Taraneh Alidoosti


Taraneh Alidoosti is an Iranian actress. She is best known internationally for her role in The Salesman, which won the [Academy Award for Best International Feature Film|Best Foreign Language Film (Iranian magazine)|Film Award] at the 89th Academy Awards. In a poll conducted among 130 film critics by Sanate Cinema magazine, she was voted the best Iranian movie actress of the decade. In 2012, a similar poll by the Film magazine also chose her as the best actress of the decade.
𝕏 t_alidoostiIG taraneh_alidoostiTHR taraneh_alidoosti

Career

After having attended the acting school of Amin Tarokh since 2000, she had a leading role in I'm Taraneh, 15. Critics praised her performance as a 15-year-old girl who after a failed relationship is determined to rear a child on her own while struggling with poverty and disapproval. She won the Bronze Leopard for Best Actress from the Locarno International Film Festival in 2002, as well as the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress from the 20th Fajr Film Festival, becoming the youngest person ever to do so. Shortly after she set another record, getting nominated three consecutive times for the best actress prize at the Fajr Film Festival for her first three films. Since then she has maintained a steady but selective workflow in both theatre and cinema. She was the lead actress for Ashgar Farhadi's Fireworks Wednesday in 2006, which was also screened at the Locarno Film Festival.
Alidoosti is mostly known for her selectiveness in accepting dramatic roles, as exemplified by her long collaboration with Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, making her one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation. She acted as a lead actress in The Salesman which won an Oscar in 2017. A prominent actress in Iran, she has bagged many awards and accolades.
Alidoosti played the title role during the three seasons of the hit Iranian VOD series Shahrzad.
Daily Kos has recognized Alidoosti as one of several historically trailblazing women born between 9 through 16 January, along with three other Iranians, Kimia Alizadeh, Christiane Amanpour, and Nadia Maftouni.

Personal life

Alidoosti's father, Hamid, played football for Iran’s national team and was the first Iranian to play for a foreign team. Afterward, he became a professional football coach. Alidoosti's mother,, is a sculptor and art tutor. Her only brother, Poyan, died in an accident during the annual Iranian Fire Festival, in March 2005 at the age of 16.
Taraneh Alidoosti married Ali Mansour in 2011 and has a daughter named Hannah born in 2013.

Activism and arrest

Academy Awards boycott

On 26 January 2017, Alidoosti announced she would be boycotting the 89th Academy Awards where The Salesman had been nominated for Best Foreign Language Film to protest against upcoming stringent visa travel restrictions that the Trump administration planned to impose on Iranians.

Arrest

On 17 December 2022, Iranian authorities detained Alidoosti for making an Instagram post criticizing the execution of Mohsen Shekari, which is the first known execution carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran as a direct result of the Mahsa Amini protests. The Instagram post reads, "Your silence means the support of the oppression and the oppressor. His name was Mohsen Shekari. Every international organization who is watching this bloodshed and not taking action is a disgrace to humanity."

Reactions

About 600 members of the international arts community from 30 different countries signed an open letter demanding Alidoosti's release. Signatories include Olivia Colman, Jessica Chastain, Cillian Murphy, Kristen Stewart, Dame Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Isabelle Huppert, Juliette Binoche, Ken Loach, Alfonso Cuarón, Zahra Amir Ebrahimi, Golshifteh Farahani, Nazanin Boniadi, Penélope Cruz, Brian Eno, John Oliver, Mark Ruffalo, Ian McKellen, Lily James and Julie Christie.
Robert De Niro released a statement with the Tribeca Festival demanding Alidoosti's immediate release. There have also been statements demanding her release by the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlinale, IFFR, IDFA and the European Film Academy.

Release

On 4 January 2023, Alidoosti was released after posting bail, reported to be around £20,000.
On 24 December 2025, in a short TV documentary for BBC Persian made by Pegah Ahangarani called Taraneh, Alidoosti spoke for the first time since the 2022 protests about her ban, illness with DRESS syndrome, views on cinema and her future.

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryNominated workResult
Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema2012Best ActressModest ReceptionWon
Fajr Film Festival2002Best Actress in a Leading RoleI'm Taraneh 15Won
Fajr Film Festival2004Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Beautiful CityNomitated
Fajr Film Festival2006Best Actress in a Supporting RoleFireworks Wednesday
Fajr Film Festival2009Best Actress in a Leading RoleDoubtNomitated
Fajr Film Festival2012Best Actress in a Leading RoleModest ReceptionNomitated
Fajr Film Festival2013Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Shallow Yellow SkyNomitated
Hafez Awards2002Best Actress – Motion PictureI'm Taraneh 15Nomitated
Hafez Awards2005Best Actress – Motion PictureThe Beautiful CityNomitated
Hafez Awards2011Best Actress – Motion PictureAbout EllyNomitated
Hafez Awards2014Best Actress – Motion PictureModest ReceptionNomitated
Hafez Awards2015Best Actress – Motion PictureAbsolute RestNomitated
Hafez Awards2016Best Actress – Television Series DramaShahrzadNomitated
Hafez Awards2017Best Actress – Motion PictureThe SalesmanNomitated
Hafez Awards2018Best Actress – Television Series DramaShahrzadNomitated
Hafez Awards2024Best Actress – Motion PictureSubtractionNomitated
Iran Cinema Celebration2004Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Beautiful CityNomitated
Iran Cinema Celebration2006Best Actress in a Supporting RoleFireworks WednesdayWon
Iran Cinema Celebration2014Best Actress in a Leading RoleLife with Closed EyesNomitated
Iran Cinema Celebration2015Best Actress in a Leading RoleAbsolute RestNomitated
Iran Cinema Celebration2017Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe SalesmanNomitated
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association2008Best Actress in a Leading RoleCanaanNomitated
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association2009Best Actress in a Leading RoleDoubtNomitated
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association2012Best Actress in a Leading RoleModest ReceptionNomitated
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association2013Best Actress in a Leading RoleThe Shallow Yellow SkyNomitated
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association2014Best Actress in a Supporting RoleThe WedlockWon
Locarno International Film Festival2002Best ActressI'm Taraneh 15Won
Vesoul International Film Festival2013Special Mention of the International JuryModest ReceptionWon