Reza Kianian

Reza Kianian (, born June 19, 1951, in Tehran) is an Iranian actor. He has received various accolades, including two Crystal Simorgh, a Hafez Award and two Iran Cinema Celebration Awards.

Early life

Kianian is the second child of a family of 9; he has 4 brothers and 2 sisters. When he was 1 year old, his family moved to Mashhad. His first acting coach was his older brother, Davood. In 1965, Davood directed and coached Reza in his first role in a play titled Az Paa Nayoftadeha, written by Gholam-Hossein Sa'edi. He continued to work with Davood's theater troupe for the next 3 years, when he moved back to Tehran to study fine arts at the University of Tehran, where he graduated in 1976. Reza Kianian married his wife, Hayedeh, on March 21 (the Persian New Year) in 1983.

Career Theater Kianian starting his acting career in theater. He began acting in 1965, when he was only 15 years old. Later on in life, he took the stage in renditions of plays such as Antigone, Petty Bourgeois, Simon Masha Figures, Mississippi's Marriage, Souvenir of the Sand Years and many more. In April 2010, after a six-year hiatus from theater, Kianian returned to stage under the direction of Atila Pesyani in Professor Bvbvs.

Television

Reza Kianian has acted in some television series as well. Perhaps his most memorable role in television has been his character 'Jamshid' in Shellike Nahayi (The Final Shot) directed by Mohsen Shahmohammadi, where 'Jamshid-style' outfits and hairstyle became popular with the youth of Iran. In The English Bag and The Rebel Years he portrayed an old clergyman and a judge respectively, which are considered his most controversial roles to date.

Other ventures Besides being an actor, Reza Kianian is also a painter, sculptor and set designer. His set design for the movie Niloofar-e Abi (The Lotus) won him an industry award at the 17th Fajr International Film Festival in 1998. Kianian's photo and paintings have been exhibited in two solo exhibits in 2008 and 2010, and in over five group exhibits. In 2007, he also held a solo sculptor exhibit. In 2012, Reza Kianian was the auctioneer for the first ever Christie's style auction in Tehran, Tehran Auction. The auction was a sold-out event, making over $1 million.

Personal life On 2 February 2026, Kianian was not present for the screening of Escort at the Fajr Film Festival, a movie in which he acted in, leading to speculations that he had boycotted the festival in protest of the government's handling of the 2025–2026 Iranian protests.

Filmography Television Apartment, directed by Asghar Hashemi, 1994 Shellike Nahayi (The Final Shot), directed by Mohsen Shahmohammadi, 1996 The English Bag, directed by Ziaeddin Dorri, 2000 Doran-e Sarkeshi (The Rebel Years), directed by Kamal Tabrizi, 2002 Yek Mosht Par-e Oghab (A Fistful of Eagle Feathers), directed by Asghar Hashemi, 2007–2008 Roozegar-e Gharib (Strange Times), directed by Kianoush Ayyari, 2002–2008 Mokhtarnameh directed by Davoud Mirbagheri, 2004–2008 Ghalb-e Yakhi (Frozen Heart), directed by Saman Moghadam, 2012 Rahe Toolani (Long Way), directed by Reza Mir-Karimi, 2012 Kolah Pahlavi (Pahlavi Hat), directed by Ziaeddin Dorri, 2013 King of Ear, directed by Davood Mir Bagheri, 2013 Puzzle, directed by Ebrahim Sheibani, 2014 Shahrzad, directed by Hassan Fathi, 2018 Siavash, directed by Soroush Mohammadzadeh, 2021

