Angela Sarafyan
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Angela Sarafyan (), sometimes credited as Angela Sarafian, is an American actress. She has appeared as a guest star in several television series and has acted in the feature films: '' Kabluey'' (2007), '' On the Doll'' (2007), '' A Beautiful Life'' (2008), '' The Informers'' (2008), '' A Good Old Fashioned Orgy'' (2011), '' Lost & Found in Armenia'' (2012), and '' Reminiscence'' (2021). She portrayed Clementine Pennyfeather throughout the four seasons of the HBO series ''
Westworld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction dystopia media franchise that began with the Westworld (film), 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild West, Wild-West-th ...
'' (2016–22).


Early life

Angela was born in
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...
,
Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet republics ...
,
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, eight years before
Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...
regained its independence. When she was four, she moved with her parentsactor Grigor Sarafyan and her painter motherto the United States, settling in Los Angeles. She studied ballet and played piano as a child. She attended Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in
Boyle Heights, Los Angeles Boyle Heights is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, located east of the Los Angeles River. It is one of the city's most notable and historic Chicano/Mexican American communities, and is home to cultural landmarks like Mariachi Plaza and ...
.


Career


2000–2008: Early work

Sarafyan's first acting role was on the CBS legal drama ''
Judging Amy ''Judging Amy'' is an American legal drama television series that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS. This television series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character (Brenneman) is a judge who serves ...
'' in the episode "Culture Clash" in 2000. Afterwards, she went to make a cameo in the music video for
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
' song " Stronger". Sarafyan later made a guest appearance on ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'', and starred in the television film ''Paranormal Girl'' in 2002. She made film debut (though uncredited) in the 2004 comedy-drama '' The Last Run''. Sarafyan continued with her work on television with roles on ''
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan and starring Michael Chiklis that aired on FX from March 12, 2002 to November 25, 2008 for seven seasons. The show is known for its portrayal of corrupt police ...
'', ''
The Division ''The Division'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine starring Bonnie Bedelia. The series focuses on a team of female detectives and police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. Th ...
'', '' Wanted'', '' South of Nowhere'', '' 24'', '' CSI: NY'', '' Lincoln Heights'', ''
Cold Case ''Cold Case'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series. It ran on CBS from September 28, 2003, to May 2, 2010. The series revolved around a fictionalized Philadelphia Police Department division that specializes in invest ...
'', ''
In Plain Sight ''In Plain Sight'' is an American drama television series that premiered on the USA Network on June 1, 2008. The series revolves around Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack), a Deputy United States Marshal attached to the Albuquerque, New Mexico office ...
'', and ''
The Mentalist ''The Mentalist'' is an American procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2008, until February 18, 2015, broadcasting 151 episodes over seven seasons, on CBS. Created by Bruno Heller, who was also its executive producer, t ...
''. She also had roles in the 2007 films '' Kabluey'' and '' On the Doll''. In 2008, Sarafyan starred in her first lead role as Maggie in the drama film '' A Beautiful Life'' opposite Jesse Garcia. She also contributed to a minor role as Mary in '' The Informers''.


