Merila Zarei ( fa, مریلا زارعی, also

Romanized Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Latin script, Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing writ ...

as "Merīlā Zāre'ī"; born April 14, 1974) is an

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

actress. She is one of the most influential actresses after the

Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

of Iran, who has acted in the films of great directors such as

Asghar Farhadi Asghar Farhadi ( fa, اصغر فرهادی, ; born 7 May 1972)Soureh Movie Database

, Ebrahim Hatami Kia,

Pouran Derakhshandeh Pourān Derakh'shandeh ( fa, پوران درخشنده) (born 27 March 1951 in Kermanshah, Iran) is an Iranian film director, producer, screen writer, and researcher. Career Derakh'shandeh graduated in film directing in 1975 from Advanced School ...

Reza Attaran Reza Attaran ( Persian: رضا عطاران, born May 10, 1968) is an Iranian actor, director, screenwriter and singer. He has received various accolades, including three Crystal Cymorgh, five Hafez Awards Hafez Awards is an annual awards ce ...

, Abbas Kia Rostami and Masoud Kimiaei.

Biography

A graduate of Azad University of Tehran, during her studies she became interested in

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a bro ...

through Ezatollah Entezami's acting courses. Her first movie was ''Patak'' by Ali Asghar Shadravan in 1994. She received the

Crystal Simorgh The Crystal Simorgh ( fa, ‌سیمرغ بلورین) is an award given by Fajr International Film Festival, Iran's major annual film festival. It is awarded in several categories of ''International Competition'' as well as ''Iranian Cinema Comp ...

for the

best actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...

in a

supporting role A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...

for ''The Friday's Soldiers'' (2005,

Masoud Kimiai Masoud Kimiai (or Masoud Kimiaei, fa, مسعود کیمیایی, born 29 July 1941) is an Iranian director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Kimiai started his career as an assistant director and made his debut, ''Come Stranger'', in 19 ...

), from the 23rd

Fajr International Film Festival Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival ( fa, جشنواره بین‌المللی فیلم فجر), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; fa, جشنواره فیلم فجر), has been held every February and April in Tehran since 1982. T ...

. She is also the winner of

of 32nd Fajr International Film Festival.

Filmography

Merila Zarei in Parviz Parastui's commemoration

Movies: * ''Patak'' by Ali Ashghar Shadervan (1994) * ''Ruy-e Khat-e Marg'' directed by Shafi Aghamohammadian (1995) * ''Zan-e Sharghi'' directed by Rambod Lotfi (1996) * ''Khalaban'' directed by Jamal Shurjeh (1996) * '' Do Zan'' (''Two Women'') directed by

Tahmineh Milani Tahmineh Milāni ( fa, تهمینه میلانی) is an Iranian feminist activist, and film director and producer. Early career She was born 1960 in Tabriz, Iran. After graduating in architecture from the University of Science and Technolog ...

(1999) * ''Tekyeh bar bad'' directed by Dariush Farhang (1999) * ''The Fifth Reaction'' (The 5th Reaction) directed by

(2001) * ''Eshgh-e Film'' directed by Ebrahim Vahidzadeh (2001) * ''Ham Nafas'' directed by Mehdi Fakhimzadeh (2002) * ''Mo'ādeleh'' directed by Ebrahim Vahidzadeh (2002) * ''Sizdah Gorbeh ruy-e Shirvani'' directed by Ali Abdolalizadeh (2002) * ''Sarbazhaye jome'' (Friday's Soldiers) directed by

Masoud Kimiayie Masoud Kimiai (or Masoud Kimiaei, fa, مسعود کیمیایی, born 29 July 1941) is an Iranian director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Kimiai started his career as an assistant director and made his debut, ''Come Stranger'', in 19 ...

(2002) * ''Mojaradha'' directed by Asghar Hashemi (2003) * ''The Unwanted Woman'' directed by

(2005) * ''Zagros'' directed by Mohammad Ali Najafi (2004) * '' Hokm'' (Verdict) directed by

(2004) * ''Pāpital'' (

Hedera helix ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

) directed by Ardeshir Shelileh (2005) * ''Dasthaye khali'' directed by Abolqasem Talebi (2007) * '' Invitation (Davat)'' directed by

Ebrahim Hatamikia Ibrahim (also spelled Ibraheem) ( ar, إبراهيم, ) is the Arabic name of the prophet and patriarch Abraham and one of Allah's messengers in the Quran. It is a common first name and surname among Muslims and Arab Christians, a cognate of the ...

(2008) * ''

About Elly ''About Elly'' ( fa, درباره الی, translit. ''Dar bāre-ye Elly'') is a 2009 Iranian drama film. The fourth film by filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, the film examines middle class relationships in Iran. It received universal acclaim. Fa ...

'', directed by

Asghar Farhadi Asghar Farhadi ( fa, اصغر فرهادی, ; born 7 May 1972)Soureh Movie Database

(2009) * ''Keyfar'' directed by

Hassan Fathi Hassan Fathi ( fa, حسن فتحی, born 2 September 1959) is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. He's one of the most well known and successful Iranian directors. Fathi is best known for his popular historical TV series. Career He holds ...

* ''Digari'' directed by Mehdi Rahmani * ''

Nader and Simin, A Separation ''A Separation'' ( fa, جدایی, Jodâyi; also titled ''Nader and Simin, A Separation'') is a 2011 Iranian drama film written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, starring Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, and Sarina Fa ...

'', directed by

Asghar Farhadi Asghar Farhadi ( fa, اصغر فرهادی, ; born 7 May 1972)Soureh Movie Database

(2011) * ''

I Feel Sleepy ''I Feel Sleepy'' ( fa, خوابم می‌آد, Khwabm Ma‌ad) is an Iranian film directed by Reza Attaran. In the film, the male actor Akbar Abdi portrays an old woman. Plot Reza is a middle age teacher who has trouble communicating with women, ...

'' directed by

(2012) * ''Bear'' directed by Khosro Masumi * ''

Hush! Girls Don't Scream ''Hush! Girls Don't Scream'' ( fa, هیس! دخترها فریاد نمی‌زنند, Hiss! Doxtarhâ Faryâd Nemizanand) is a 2013 Iranian drama film directed by Pouran Derakhshandeh. It is about a woman on death row for killing a man. Most of ...

'' directed by

(2012) * '' Golden Regime '' directed by Reza Sobhani * '' Everything for sale '' directed by Amir Hossein Saghafi (2012) * '' Che '' directed by

(2012) * '' Track 143 '' directed by Narges Abyar (2013) * ''The Little Black Fish'' directed by Majid Esmaeili (2015) * ''

Bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers ...

(2016) * '' Under the Smoky Roof'' (2017) * '' Henas'' (2022) TV series: * ''The Sea People'' directed by Siroos Moghaddam * '' Jeyran directed by

Awards

* Won

Best Actress - 32nd Fajr International Film Festival (2014), 35th Fajr International Film Festival (2017) * nominated Track 143 Best Actress - 8th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (2014)

Personal life

She has a younger sister, Melika Zarei, who is also an

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

References

External links

* 1974 births Living people People from Tehran Actresses from Tehran Iranian film actresses Iranian television actresses Islamic Azad University alumni 20th-century Iranian actresses 21st-century Iranian actresses Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress winners Crystal Simorgh for Best Supporting Actress winners {{Iran-actor-stub

Biography

Filmography

Awards

Personal life

See also

References

External links