Navid Negahban
Navid Negahban is an Iranian-American actor, producer, and director whose work spans four decades, three continents, and over 166 credits in film, television, and video games. Born in Mashhad, Iran, he discovered theater at eight years old. He left Iran in 1985, traveling through Turkey and Bulgaria before arriving at a refugee camp in Ingelheim, Germany, where he applied for asylum. He spent eight years performing with the Rheinland-Pfalz Theater in Kaiserslautern before moving to the United States in 1993. He is fluent in Persian, English, and German. He is best known for playing Abu Nazir in Showtime's Homeland (2011–2013), Amahl Farouk / Shadow King in FX's Legion (2017–2019), The Sultan in Disney's live-action Aladdin (2019), General Abdul Rashid Dostum in 12 Strong (2018), Sheikh Al-Obodi in American Sniper (2014), Faraz Hamzad in FX's The Old Man (2022–2024), and Abbas Mansuri in Netflix's The Night Agent (2025). As a producer, his film Baba Joon won five Ophir Awards including Best Picture at the Israeli Film Academy. As a director, his short film The Apple Tree won Best Short Film at the Japan Indies Film Festival (2025). He received a BAFTA Games Award nomination for Best Performer for his work on 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (2017). He is represented by Innovative Artists. Official website: https://navidnegahban.com
Filmography
The Fix
as Qasim
The Fix
as Qasim
Am Abgrund
as Tofik Gasimov
Am Abgrund
as Tofik Gasimov
Sitting in Bars with Cake
as Isaac
Sitting in Bars with Cake
as Isaac
Kandahar
as Mohammad 'Mo' Doud
Kandahar
as Mohammad 'Mo' Doud
In the Garden of Tulips
In the Garden of Tulips
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
as Ra's al Ghul (voice)
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
as Ra's al Ghul (voice)
Tehranto
as Narrator (voice)
Tehranto
as Narrator (voice)
Dark Corners
as Karim
Dark Corners
as Karim
The First Goodbye
The First Goodbye
London Arabia
as Mo
London Arabia
as Mo
In Full Bloom
as The Shepherd (voice)
In Full Bloom
as The Shepherd (voice)
Aladdin
as Sultan
Aladdin
as Sultan
Saat des Terrors
as Kashif Baqri
Saat des Terrors
as Kashif Baqri
12 Strong
as General Dostum
12 Strong
as General Dostum
Osprey
as Adam Zakaria
Osprey
as Adam Zakaria
Damascus Cover
as Sarraj
Damascus Cover
as Sarraj
Carving a Life
as Dr. Kasem
Carving a Life
as Dr. Kasem
American Assassin
as Minister Behurz
American Assassin
as Minister Behurz
Price for Freedom
as Victor Daniels
Price for Freedom
as Victor Daniels
Sand Castle
as Kadeer
Sand Castle
as Kadeer
Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming
as Mehran (voice)
Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming
as Mehran (voice)
Brain on Fire
as Dr. Najjar
Brain on Fire
as Dr. Najjar
Becoming the Enemy
as Victor Daniels
Becoming the Enemy
as Victor Daniels
Sniper: Ghost Shooter
as Mothershed
Sniper: Ghost Shooter
as Mothershed
Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero
as Mohammad Mohammad-Mohammadi
Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero
as Mohammad Mohammad-Mohammadi
Baba Joon
as Itzhak
Baba Joon
as Itzhak
Day One
as Dr. Nasir
Day One
as Dr. Nasir
American Sniper
as Sheikh Al-Obeidi
American Sniper
as Sheikh Al-Obeidi
Words and Pictures
as Rashid
Words and Pictures
as Rashid
The Moment
as Malik Jamil
The Moment
as Malik Jamil
The Power of Few
as Sahel
The Power of Few
as Sahel
Atlas Shrugged: Part I
as Dr. Robert Stadler
Atlas Shrugged: Part I
as Dr. Robert Stadler
Heal
as Abdul
Heal
as Abdul
Brothers
as Murad
Brothers
as Murad
Dead Air
as Abir
Dead Air
as Abir
Liberation
as Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Liberation
as Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Diplomacy
as Iranian Foreign Minister
Diplomacy
as Iranian Foreign Minister
The Stoning of Soraya M.
as Ali
The Stoning of Soraya M.
as Ali
Powder Blue
as Doctor Brooks
Powder Blue
as Doctor Brooks
The Ambassador's Wife
as Ambassador
The Ambassador's Wife
as Ambassador
Stellina Blue
as Amir Keshavarz
Stellina Blue
as Amir Keshavarz
Djinn
as Djinn
Djinn
as Djinn
Charlie Wilson's War
as Refugee Camp Translator
Charlie Wilson's War
as Refugee Camp Translator
Broken
as Keith
Broken
as Keith
Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses
as Sheik Ahmad
Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses
as Sheik Ahmad
Richard III
as Sir James Tyrrel
Richard III
as Sir James Tyrrel
The Fallen Ones
as Ammon
The Fallen Ones
as Ammon
Pretty Persuasion
as Mr. Azzouni
Pretty Persuasion
as Mr. Azzouni
Saving Jessica Lynch
as Fedayeen Colonel
Saving Jessica Lynch
as Fedayeen Colonel
War Stories
as Al Qaeda Rebel at Bridge
War Stories
as Al Qaeda Rebel at Bridge
Boundaries
as Trombonist
Boundaries
as Trombonist
The Marshal
as Lenny Gibbs
The Marshal
as Lenny Gibbs