Interview: Jerry Habibi
Throughout his career as an actor, Jerry Habibi, a first generation Iranian-American actor from Middle Eastern descent, has never once seen a casting breakdown that fit his description. All of the ones he’d come across either did not fit his ethnic background or, if they did, were offensively stereotypical and cartoonish in the way that they were described. Refusing to accept any role that would cast Middle Easterners in a negative light, Habibi resigned himself to auditioning for roles that didn’t quite match his own description. “I often found myself having to fight with casting teams to convince them that I could perform certain roles or characters,” he recalls. That is until he stumbled upon a casting call for the film The Persian Version, a comedy film from writer and director Maryam Keshavarz that explored the dynamics of a large Iranian-American family after a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past, leading them to discover they are more alike than they know in the process.
“In December of 2019, I saw a little breakdown for it and I was really surprised because you never see that sort of story told,” he explains. “You never see so many similarities to who you are in the breakdowns of the character. I did a very unhinged taping on my MacBook with my sister. There were about 3 scenes and I did probably 7 takes in English. I also took the liberty to translate and read all the scenes in Persian/Farsi too, and then decided to add improv work to some of the takes. I was improvising in English and Persian/Farsi. Super unhinged. Lots of caffeine. I practically held my sister at gunpoint to film with me. I sent that over to the casting director, but I also reached out directly to the director and she loved it.” Habibi soon found himself performing screen tests (“Read it sad, read it douchey, read it confident, read it unconfident. I walked in knowing I had range, these were all just tests to ‘prove it,’’ he says of the screen tests, which you can view here), chemistry reads with other potential cast members and discussing his character’s dynamic with Keshavarz – but then the pandemic happened and the world shut down.
“The film was supposed to originally shoot in 2020 but then the pandemic hit,” he says. “Filming ended up getting delayed because so many different things were changing; you had all these new additions to what a production needs in terms of health restrictions and safety protocols. We would have a specific start date and then we wouldn’t end up shooting; it just kept changing. But finally, we ended up shooting in the summer of 2022. It was really just like being in the trenches but I was happy I stuck to it.”
When it finally came time to film, Habibi found himself in Turkey surrounded by other Middle Eastern creatives, all working towards the common goal of ensuring that they made the best film they could possibly make. “We shot the film in Turkey and Turkey is such a social place,” he says of his experience working on the film. “Everywhere is open late. You have so many nice spots. We all stayed in the same building for the most part so it was great. Getting to finally work on this film after years was so gratifying and it was so beautiful having so many Middle Eastern creatives in one space. I really loved those moments. It was very sad to leave.”
After production wrapped in 2022, The Persian Version ended up premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it was met with rave reviews from critics and audience members alike. After a competitive bidding process, where many studios, both indie and major, attempted to purchase the film, Sony Picture Classics ended up taking the North American rights to the film, dating it for an October 2023 release. With critical acclaim under its belt and a prime awards season release date set, it should’ve been smooth sailing for both Habibi and the film – but then a certain strike hit, the film’s red carpet premiere and press tour was canceled, and Habibi found himself silenced as to what he could say about the film. “It did take away from some of the magic of the film’s release,” he confesses. “But I will say that it was worth it that they did the strikes and I’m very happy that everyone ended up getting a fair deal.”
Despite the setbacks when it came to the film’s theatrical roll-out, Habibi says the experience of getting to play a character who looked like him, talked like him and had a family that was similar to his was “validating.” “For so long, I’ve looked at a lot of different roles that I thought I could fit, or I’d pitch them differently by suggesting rewrites to roles that I thought I could fit,” he explains. “But I just wouldn’t get an audition opportunity in general. I have been training since I was young so I feel like I should have as much of a voice in the room, a presence in the room, as other people. So it was very validating when I did get this role because it was like, ‘Okay, so I don’t have to play a Taliban leader,’ or something. I can do this and it can work in my favor.”
