Tala Ashe

Talayeh Ashrafi (;), known professionally as Tala Ashe, is an Iranian-American actress. Known for her roles on the television series '' Smash'', '' American Odyssey'', and ''As the World Turns'', as well as her regular role as Zari Tomaz and Zari Tarazi on The CW superhero series ''Legends of Tomorrow''.

Ashe acted in severals musical and play productions, including Broadway's original production of '' The Who & the What'' and '' English'', for which she received nominations at the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and at the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance.

Early life and education

Ashe was born in Tehran, Iran. She immigrated to the United States when she was nine months old. Ashe grew up in Powell, Ohio, just outside of the state capital Columbus. She participated in her high school theatre productions as both an actress and director.

Ashe received a BFA from Boston University's School of Theatre. She also trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City.

Career

Ashe has performed in numerous regional and Off-Broadway stage productions. Ashe's first screen credit is for her role as Nadia in the 2008 film ''Waiting in Beijing''. She was credited as Tala Ashrafi, but is credited as Tala Ashe in all subsequent roles. She has made guest appearances on the series ''Law & Order'', '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', ''30 Rock'', and ''Covert Affairs''. Ashe has also had recurring roles on '' Smash'' and '' American Odyssey''. She was also a cast member on ''As the World Turns''.

In 2017, Ashe joined the main cast of ''Legends of Tomorrow'' as Zari Tomaz. She took the lead for a bottle episode titled " Here I Go Again" and drew praise from critics and fans alike for her performance.

In 2022 Ashe was cast for the lead role of Elham on Off-Broadway debout musical '' English'' at the Linda Gross Theatre. After playing the role in a number of theatres in the US, the musical debuted on Broadway at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Todd Haimes Theatre in January 2025. He performance gave her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance.

Personal life

Ashe is Iranian-American and holds dual citizenship. Her name, Talayeh, means "pioneer" in Persian and comes from the ''Shahnameh''. In addition to English, she speaks fluent Persian. Along with her fellow Arrowverse actresses, Ashe is a founding member of Shethority, a project aimed at inspiring and uplifting women (inclusively defined).

Filmography

Stage

In addition to the following, Ashe has also performed in productions of ''Love's Labour's Lost'' (as Tala Ashrafi; Huntington Theatre Company), ''Age of Innocence'' (New York Arena), ''Autophagy'' (Drama League Director's Project), ''Twelfth Night'' (Actors' Shakespeare Project), and ''Pearls from Salt'' ( Olney Theatre), among others.

Broadway productions

Off-Broadway productions

Other productions

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashe, Tala
Living people
Iranian television actresses
People from Powell, Ohio
Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni
Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Actresses from Tehran
21st-century Iranian actresses
American television actresses
Iranian stage actresses
American stage actresses
Iranian emigrants to the United States
21st-century American actresses
Year of birth missing (living people)