Peyman Moaadi's debut as an actor in the Hollywood film 'Camp X-Ray' was premiered in New York, at the Crosby Street Hotel on October 6.
'Camp X-Ray' is an American independent drama based on the temporary detention facility Camp X-Ray at the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Peter Sattler, a first-time writer and director has Kristen Stewart and Moaadi as main characters in his drama. The movie premiered at 2014 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. dramatic competition category. It received almost positive reviews by critics, admiring the performances of the two main actors. The 24-year-old Stewart received good reviews for her role as a taciturn jailor and Moaadi, 43, was hailed for his successful display of a charming detainee.
On the performances, Variety magazine wrote, "the two leads are excellent." The Independent called Moaadi "mesmerizing" and HitFix, an entertainment news website, said: "Make a case for Moaadi as one of the most interesting character actors working right now."
The 117-minute movie tells the story of a young woman (Stewart, of the Twilight Saga series) who joins the military and ends up as a new guard at the Guantanamo Bay. She finds herself in an unusual friendship with one of the Muslim prisoners (Moaadi), which "changes things about them." It will be publicly released on October 17 in the United States.
Brilliant Resume
Moaadi was born in New York in 1971, but returned to Iran when he was 5 and grew up in Tehran. An actor, scriptwriter and director, he is best known for acting in two movies directed by the Iranian Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi.
The character he played in 'About Eli' (2009) was a supporting one but his professional performance made it memorable for the audience. However, it was 'A Separation' (2011) which made him an internationally known face. His leading role in the movie brought him a Silver Bear award for Best Actor from the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011. The movie was a hit in Iran and also an international success, winning numerous awards from different festivals across the world, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, the Golden Bear for Best Film from the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011, and the Golden Globe for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2012. The movie earned the title of being the first Iranian movie to win the coveted awards.
Action Film
Next year, Moaadi will be on the global celluloid with another Hollywood movie, 'The Last Knights'. It is an action film directed by the Japanese director Kazuaki Kiriya, starring Clive Owen (The International, Children of Men) and Morgan Freeman (Dark Night series, Million Dollar Baby). The story is about a group of warriors who seek to avenge their master at the hands of a corrupt emperor. Moaadi plays the role of the emperor along with a cast of multinational actors.
In addition to his cinematic works, he has also appeared in a TV mini-series produced by HBO. "Criminal Justice" is a crime-drama directed by Steven Zaillian starring James Gandolfini and John Turturro. It tells the story of an attorney who takes on the case of a Pakistani accused of murdering a girl. Moaadi plays the role of another Pakistani man in the series.
His debut film as a director was released in 2013. Benefitting a cast of well-known Iranian actors, 'Snow on the Pines' was a bestseller in Iran. The movie is about a piano teacher whose husband's secrets are revealed to her, leaving her in a dilemma about what to decide on her life.
Moaadi's name can be seen as the screenwriter of 5 other Iranian movies, all of which were among the bestsellers in different years.