2009–2015: Mainstream recognition

In 2009, Sarafyan starred in the films '' Repo Chick'' and '' Love Hurts'', and the television series '' Eastwick''. She also had a recurring role on the web series ''Hot Sluts'' and '' Sex Ed: The Series''. In 2010, she portrayed Samantha Evans on the Fox series '' The Good Guys''. She also appeared on ''
Childrens Hospital ''Childrens Hospital'' (originally titled ''Children's Hospital'' as webisodes) is an American dark comedy television and web series that parodies the medical drama genre, created by and starring actor/comedian Rob Corddry. The series began o ...
''. In 2011, Sarafyan starred in '' A Good Old Fashioned Orgy'' as Willow Talbot, the girlfriend of Martin Starr's character. She also appeared in the sixth season finale of ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created by Jeff Davis that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005. It follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its Behavioral ...
'' and the ninth episode of the second season of '' Nikita''. Sarafyan went on to appear in '' The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2'' as Egyptian vampire Tia, the mate of vampire Benjamin, and as Ani in '' Lost & Found in Armenia'' in 2012. In 2013, Sarafyan played a minor role in '' The Immigrant'' as
Marion Cotillard Marion Cotillard (; born 30 September 1975) is a French actress who has appeared in both European and Hollywood productions. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Marion Cotillard, various accolades, including an Ac ...
's character's sister. She also appeared in ''
Paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of co ...
'' featuring
Liam Hemsworth Liam Hemsworth (born 13 January 1990) is an Australian actor. He played the roles of Josh Taylor (Neighbours), Josh Taylor in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' and Marcus in the children's television series ''The Elephant Princess''. In American fi ...
,
Gary Oldman Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
, Amber Heard, and
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...
. The film bombed at the box office and received negative reviews from critics.-video/ In 2015, Sarafyan co-starred as the wife of Simon Abkarian's character in the
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a Film genre, genre combining the thriller (genre), thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting ...
''
1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January *January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 * ...
''. The film follows a mysterious
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
staging a play to bring the ghosts of a forgotten tragedy back to life on the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
. She also co-starred with
Luke Bracey Luke Bracey (born 26 April 1989) is an Australian actor. He is known for his work in films such as '' Elvis'', ''Monte Carlo'', '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'', '' The November Man'', ''Point Break'', and ''Hacksaw Ridge''; and for television serie ...
,
Dustin Milligan Dustin Wallace Milligan (born July 28, 1985) is a Canadian actor best known as Jack Snowman in ''Hot Frosty'', Ted Mullens on ''Schitt's Creek'', Ethan Ward on ''90210 (TV series), 90210'', Tom Cummings in ''X Company'', and Josh Carter on ''Ruth ...
, and
Emily Meade Emily Meade (born January 10, 1989) is an American film and television actress. She has appeared in films such as '' Twelve'' (2010), ''My Soul to Take'' (2010), ''Gimme Shelter'' (2013), ''That Awkward Moment'' (2014), ''Money Monster'' (2016), a ...
in the comedy ''
Me Him Her ''Me Him Her'' is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by Max Landis, in his directorial debut. The film stars Luke Bracey, Dustin Milligan, and Emily Meade. The film had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival o ...
''. Between 2014 and 2015, Sarafyan appeared on the series ''
Blue Bloods ''Blue Bloods'' is an American police procedural drama (film and television), drama television series that aired on CBS from September 24, 2010, to December 13, 2024, across 14 seasons and 293 episodes. Its main characters were members of the fi ...
'' and ''
American Horror Story ''American Horror Story'' (''AHS'') is an American horror film, horror anthology series, anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy (producer), Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the Cable television, cable network FX (TV channel), FX. Th ...
''s Freak Show season.


2016–2022: ''Westworld''

