Iris Bahr

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Iris Bahr
Born before 1977 (age 36–37) or more
New York City, New York
Residence Los Angeles, California
Nationality American, Israeli
Ethnicity Jewish[1]
Alma mater
Brown University, B.A. (magna cum laude)
  • Actors Center, New York, NY
Occupation actress, comedienne, writer
Home town Riverdale, New York
Notes

Iris Bahr is an American actress, comedian, director, writer and producer. She has appeared on shows such as Friends (as Glenda in "The One with Ross' Tan"), Curb Your Enthusiasm as Rachel Heinemann (Season 5 episodes "The Ski Lift" and "The Korean Bookie"), and The King of Queens. Bahr also played a lead role in the 2006 film Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, and played the director of a documentary in the 2010 horror film The Last Exorcism.

Bahr is currently executive producing, writing, directing and starring in her original series Svetlana, based on her character Svetlana, a Russian lady of the night/political consultant. The show is being produced by Mark Cuban. It airs on Cuban's HDNet. Season Two premiered April 27, 2011.

Bahr received the 2008 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Performance for her one-woman show Dai (Enough), which also earned 2 Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Solo show and Best Sound Design. She also received a UK Stage Award Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. Bahr was invited to perform Dai at the United Nations for over 100 ambassadors and delegates.

DAI was published by Northwestern University Press in November, 2009.

Bahr's humorous memoir entitled Dork Whore was published in 2007, and has since been translated into German, Italian and Portuguese. It became a bestseller in Germany and Bahr was quickly commissioned to write the sequel, "Macchu My Picchu" chronicling her travels through South America, which came out both in Germany (Piper) and the United States (Skirt).

Bahr just completed filming a series regular role on the Israeli TV series "Irreversible" and currently has her own TV series in development for Israeli Television. (May 2012)

Early life

Bahr was raised in the Bronx, but moved to Israel with her mother at age 13, after her parents divorced.[4][5] During her two years in the Israeli Army military intelligence she attained the rank of sergeant.[3][6][7] As a young woman, she traveled throughout Southeast Asia and South America.[8] She is a magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, where she studied neuropsychology and religious studies.[6][8] Bahr did neuroscience and cancer research at Stanford University and Tel Aviv University.[2]

She defines herself as an Israeli Jew.[1]

Career

Bahr did voice acting work for the Star Trek computer games Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force, Star Trek: Elite Force II and Star Trek: Away Team, released in 2000, 2003 and 2001 respectively. She followed this up with an appearance on the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "Endgame" in 2001. She also voiced the character of Madeline Taylor in Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (2002).

In the following years, Bahr guest starred on a variety of television shows. These roles included guest appearances on Strong Medicine, The Drew Carey Show, Friends, and The King of Queens, as well as recurring character Rachel Heinemann on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In 2006, Bahr appeared in her first lead role in a major motion picture, playing Amy Butlin in Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector alongside Larry the Cable Guy. In May 2006 she had a supporting role as Leonard Hofstadter's girlfriend in the original pilot of "The Big Bang Theory". In November 2006, she opened her one woman show Dai ("Enough") at the Culture Project in New York City.[7] In the show, she plays ten different characters in a Tel Aviv restaurant.[5] In 2007, Bahr was a part of the controversial film Poughkeepsie Tapes. In this she plays an interviewed news broadcaster. In August 2007, she performed a completely sold-out run of the show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which was presented by Paul Lucas Productions, and in March 2009 she performed it in Shaw Theatre in London.[9]

Her memoir about her travels through Asia, titled Dork Whore was published in March 2007.

She moved to Los Angeles after a city truck injured her when it collided with her bicycle on Great Jones Street in New York.[3]

Bahr currently does a weekly commentary on KCRW entitled "Social Studies",[10] featuring one of her characters - Svetlana, Russian lady of the night and proprietor of the "St. Petersburg House of Discreet Pleasure."[11][12] Svetlana was also a recurring guest on The Marc Maron Show, and has done regular pieces for Kurt Anderson's show on WNYC's Studio 360.[13] Svetlana is now the star of her own comedy series, the pilot which can be seen on Funny or Die. Svetlana is also a stand-alone series available on HD Net.

Books

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bahr, Iris (March 2, 2009). "A Jew Goes to England". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-05-12. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Iris Bahr" (fee, via Fairfax County Public Library). Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. May 29, 2008. GALE|H1000179084. Retrieved 2012-05-10.  Gale Biography In Context. (subscription required)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Robertson, Campbell (January 5, 2007). "So Many Different People to Be, Onstage and Off, if She Can Dodge the Trucks". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-12. 
  4. ↑ Sebba, Anne (20 July 2007). "Interview with Iris Bahr". 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Genzlinger, Neil (2006-11-17). "Theater as Russian Roulette, With a Blast That's Soon to Sound". New York Times. Retrieved 2006-11-30. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Iris Bahr - Biography". imdb.com. Retrieved 2010-07-05. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hernandez, Ernio (2006-11-14). "Culture Project Opens Iris Bahr Solo Dai (enough) Nov. 14". Playbill. Retrieved 2006-11-30. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Who's News by Lorrie Lynch". USA Today. 2006-05-21. Retrieved 2006-11-30. 
  9. ↑ "Shaw Theatre". Shaw Theatre. Retrieved 2012-05-10. 
  10. ↑ "Social Studies". KCRW. Retrieved 2012-05-10. 
  11. ↑ Roderick, Kevin (June 18, 2007). "Morning Buzz: Monday 6.18.07". LA Observed. Retrieved 2012-05-10. 
  12. ↑ "Knocked Up on Darfur - Social Studies on KCRW". Kcrw.com. Retrieved 2012-05-10. 
  13. ↑ "Getty Fabulous: Live in L.A.". Studio 360. 2007-07-06. Retrieved 2012-05-10. 

External links

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