Katayoun Riahi (Persian: کتایون ریاحی, romanized: Katâyun Riyâhi; born 31 December 1961) is an Iranian actress, and has received various accolades, including three Hafez Awards, nominations for a Crystal Simorgh, and an Iran Cinema Celebration Award. Riahi rose to prominence for her performance as Zoleykha in Prophet Joseph (2008–2009). She won the Best Actress award at the 26th Cairo International Film Festival for her performance in The Last Supper (2002).
Katayoun Riahi | |
|---|---|
| Persian: کتایون ریاحی | |
 Riahi in 2016 | |
| Born | December 31, 1961 Tehran, Iran |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) | Farshid Rahimian (div.) Masoud Behbehaninia (div.) |
She is also the founder and CEO of the Komak Charity Foundation and an ambassador of the Mehrafarin Foundation in Iran.[1][2][3][4]
Career edit
It was with the series' Days of Life (1998), After the Rain (1999) and The 10th Night (2001) that she established herself as a capable actress.
She also played a starring role in the series Prophet Joseph (2009).[5]
Many critics believe that Riyahi's best performance was in the movie The Last Supper (2001), a role which accorded her a Best Actress nomination at the 20th Fajr International Film Festival.
Her outstanding performance in the movie This Woman Won't Talk (2002) earned her a Best Actress Award at the 7th Iran Cinema Celebration.
Riyahi has also appeared in a number of movies, including The Stranger (1987), Apartment 13 (1990), The Kind Moon (1995), Lighter Than Darkness (2002) and Invitation (2008).
Sexual Abuse on set:
On the 28th of May 2022, Riahi posted a picture on her instagram account stating that she was sexually abused by Davood Rashidi and Mr. Pursimimi. She wrote: “Mr. Pursimimi who came as an investigator abused his position to abuse me. It was a hard time and I didn‘t say anything. After 25 years my soul has not healed from this bitter accident. Remember if wealth, fame and power are not contained, if morals and laws are not in power, this corruption will rule everywhere with tyranny.“
Arrest edit
Riahi was one of the first celebrities who took off her hijab amidst the 2022 nationwide protests and in support of the people wrote: "Iranian women are the voices of one another" and "Enough with the lies"! In an interview with Iran International, Katayoun Riahi mentioned how her husband barred her from travelling abroad for 10 years, illustrating the power men have over women in Iran. Security forces arrested her in her villa in the suburbs of Qazvin. She was interrogated and probably physically abused by police officers. She was later seen leaving the police station in an ambulance. About two months later security officers attempted to arrest her in her house, but according to reports, she managed to escape before their arrival.[6][7][8]
Filmography edit
Film edit
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Payizan | Parvaneh | Rasoul Sadrameli | ||
| 1995 | Dear Moon | Ghasem Jafari | |||
| 1996 | The Tortoise | Ali Shah Hatami | |||
| 2002 | The Last Supper | Mahin Mashreghi | Fereydoun Jeyrani | ||
| 2003 | The Woman Keeps Silent | Soraya Ardalan | Ahmad Amini | ||
| My Lady | Yadollah Samadi | ||||
| 2004 | Tara and the Strawberry Fever | Taraneh | Saeed Soheili | ||
| Somewhere Else | Tara | Mehdi Karampour | |||
| 2008 | Shirin | Woman in audience | Abbas Kiarostami | ||
| Invitation | Afsaneh | Ebrahimi Hatamikia | |||
| TBA | Funnel | Mohsen Amiryoussefi | Post-production | [9] |
Television edit
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes | Network | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Days of Life | IRIB TV3 | ||||
| 1993 | Pedar Salar | IRIB TV2 | ||||
| 2000 | Pine's Voice | IRIB TV3 | ||||
| 2001 | After the Rain | IRIB TV3 | ||||
| 2002 | Tenth Night | Banou | IRIB TV1 | |||
| 2002 | Sun Night | IRIB TV3 | ||||
| 2005 | Walking Dead | IRIB TV3 | ||||
| 2008–2009 | Prophet Joseph | Zoleykha | IRIB TV1 |
References edit
- ^ "Actress Katayoun Riahi assigned Iran charity ambassador". February 1, 2009.
- ^ "Katayoun Riahi, popular Iranian actress, says Farewell to Cinema". May 26, 2009.
- ^ "Iranian leading actress meets Dalai Lama in India". April 4, 2009.
- ^ "Katayoun Rial official website". Komak Charity Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 November 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "'Prophet Joseph' TV Series Showing in Bangladesh". Financial Tribune. December 31, 2016.
- ^ "کتایون ریاحی، بازیگر سابق سینما و تلویزیون، بازداشت شد" [Former Iranian actress Katayoun Riahi arrested by security forces]. رادیو فردا (in Persian). 20 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ "Two prominent Iranian actresses arrested - state media". BBC News. 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
- ^ "Iran arrests two top actors who removed headcarves: state media". France 24. 2022-11-20. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
- ^ "نقشآفرینی بازیگران نامآشنا در ۶ فیلم جدید". ایمنا (in Persian). 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
External links edit
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