Faran Tahir
From Bibliz Notables
Faran Tahir (born February 16, 1963) is a Pakistani-American film and television actor.
Tahir was born in Los Angeles, California, where his parents had been studying acting and directing at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Growing up in Pakistan, Tahir returned to Los Angeles in 1980. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in Theater before acquiring a graduate degree from Harvard University's Institute for Advanced Theater Training.
He made his film debut playing Nathoo in the Disney's 1994 live-action version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. He has since appeared in such films as Picture Perfect (1997), Anywhere But Here (1999, featuring John Carroll Lynch and Stephanie Niznik), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007, featuring Cyia Batten and Rachel Nichols). He also played the male lead in the 1999 independent film ABCD.
Tahir first worked with director/producer J. J. Abrams and writers/executive producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman in the fourth episode of the Abrams-created spy series Alias. Tahir has guest starred on many other television series, including The Practice, Family Law, The Agency, NYPD Blue, Lost, 7th Heaven, The West Wing, JAG, Judging Amy, The D.A. and Cold Case.
Tahir appeared in two episodes of the hit FOX series 24, as well the prequel episode to the show's fourth season. Tahir has more recently appeared on such shows as Monk and Justice. He also co-starred with Robert Beltran and Chase Masterson in the 2005 Sci-Fi Channel original movie Manticore.
In 2008, Tahir plays the role of the villain Raza in the Marvel Comics-based Iron Man. Jon Braver was Tahir's stunt double in this film. He will be playing a Federation captain named "Robau" in Star Trek in 2009. His character is reportedly "a meaty role and 'heroic' with some action scenes."[citation needed]
As of 2008, he lives in San Diego, California.
He has one daughter, Lena.
Father is Naeem Tahir, Director General at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts.
