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Sepideh Moafi Says She Rejected Agent’s Push To Change Her Name

Her account underscores ongoing pressure in Hollywood for performers to anglicize identities.

Overview

  • In interviews cited Sunday by Deadline, Variety and The News International, Moafi said her first agent urged a name change and she replied, “f*ck no.”
  • She said she kept her given name and soon booked her first, second and third jobs, which she credits with building a varied career.
  • The actor now plays Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on HBO Max’s hospital drama The Pitt.
  • Moafi called name changes a personal choice and said she does not judge actors who adopt stage names.
  • Deadline noted that her parents came to the United States as Iranian refugees, context that places her remarks in a long debate over anglicized names in Hollywood.