him early exposure to diverse cultural influences, including fluency in the Mazanderani language. After completing his education in Eslamshahr, he pursued formal training in acting and made his theatrical debut in 1995 with productions such as Bar‑e Am and Jaryan‑e Asabi, both directed by Hassan Varasteh, which honed his skill for complex character work. His transition to film came in 2003 with Tiny Snowflakes, but it was his performance and screenplay for A Martyrdom for God (2005) that secured his first Crystal Simorgh for Best Supporting Actor at the Fajr Film Festival. He later captured the Best Actor Crystal Simorgh for Seven Minutes Until Autumn (2009) and again for Ferrari (2017), demonstrating his ability to anchor both dramatic and comedic narratives. The television series Capital (2011‑2025) cemented his popular appeal; as creator, head writer and lead actor playing Naghi Mamooli, he garnered three Hafez Awards and became a cultural touchstone for Iranian audiences. In addition to starring roles, Tanabandeh has shown remarkable range by portraying multiple personas with elaborate prosthetics in Shahgoosh and even an elderly woman in Fool, while his turn as Samuel in Majid Majidi’s Muhammad: The Messenger of God required him to deliver dialogue in Hebrew. As a director, he launched his filmmaking vision with Ginness (2015) and followed with Oath (2019), and his performance in A Hero (2021) and World War III (2022) earned him international recognition, including the Best Actor award in the Horizons section at the 79th Venice International Film Festival. Beyond the screen, he is married to Roshanak Golba since 2021 and is a father of two, balancing a prolific artistic career with family life.