Famous Iranians > Actors > CHATTING WITH MAZ JOBRANI BY SHABNAM REZAEI
Actor and Comedian Delivers Truth and Comedy
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Recently in a leading role in ABC’s “Knights of Prosperity”, Maz Jobrani has become a recognizable face who brings a breath of fresh air to anything Hollywood or anything Iranian. Armed with plenty of humor, a lot of charm, and the occasional “Ghorboonet”, Maz is currently busy on the “Axis of Evil” Comedy circuit, which has had some great coverage on Comedy Central. I caught up with Maz in LA last week. Here are some parts of our conversation.
Shabnam Rezaei: For those who may not know, tell us a little about your background.
Maziar Jobrani: I was born in Iran and I grew up in America. I am a comedian and actor. I have been doing standup and acting professionally for about 10 years.
SR: How was your experience growing up here?
MJ: I grew up in Marin County. Most of my friends were American and my ethnicity was never a huge issue. I really wanted to blend in. Your parents would have the thick accent and your food would smell so it was always a little embarrassing. It wasn’t until college that I started to really appreciate my culture. There were a few times during the hostage crisis and all that it bothered me but overall it was a very positive experience.
SR: Tell us about ABC’s Knights of Prosperity.
MJ: That was a lot of fun. It was an ABC show, just one season. Unfortunately, it got cancelled. The premise was that we were a group of guys who were down and out on their luck and wanted to subsidize their dreams by robbing Mick Jagger. I got to play an Indian cab driver, which was great - being a big fan of Peter Sellars who played an Indian character in “The Party”. It was all shot on location in New York City. It was a lot of fun.
SR: Tell us about the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour.
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MJ: That is going really well. It involves three other comedians, two Palestinians, one Egyptian: Ahmed Ahmed, Aron Kader and Dean Obeidallah. We’ve been touring. Our special aired on Comedy Central, as the first all Middle Eastern Show on American television, kind of like the Blue Collar Comedy Tour but with Middle Easterners. When we started we had like 90% Middle Eastern audience and now its about 50-50, so it’s great.
SR: What message do you hope to give the audience with your work?
MJ: I hope that people open their eyes. There are lots of grays in the world. We want to show that Middle Easterners are good, normal people.
SR: Thanks for your time Maz.
MJ: Thanks for having me.
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