Film All of Earth's Temptations (Tamam-e vasvaseha-ye zamin), directed by Hamid Samandarian, 1989 Patal and Small Dreams (Patal va Arezoohaye Koochak), directed by Masoud Karamati, 1989 Ilya, the Young Painter (Ilya, Naghash-e Javan), directed by Abolhassan Davoodi, 1991 The Unfinished Man (Mard-e Natamam), directed by Moharram Zienalzadeh, 1992 Common Pain (Dard-e Moshtarek), directed by Yasaman Malek Nasr, 1994 Kimia, directed by Ahmad Reza Darvish, 1995 My Mother, Gisoo (Madaram, Gisoo), directed by Siamak Shayeghi, 1995 Sultan (Soltan), directed by Masoud Kimiai, 1996 Cinema is Cinema (Cinema, Cinemast), directed by Ziaeddin Dorri, 1996 The Red Ribbon (Rooban-e Ghermez), directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, 1998 The Glass Agency (Ajans-e Shisheh-i), directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, 1998 Smell of Camphor, Scent of Jasmine (Booye Kafoor, Atre Yas), directed by Bahman Farmanara, 2000 An Umbrella for Two (Chatri Baray-e Do Nafar), directed by Ahmad Amini, 2000 Killing Mad Dogs (Sag Koshi), directed by Bahram Beizai, 2001 Issa Will Come (Issa Miayad), directed by Ali Zhekan, 2001 Romshekan's Wedding (Aroosiye Romshekan), directed by Naser Gholamrezaei, 2001 A House Built on Water (Khaneye Rooy-e Ab), directed by Bahman Farmanara, 2001 Look At the Sky Sometimes (Gahi Be Aseman Negah Kon), directed by Kamal Tabrizi, 2003 The Wind Carpet (Kaze no jûtan) or Farshe Bad, directed by Kamal Tabrizi, 2003 Open Vote (Ra'i baz), directed by Mehdi Noorbakhsh, 2003 Foothold (Ghadamgah), directed by Mohammad Mehdi Asgarpour, 2004 A Piece of Bread (Yek Teke Nan), directed by Kamal Tabrizi, 2005 A Little Kiss (Yek boos-e Koochooloo), directed by Bahman Farmanara, 2005 The Fish Fall in Love (Mahiha Ashegh Mishavand), directed by Ali Rafie, 2005

Zagross, directed by Mohammad Ali Najafi, 2005 Bagh Ferdows, 5PM (Bagh Ferdows, Panj-e Bad Az Zohr), directed by Siamak Shayeghi, 2005 The Horse (Asb), directed by Babak Mohammadi, 2005 Men at Work (Kargaran Mashghool-e Karand), directed by Mani Haghighi, 2006 Three Women (Se Zan), directed by Manijeh Hekmat, 2006 There is Always a Woman Involved (Hamishe Paye Yek Zan Dar Mian Ast), directed by Kamal Tabrizi, 2007 Sad Saal Beh In Salha (English Title: Miss Iran), directed by Saman Moghadam, 2007 Familiar Territory (Khake Ashena), directed by Bahman Farmanara, 2008 7:05, directed by Mohammad Mehdi Asgarpour, 2008 Plot 88 (Ghat-eye 88), directed by Rahman Haghighi, 2008 Voices (Sedaha), directed by Farzad Motamen, 2008 Three Women directed by Manijeh Hekmat The Sting and the Bee (Nish O Zanboor), directed by Hamid Reza Salahmand, 2009 Reports from a Party (Gozaresh-e Yek Jashn), directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, 2010 A Cube of Sugar (Ye habe ghand), directed by Seyyed Reza Mir-Karimi, 2010 The Maritime Silk Road (Rah-e Abi Abrisham), directed by Mohammad Bozorgnia, 2012 Laboratory (Azmayeshgah), directed by Hamid Amjad, 2012 Migraine (Migren), directed by Maneli Shojaee Fard, 2012 Miss Iran (Saad Saal Be In Salha), directed by Saman Moghadam, 2012 No Where No Body (Hich Koja Hich Kas), directed by Ebrahim Sheibani, 2013 I Want to Dance (Delam Mikhad), directed by Bahman Farmanara, 2014 There are no Particular News (Khabar e Khasi Nist), directed by Mostafa Shayesteh, 2014 Barcode (Barcode), directed by Mostafa Kiayee, 2016 Where Are My Shoes? (Kafshhayam Koo?), directed by Kiumars Pourahmad, 2016 After the Incident (Bad az Etefagh), directed by Pouria Heidary Oureh, 2020