Golshifteh's journey in the world of acting began at the tender age of six, when she first stepped onto the stage in a theatrical production. Throughout her childhood, she maintained a strong connection with the performing arts, eventually making her way to the silver screen at the age of 14. Her breakthrough role came in 1998 with the film "The Pear Tree", for which she received the prestigious prize for Best Actress at the Fajr film festival's international section. This achievement catapulted her to stardom in Iranian cinema, and she has since appeared in over 15 films, many of which have been showcased or awarded at esteemed international festivals.
Some of her notable works include Bahman Ghobadi's "Half Moon" (2006),which won the Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián film festival, as well as Dariush Mehrjui's "The Music Man" (2007),a controversial film that remains banned in Iran to this day. Her performance in "M like Mother" (2006),directed by the late Rasool Mollagholi Poor, garnered significant success in Iran and earned the film a spot as Iran's representative for the Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards in 2008.
Golshifteh's entry into the Hollywood scene came with Ridley Scott's "Body of Lies" (2008),making her the first Iranian star to appear in a major American production. Unfortunately, this achievement came at a cost, as she was subsequently banned from her native country. Her last film in Iran, "About Elly" (2009),won a Silver Bear in Berlin and the Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca film festival.
Beyond her acting career, Golshifteh is a multi-talented individual who graduated from music school. She is a skilled singer and pianist, able to play a variety of instruments. Golshifteh is also fluent in French and English, and currently resides in Paris.
