Nazanin Boniadi
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Early Life and Education
Nazanin Boniadi was born in Tehran, Iran. Her parents moved to London during the Iranian Revolution when she was an infant. Raised in the United Kingdom, Boniadi developed an early interest in the arts, studying ballet and playing the violin throughout her youth. She attended a private high school before moving to the United States for her higher education.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 22 May, 1980
- Age
- 39 yrs
- Occupations
- Actor
Film actor
Television actor
Show all facts
- Citizenship
- United States of America
- Birth Place
- Tehran
- residence
- Los Angeles
Tehran
London - Education
- University of California, Irvine
- Gender
- Female
- Description
- British actress
- Twitter Id
- Nazaninboniadi
- Net Worth 2021
- 2 million
People Mentioned in This Biography
Boniadi earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. While at UC Irvine, she was awarded the prestigious Chang Pin-Chun Undergraduate Research Award for her molecular research focused on cancer treatment and heart transplant rejection. In addition to her academic pursuits, she served as Assistant Editor-in-Chief of the undergraduate medical newspaper at the university.
Religious Background and Association with Scientology
Fluent in both Persian and English, Boniadi was active in the Church of Scientology during the mid-2000s, a belief system followed by her mother as well. In 2005, she was commended for her involvement in the church, including her record in book sales related to Scientology teachings.
In 2004, Boniadi was briefly in a relationship with actor Tom Cruise. She later disclosed in the HBO documentary Going Clear that this relationship was orchestrated by the Church of Scientology, which had vetted her and other women as potential partners for Cruise. Following this period, Boniadi left the church and has since described herself as a non-practicing Muslim.
Transition to Acting
In 2006, Boniadi made a significant career shift, leaving the medical field to pursue acting full time. Her breakthrough role came when she portrayed Leyla Mir on the Emmy Award-winning daytime drama General Hospital and its spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift. This performance made her one of the first actors of Middle Eastern descent to be contracted for a recurring role in American daytime television. Furthermore, she became the first actress born in Iran to receive a contract role on a U.S. soap opera.
For her work on General Hospital, Boniadi received a nomination for an NAACP Image Award in 2008 in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.
Film and Television Success
Boniadi went on to land supporting roles in major Hollywood films, including Charlie Wilson's War, The Next Three Days, and Iron Man. In television, she portrayed Nora, the love interest of Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) in the hit series How I Met Your Mother during seasons six through nine.
