Sarah Shahi
| Sarah Shahi | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | Aahoo Jahansouz Shahi January 10, 1980 Euless, Texas, USA |
| Citizenship | American |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse | Steve Howey (2009–present) |
| Children | 1 son |
| Website | |
| http://www.sarahshahi.com | |
Aahoo Jahansouz "Sarah" Shahi[1] (born January 10, 1980) is an American actress and a former NFL Cheerleader. She is probably best known for starring in The L Word as Carmen de la Pica Morales and in Life as Detective Dani Reese. In 2011 she began playing the role of Kate Reed in the legal drama Fairly Legal on the USA Network.
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[edit] Early life
Sarah Shahi was born and grew up in Euless, Texas.[1] She has an Iranian father, Abbas Shahi, and a Spanish mother, known as Mahmonir, who was an interior designer.[2] Her father's family was forced to leave their homeland two years before the political and social unrest caused by the Islamic Revolution.[3][4] Her birthname, Aahoo, means "deer" in Persian.[5]
Shahi adopted Sarah as her name in second grade after hearing the song "Sarah" because she was "tormented" by other children,[1] but grew up speaking Persian as well as English at her father's insistence. Shahi's parents began entering her in beauty pageants at the age of eight.[4] Her parents divorced when she was 10.[5] Shahi attended Trinity High School, where she was captain of the volleyball and basketball teams, and Dallas' Southern Methodist University, majoring in English and Theater.[6] Shahi won the Miss Fort Worth USA pageant in 1997;[citation needed] hoping to become an actress, she joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders 1999–2000 squad despite not having cheered before, and appeared on the cover of the squad's 2000 calendar before moving to Los Angeles.[1]
[edit] Acting career
While working as an extra on the set of Dr. T and the Women in Texas, Shahi met director Robert Altman, who encouraged her to move to Hollywood,[1] where she received roles in several series, including Alias, Dawson's Creek, Reba, and Supernatural. She may be best known for her role as DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales on The L Word, which she joined in its second season.[citation needed] Shahi did not renew her contract with the series for the fourth season, and consequently her character was written out.[7] She also played Farah in the second season of Sleeper Cell, and also appeared in HBO's The Sopranos, in the Season 6b episode "Kennedy and Heidi".
She co-starred in the short-lived NBC series Life as homicide detective Dani Reese.[1][8]
In October 2009, Shahi landed the lead role in the USA Network pilot, Facing Kate. Shahi began filming in November 2009.[9] The show follows the life of Kate Reed, a legal mediator who is frustrated with the bureaucracy and injustice she witnesses in the legal system. The series title was later changed to Fairly Legal.[10]
[edit] Personal life
Shahi married actor Steve Howey on February 7, 2009, in Las Vegas. On July 8, 2009, Shahi gave birth to their first child, son William Wolf Howey.[11] Shahi gave birth during an at-home water birth.[12]
Shahi was named no. 90 on the Maxim magazine "Hot 100 of 2005" list; she moved up to no. 66 in 2006.[13] She ranked no. 5 on the AfterEllen.com hot list in 2007.[14]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Dr. T and the Women | Cheerleader | Uncredited |
| 2003 | Old School | Erica | |
| 2003 | Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde | Becky, Delta Nu sister | Uncredited |
| 2005 | A Lot Like Love | Starlet | |
| 2006 | For Your Consideration | Sanchez | |
| 2006 | The Dog Problem | Candy | |
| 2007 | Rush Hour 3 | Zoe | Uncredited |
| 2008 | Shades of Ray | Sana Khaliq | |
| 2008 | AmericanEast | Salwah | |
| 2009 | Crossing Over | Pooneh Baraheri | |
| 2011 | East Fifth Bliss | Hattie Skunk / Hattie Rockworth | Post-production |
| 2011 | I Don't Know How She Does It | Janine LoPietro | |
| 2012 | Static | Adele Dade | Post-production |
| 2012 | Bullet to the Head | Sheyla | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | City Guys | Cheerleader | Episode: "Shock Treatment" |
| 2000 | Spin City | Bachelorette | Episode: "Blind Faith" |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Laura | Episode: "Chapter Eleven" |
| 2001 | Off Centre | Angelica | Episode: "A Cute Triangle" |
| 2001 | Maybe It's Me | Rosa | Episode: "The Exchange-Student Episode" |
| 2001–2002 | Alias | Jenny | Episodes: "So It Begins", "A Broken Heart", "Reckoning", "Color Blind", "Spirit", "The Box: Part 1", and "Page 47" |
| 2002 | Class of ‘06 | Meg | Television film |
| 2002 | My Adventures in Television | TV Diva | Episode: "The Chinese Baby" |
| 2003 | Frasier | Reservationist | Episode: "Door Jam" |
| 2003 | Dawson's Creek | Sadie Shaw / Mystery Girl | Episodes: "Catch-22", "Sex and Violence", and "All the Right Moves" |
| 2003 | ER | Tara King | Episode: "The Greater Good" |
| 2004 | Century City | Ms. Morris | Episode: "Sweet Child of Mine" |
| 2004–2007 | Reba | Bridget / Kate | Episodes: "Cheyenne‘s Rival" and "To Tell You the Truth" |
| 2005 | Plan B | Bronwyn | Television film |
| 2005 | Supernatural | Constance Welch / The Woman in White | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2005–2009 | The L Word | Carmen de la Pica Morales | Main character |
| 2005 | The Drop | Herself | Episode: "2.49" |
| 2006 | Teachers | Tina Torres | |
| 2006 | Sleeper Cell | Farrah | Episodes: "Faith" and "Torture" |
| 2007 | The Sopranos | Sonya Aragon | Episode: "Kennedy and Heidi" |
| 2007–2009 | Life | Dani Reese | Main character |
| 2010 | Psych | Ruby | Episode: "Thrill Seekers and Hell Raisers" |
| 2011–present | Fairly Legal | Kate Reed | Main character |
| 2011 | Young Justice | Killer Frost | Episode: "Terrors" |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Mills, Nancy (2011-01-24). "Sarah Shahi turns cheerleading into 'Legal' experience". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2011-01-22-sarah-shahi_N.htm. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
- ^ Interview with Sarah Shahi
- ^ Askmen.com - Sarah Shahi Biography
- ^ a b Baron, Jeff (January 4, 2011). "With New Show, Sarah Shahi Is Ready for Her Close-Up". America.gov. U.S. Department of State. http://www.america.gov/st/peopleplace-english/2011/January/20110104163817ffej0.6563532.html. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Rudolph, Ileane (6 October 2008). "For Sarah Shahi, Life Is Beautiful". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Sarah-Shahi-Life-19450.aspx. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- ^ "Rah of Iran". People.com. November 22, 1999. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20129846,00.html. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Don't Quote Me: Kate Moennig and Sarah Shahi on The L Word
- ^ Wilonsky, Robert (August 12, 2008). "At SMU, Apparently, Sarah Shahi Was "Walking Blue Balls"". Unfair Park (Dallas Observer). http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2008/08/at_smu_apparently_sarah_shahi.php. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ Shahi Lands Lead in USA's 'Facing Kate'
- ^ Article at Reuters online about Shahi
- ^ "Sarah Shahi, Steve Howey Welcome Son William Wolf". People.com. October 2, 2009. http://celebritybabies.people.com/2009/10/02/sarah-shahi-steve-howey-welcome-son-william-wolf/. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ http://celebritybabies.people.com/2010/03/10/sarah-shahi-how-i-handled-my-home-birth/
- ^ Sarah Shahi profile on Maxim.com
- ^ AfterEllen.com ranking