The response from audience members (who mentioned his character Abbas as a standout in their Letterboxd reviews and made fancams of him on X and TikTok) also proved to be a reaffirming experience for Habibi, who says he was pleased that the film managed to find an audience despite the setbacks it faced. “Those types of things, they’re funny to read,” he says of the Letterboxd reviews and thirst tweets. “But it is also very validating.” One of the more popular scenes from the film is a dance scene involving Habibi, who reveals there were more dance scenes planned for the film that ended up on the cutting room floor. “I was supposed to dance more,” he reveals. “I trained in Persian dance growing up and was really drawn to the importance of movement and miming in theater. I trained for the cheerleading routine and a bunch of sideline cheers that didn’t make the final cut at a famous studio in Turkey, Dansfabrika. The owner, Ömer Yeşilbaş, was complimenting my moves at the studio.”
However, despite the rave reviews both the film and his portrayal received from audience members, he’s still hoping it translates professionally as well, leading him to other roles that would allow him to shine once again. “I just wish that these agents and managers, being that they are really the middlemen, would see what the audience sees,” he laments. “That’s what I’m still kind of working against right now, but you gotta just keep your head in the game.”
In an industry that is still so far behind when it comes to Middle Eastern representation – in a study conducted in 2017, it was revealed that a staggering 92% of scripted shows and films lacked any representation from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Among the scant few instances where MENA characters were present, a troubling 78% were depicted as trained terrorists, agents, soldiers, or tyrants, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and overlooking the diverse realities of the region – Habibi has often found himself struggling to find his next role, looking for other sources of income while he attempted to audition for projects. “I have other little income streams here and there just to keep myself above water,” he says. “I’ve literally tried everything, even pitching roles to writers for established TV shows, which I don’t do anymore because I’ve seen those exact pitches go out on casting calls.”
While Habibi is currently in the development stage of several original film and music projects, collaborating with artists such as Dounia (who was recently named one of Billie Eilish’s favorite artists to stream) and Ronny J, he has also turned to voice acting in order to diversify his resume, working with prominent companies in the gaming field, with projects to be announced later this year. “I actually have all of the equipment needed for voice acting to record from home because I produce and record music,” he says of his decision to expand to voice acting. “At the time, I was working with a manager and they had sent me casting calls [for voice roles]. I was like, ‘Oh, I can do this easily from my home studio.’ But it’s a very competitive market. I was very fortunate to get the agent that I did. She works with Cameron Monaghan and Taylor Zakhar Perez. She’s great at what she does so it’s been very nice. But you still do have those issues, being Middle Eastern, when you get a project or even if I’m speaking through a microphone, they’re like, ‘Is that an accent I hear?’ Which is weird, because, to me, I don’t hear an accent!”
Now that the writers’ and actors’ strikes are over, and the theatrical release of The Persian Version has come and gone, Habibi is still carrying out a one-man social media campaign for the film and his performance in it, collaborating with tastemakers and influencers to continue to spread the word about the film to make sure as many people as people actually get to see it. “I need to push the film in people’s faces,” he says. “I need to push what I did. I need people to have a whole idea of how long that process was, how much of a time investment and overall investment it is for me, being Middle Eastern.” He names fellow Texan, Glen Powell, as an inspiration when it comes to producing and marketing his films, and also someone he would like to work with in the future. “I’ve been a fan of his since Scream Queens, all the way back in 2015,” he says. “And I know he’s really big on producing and marketing his work, just like myself.”
As part of his efforts to promote the film, Habibi also became the first Middle Eastern actor to be profiled for D Magazine, a prestigious publication based in Dallas, Texas. The profile, featured in the magazine’s 50th anniversary issue and written by Pulitzer finalist Matt Zoller Seitz, is befittingly titled “The Hardest Working Man in Show Biz.”
As for the future, Habibi plans to continue to shove the door of the industry open – and to also keep it open behind him as well. “One thing that’s super important for me is to work with other people from the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia because there has to be that sort of solidarity,” he explains. “You have to be willing to elevate each other and speak up for each other. Because if you don’t, you’re going to get your foot in the door and then you’re going to get kicked out because no one else is holding it for you or yourself. There have been so many moments where I’m like, ‘God, this is exhausting.’ I shouldn’t have to put as much effort as I do compared to someone from a different background but I just have to keep pushing forward because it’s what I love to do.”
The Persian Version is now streaming on Netflix and is also available on VOD.
Ahmad W.
Aspiring critic and poster designer.