Sheila Vand

Sheila Vand
Born Sheila Vand
Occupation Actress, Performance artist
Years active 2007–present

Sheila Vand is an American actress and performance artist. She is best known for her role in Ben Affleck's 2013 Oscar-winning film Argo. Vand made her Broadway debut alongside Robin Williams in 2011 in the Pulitzer-nominated Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. She has worked with filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour on several projects, including Pashmaloo which premiered at the Berlinale in 2011 and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. She also has an ongoing collaboration with 2013 TED speaker Alexa Meade. Their photo series MILK: What Will You Make of Me? is on exhibit at the Gallery for Contemporary Photography Ingo Seufert, Munich, Germany and was also exhibited in the Grand Palais at Art Paris Art Fair. Vand is also the creator of experimental performance piece Sneaky Nietzsche.

Life

Vand was born in a suburb of Los Angeles, but grew up in Palo Alto, California. She is a second-generation Iranian-American. She graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television where she studied acting and directing.[1]

Career

In 2009, Vand originated the role of Hadia in Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, which moved to Broadway in 2011.[2] In 2010, she debuted Sneaky Nietzsche, which she called "a live theatrical music experience for the fictionally-inclined."[1] It was described by the Los Angeles Times as "stepping into a living, changing art piece" and by LA Weekly as an "all-encompassing, sensory overload. In a good way."[3][4] Vand was commissioned by LACMA in 2011 to remount Sneaky Nietzsche.[4]

Vand played the role of Sahar the Iranian housekeeper in Argo and she also narrates the beginning of the film.[1] Her performance was highlighted in the LA Times' annual piece "Small Roles, Powerful Performances" and she was a recipient of a SAG Outstanding Ensemble Award in 2013.[5][6]

In 2012, Vand began collaborating with painter/photographer Alexa Meade. Their first joint series MILK: What Will You Make of Me? has been featured in The Huffington Post, Wired, Juxtapoz magazine, and at the 2013 TED Global Conference.[7][8][9][10]

She played the female lead in the 2013 CBS pilot for Beverly Hills Cop, but the show was not picked up to series.[11][12]

Vand made her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in 2013, performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the world premiere of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels under the baton of Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen.[13] She played the role of Lucy opposite Diva Zappa.

Vand plays the title role in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.[14]

Currently Vand has a recurring role in NBC's State of Affairs (2014). Cast as Maureen James, she is CIA Secretary of Defense briefer and best friend to Charleston "Charlie" Tucker (Katherine Heigl).

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
2008 In the Dark Nahid Short film
2009 Peter and the Mischievous Hanky White Witch
2010 Bold Native Sonja
2010 Passing On Diana Short film
2010 Ketab Saeed's Sister Short film
2010 Girlfriend Kenny's Wife (voice) Uncredited
2011 Pashmaloo Farah Short film
2012 This Is Caroline Deb (voice) Short film
2012 Argo Sahar
2014 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night The Girl
2014 Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero Leila
2016 The Taliban Shuffle Shakira El-Khourey Filming
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Life Shahnaz Darvashi Episode: "A Civil War"
2007–2012 Prom Queen Courtney Series regular
2012 NYC 22 Jasmeen Episode: Ransom
2013 Cult Allegra Constantine Episode: "1987"
Episode: "Flip the Script"
2013 Beverly Hills Cop Leila Series regular
2014 State of Affairs Maureen James Series regular

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 LaBrie, Sarah (October 16, 2013). "Iranian Actress Sheila Vand's Path to Argo Ran Through UCLA and Experimental Steampunk". LA Weekly. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  2. ↑ Orlando, Nick (March 25, 2011). "Debut of the Month: Bengal Tiger's Sheila Vand". Broadway World. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Ward, Alie (October 14, 2010). "Sneaky Nietzsche a downtown happening". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sallabedra, Megan (October 25, 2011). "Sneaky Nietzsche's Secret Pre-Party Shows, a Tryout for LACMA's Dead Man's Ball". LA Weekly. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Rosen, Lisa (February 2, 2013). "Small roles, powerful performances". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013: 'Argo,' 'Lincoln,' 'Les Mis' and 'Silver Linings' Win Big". ABC News. January 27, 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  7. ↑ Frank, Priscilla (November 27, 2012). "Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand's 'MILK: What Will You Make of Me?' Is Not for the Lactose Intolerant (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Clark, Liat (January 2, 2013). "Watch Alexa Meade's full Wired 2012 talk about art, humans and milk". Wired. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand's 'Milk: What Will You Make of Me?'". Juxtapoz. November 27, 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  10. ↑ Meade, Alexa (September 2013). "Your Body Is My Canvas". TED. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 21, 2013). "'Argo's Sheila Vand to Play Female Lead in CBS' 'Beverly Hills Cop' Pilot". Deadline.com. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  12. ↑ Jeffrey, Morgan (May 11, 2013). "Eddie Murphy's 'Beverly Hills Cop' TV pilot rejected by CBS". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  13. ↑ Odio, Jesy (October 15, 2013). "200 Motels: Bruins Help Bring Quirky Frank Zappa Show to Life". UCLA Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  14. ↑ Chang, Justin (December 4, 2013). "Sundance Unveils 2014 Competition, Next Lineups". Variety. Retrieved 13 January 2014.

External links