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Sepideh Moafi Says She Rejected Early Push to Change Her Name

Her account underscores persistent pressure in Hollywood to change non‑Anglo names for market appeal.

Overview

  • Her comments, published Sunday in People, recount that her first agent urged a name change and she replied “f*ck no.”
  • She called the decision to adopt a stage name personal and complicated, saying she holds no judgment for actors who choose it.
  • Moafi said keeping her name did not stall her career, noting she booked her first jobs soon after and built a varied résumé.
  • She currently appears as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi in Season 2 of The Pitt on HBO Max.
  • Coverage places her remarks in a wider pattern where agents often push name changes for perceived marketability, a practice that has long affected performers with non‑Anglo names.