In 2016, Sarafyan appeared as Maral in the
epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
'' The Promise''. The film starred
Oscar Isaac Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979) is an American actor. Recognized for his versatility, he has been credited with breaking stereotypes about Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino characters in Cinema of the United States, H ...
,
Charlotte Le Bon Charlotte Le Bon (born 4 September 1986) is a Canadian actress and director based in Paris. She is known for her work in the Canal+ talk show '' Le Grand Journal'', and the films '' Yves Saint Laurent'', '' The Hundred-Foot Journey'', and '' T ...
and
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. List of awards and nominations received by C ...
and follows a
love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...
that develops between an
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
medical student, an American journalist, and an Armenian-born woman raised in France, immediately before and during the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
. She also co-starred with
Scott Eastwood Scott Eastwood (born Scott Clinton Reeves; March 21, 1986) is an American actor and producer. The son of actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood, he has starred in several of his father's films, including '' Flags of Our Fathers'' (2006), '' Gran Tori ...
in '' Mercury Plains''. From 2016 to 2022, Sarafyan starred as Clementine Pennyfeather on the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
science-fiction series ''
Westworld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction dystopia media franchise that began with the Westworld (film), 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild West, Wild-West-th ...
''. The role earned Sarafyan a nomination at the
23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2016, were presented on January 29, 2017 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States. The ceremony wa ...
for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with her co-stars. Following ''Westworld'', Sarafyan received acclaim for her role in the 2018 short film ''Pin-Up'', winning awards at three film festivals for her performance. She starred as the lead role of Francesca in the 2018 film '' We Are Boats''. In 2019, Sarafyan played a supporting role as Joanna in the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
biographical thriller ''
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile ''Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'' is a 2019 American biographical crime drama film about the life of serial killer Ted Bundy. Directed by Joe Berlinger with a screenplay from Michael Werwie, the film is based on Bundy's former girlf ...
'' starring
Zac Efron Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
and
Lily Collins Lily Jane Collins (born 18 March 1989) is an English and American actress. Born in Guildford and raised in Los Angeles, she began performing on screen at the age of two in the BBC sitcom ''Growing Pains''. In the late 2000s, she began acting a ...
, and as Max in the video game '' Telling Lies''. She also had a role on an episode of the horror series '' Into the Dark''. In 2020, she appeared in ''
Caged Caged may refer to: Film and TV * ''Caged'' (1950 film), an American film noir directed by John Cromwell * ''Caged'' (2010 film), a French horror film directed by Yann Gozlan * ''Caged'' (2011 film), a Dutch feature film directed by Stephan Brennin ...
'' opposite
Edi Gathegi Edi Mūe Gathegi (; born March 10, 1979) is a Kenyan-American actor. He appeared as a recurring character, Dr. Jeffrey Cole (aka "Big Love"), in the television series ''House'', as Cheese in the 2007 film ''Gone Baby Gone'', Laurent in the films ...
,
Melora Hardin Melora Diane Hardin Jackson (born June 29, 1967) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Jan Levinson on NBC's ''The Office'' (2005–2013), Trudy Monk on USA Network's ''Monk'' (2004–2009), and Tammy Cashman o ...
, and
Tony Amendola Tony Amendola (born August 24, 1951) is an American actor. He played the Jaffa master Bra'tac in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Pinocchio's creator/father, Geppetto on ''Once Upon a Time''. He also had a recurring role as revolutionary leader Edouard K ...
. In 2021, Sarafyan contributed to a supporting role in '' Reminiscence'' starring
Hugh Jackman Hugh Michael Jackman (born 12 October 1968) is an Australian and British actor, singer, and producer. Beginning in theatre and television, Jackman landed his breakthrough role as Wolverine in the ''X-Men'' film franchise and the Marvel Cinem ...
,
Rebecca Ferguson Rebecca Louisa Ferguson Sundström (born 19 October 1983) is a Swedish actress. Ferguson began her television acting career in 1999 with the Swedish soap opera ''Nya tider'' and made her motion picture acting debut in 2004 with the Swedish slash ...
, and ''Westworld'' co-star
Thandiwe Newton Melanie Thandiwe Newton ( ; born 6 November 1972), formerly credited as Thandie Newton ( ), is a British actress. She has received various awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award, and a BAFTA Award, as well as nominations for two Golden Globe ...
. She also had roles in ''
King Knight ''King Knight'' is a 2021 American comedy film written and directed by Richard Bates Jr. Plot As admired leaders of their Wiccan coven, Thorn and his life partner Willow provide couples counseling for eccentric coven members Desmond and Neptu ...
'' and '' A House on the Bayou''.


2023–present: Continued work

In 2023, Safaryan participated in
Armenian Film Society The Armenian Film Society (AFS) is an American film society dedicated to Armenian cinema. History Early years (2015-2022) The organization launched in 2015 with a screening of Atom Egoyan's ''Next of Kin''. Early film screenings included Serge ...
's Armenian Women in Film and Entertainment
panel discussion A panel discussion, or simply a panel, involves a group of people gathered to discuss a topic in front of an audience, typically at scientific, business, or academic conferences, fan conventions, and on television shows. Panels usually include a ...
. Sarafyan's post-''Westworld'' roles were in 2023's '' Pet Shop Days'' and 2024's '' Little Death''. In March 2024, Sarafyan was announced to have been cast in the
action thriller The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
''
G20 The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stabil ...
'' produced by and starring
Viola Davis Viola Davis ( ; born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and film producer. List of awards and nominations received by Viola Davis, Her accolades include both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT. ''Time (magazine), Time'' named her one of ...
.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Music videos


Web


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sarafyan, Angela Living people 21st-century Armenian actresses 21st-century American actresses Armenian film actresses American film actresses Armenian television actresses American television actresses Soviet emigrants to the United States Actresses from Yerevan American people of Armenian descent Armenian emigrants to the United States Year of birth missing (living people)