Jerry Habibi
Born
Jerry Farzan Habibi

Dallas, Texas, U.S.
NationalityIranian American
Occupation(s)Actor, Musician

Jerry Farzan Habibi is an American actor. He is known for his role as Abbas in the Sony Pictures Classics film The Persian Version..[1] He began performing at a young age by acting, dancing, and singing at a Nowruz festival in Plano, Texas.[2]

Early life

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Habibi was born in Dallas, Texas. He is a first generation Iranian-American. His father, an engineer, died in 1996 when Habibi was 11 months old—collapsing from a heart attack on a soccer field during a company team-building exercise.[3]

Career

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Habibi taped for The Persian Version[4] in December 2019 using a Macbook Pro. He auditioned in English, Farsi, and Finglish, a romanization of Persian. After various delays, including the Covid-19 Pandemic, Habibi shot the film in 2022.[5]

In January 2023, Jerry Habibi attended the 2023 Sundance Film Festival for the premiere of The Persian Version.[6] The film won the audience award and Waldo Screenwriting Award. It began a limited theatrical release in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films on October 20, 2023.[7].

Letterboxd Editor-in-Chief Gemma Gracewood, praised the screenplay and performances in their October 2023 'Watchlist This!' Column, directly noting that "there is also an abundance of thirst for one family member in particular: Jerry Habibi", who portrays Abbas.[8]

Other projects he has worked on include a guest star role in the 2022 Crunchyroll acquisition of Natsume's Book of Friends[9], and narrating a digital piece for American Experience[10]

Habibi was profiled in the June 2024 issue of D Magazine by Matt Zoller Seitz in an article titled "The Hardest Working Man in Show Biz". [11]

Filmography

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Film roles
Year Title Role Notes
2023 The Persian Version (Film) Abbas Film
Television roles
Year Title Role Notes
2022 Natsume's Book of Friends (TV series) Tarusaru 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (3 February 2023). "Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Sundance Winner 'The Persian Version'". Deadline.
  2. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (24 April 2024). "From Plano To Netflix: How Actor Jerry Habibi Landed His Biggest Role Yet". Local Profile.
  3. ^ Seitz, By Matt Zoller (7 June 2024). "The Hardest Working Man in Show Biz (Is From The Colony)". D Magazine.
  4. ^ Felperin, Leslie (22 January 2023). "'The Persian Version' Review: An Effervescent Mother-Daughter Dramedy Spanning Decades, Continents and Cultures". The Hollywood Reporter.
  5. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (22 October 2023). "'The Persian Version' is an ode to family, N.J. and a director's Iranian American story". NJ.
  6. ^ "Jerry Habibi attends 2023 Sundance Film Festival "The Persian..." Getty Images (in German). 22 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Sundance Winner 'The Persian Version' In North America | Sony Pictures Entertainment". www.sonypictures.com.
  8. ^ Gracewood, Gemma (18 October 2023). "Watchlist This! Our October 2023 picks of the best new bubbling-under films • Journal • A Letterboxd Magazine". letterboxd.com. Letterboxd. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. ^ Villacin, Paige (8 August 2022). "Why Natsume's Book of Friends Getting an English Dub Is a Big Deal". CBR.
  10. ^ "Operation Ajax | TAKEN HOSTAGE | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS". YouTube. December 2022.
  11. ^ Seitz, By Matt Zoller (7 June 2024). "The Hardest Working Man in Show Biz (Is From The Colony)". D Magazine.
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