Hello, and welcome.
Let's get to know each other.
The boy who became all these people.
My name is Navid Negahban — Navid (nah-VEED), "bearer of news," and Negahban (neh-GAH-bahn), "guardian," or "one who keeps watch." I didn't think much about it growing up. Over time, it's started to feel right.
I fell in love with acting at an early age—watching American western movies and The Wild Wild West on our black-and-white television in Iran, dreaming of becoming a cowboy.
Mashhad, Iran — dreaming of the West
First school play — age 8
When I was eight years old, I was cast as an old man in the school play. I still remember the sensation—discovering that you could step into another life and feel the world shift from the inside when you truly walk in another man's shoes.
As I grew up, I kept chasing that feeling.
When I was seventeen, a hearing-impaired friend, Ardeshir, introduced me to a community of deaf artists. I joined them to study mime and physical performance, and that's where I discovered the power of silence—that listening, gesture, and inner dialogue matter. What is unspoken often carries the deepest meaning.
In 1985, in the midst of the Iran-Iraq war, life took me across borders—through Turkey, Bulgaria—to a refugee camp in Ingelheim, Germany. That was a defining chapter, one that reshaped how I think about belonging and identity. I learned that identity isn't fixed. It evolves. It's shaped by circumstance and by the courage to take an honest look inward and discover who you really are.
First headshot — Germany, 1986
Rheinland-Pfalz Theater — Germany, 1987
After being processed, I was sent to Kaiserslautern, where my mime training opened the door to my first professional stage work at Rheinland-Pfalz theater, which started my acting career in Germany.
In 1993, I made my way to the United States—to become my own Jim West, doing live western shows in Old Town, San Diego—and to build a life in film and television.
Old Town, San Diego — 1990s
It's a life that has taken me into many different worlds: from exploring the morally complex world of Abu Nazir in Homeland to the fantasy world of the Sultan in Aladdin, and appearing in projects like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Legion, 12 Strong, American Sniper, 24, and more.
Abu Nazir — Homeland
The Sultan — Aladdin
Shadow King — Legion
Whether I'm acting or producing, I'm drawn to stories that invite curiosity rather than conclusions. Stories that leave room for complexity, contradiction, and humanity—and value emotional truth over explanation.
This site is an invitation to explore what resonates with you.
Watch. Wander. Take your time.
The story is still unfolding, and I'm glad you're here.
Navid