Ali Reza Farahnakian works as an actor, writer and improv comedian in the United States. He established The Peoples Improv Theater in New York City and appeared as a co‑lead on Adult Swim’s sitcom Delocated. He has been wed to Beth Saunders beginning in September 2004.
Hamed Ahangi Moghaddam, an Iranian who previously performed as a comedian, hosted shows, acted and directed, rose to fame with his series Ahangi Night, launched in 2021 and still on air, which brought him a Hafez Award nomination. He added another Hafez nomination to his résumé in 2023 for his work on TNT.
Kambiz Hosseini, an Iranian political humorist, performer, and presenter on both TV and radio, currently leads the podcast Paradox, broadcast via Radio Farda. He previously anchored the satirical news show Poletik on the same station and produced the weekly Iran‑rights series Five in the Afternoon. From 2009 through 2012 he conceived and hosted the award‑winning television program Parazit for Voice of America.
Maziyar Jobrani, who performs under the name Maz Jobrani, is an Iranian‑American stand‑up comic and actor. He was a founding member of the comedy troupe known as the Axis of Evil, which filmed a special for Comedy Central. In addition to his stand‑up work, Jobrani has taken parts in a variety of movies and TV series, such as the sitcom Better Off Ted, and has made appearances on radio programs and club stages. His screen credits feature The Interpreter, Friday After Next, Dragonfly and Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero. In 2017 he joined the cast of the CBS series Superior Donuts as a recurring character. He formerly served on the advisory board of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).
Born in Iran and raised in the United States, Nasim Pedrad works as an actress and comedian. She joined the ensemble of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, appearing from 2009 until 2014. Afterward she took leading roles in Fox’s sitcoms Mulaney (2014‑2015) and New Girl (2015‑2018), appeared in the horror‑comedy series Scream Queens (2015) on Fox, and acted in the sci‑fi comedy People of Earth (2017) for TBS. Pedrad also wrote, produced and headlined the TBS/Roku Channel comedy series Chad, which ran from 2021 to 2024.
Born in Iran, Shaparak Khorsandi—who once performed under the name Shappi Khorsandi—is a British comedian and author. She is the daughter of Iranian political satirist and poet Hadi Khorsandi.
Albania
1
Armenia
1
Argentina
24
Austria
28
Australia
22
Azerbaijan
1
Belgium
13
Bulgaria
31
Benin
2
Bolivia
1
Brazil
12
Canada
48
Switzerland
17
Chile
8
Cameroon
1
China
7
Colombia
2
Czech Republic
7
Germany
188
Denmark
17
Dominican Republic
1
Algeria
2
Estonia
5
Egypt
4
Spain
74
Finland
15
France
211
United Kingdom
148
Ghana
3
Greece
18
Guatemala
1
Hungary
7
Indonesia
8
Ireland
20
Israel
9
India
11
Iraq
3
Italy
136
Jamaica
1
Japan
35
Kenya
3
Korea, South
20
Kazakhstan
1
Lebanon
5
Latvia
1
Morocco
17
Myanmar
1
Malta
1
Malawi
2
Mexico
28
Malaysia
7
Nigeria
19
Nicaragua
2
Netherlands
2
Norway
12
Nepal
3
New Zealand
9
Peru
2
Philippines
35
Pakistan
7
Poland
8
Portugal
7
Qatar
1
Romania
1
Serbia
3
Russia
9
Saudi Arabia
4
Sweden
101
Slovenia
4
Slovakia
2
Thailand
2
Tunisia
4
Turkey
5
Taiwan
1
Ukraine
1
Uganda
7
United States
213
Uruguay
1
Uzbekistan
1
Vietnam
1
South Africa
2
Iran has a long and distinctive comedy tradition that spans theatre, cinema, television, satire and, more recently, stand-up comedy. Iranian humor often draws on everyday life, family relationships, social situations and cultural observations, with comedians using everything from physical comedy and memorable characters to satire and clever wordplay. Persian, or Farsi, is the main language of Iranian comedy, and many Iranian performers have developed large audiences both inside the country and among Persian-speaking communities around the world.
Iranian comedy is perhaps best known internationally through its films and television shows, but the country's comedy scene is much broader than that. Tehran has traditionally been the centre of the entertainment industry, while Iranian comedians and comic actors from cities such as Mashhad and Isfahan have also become well known.
One of the most recognisable names in modern Iranian comedy is Mehran Modiri. An actor, director, writer and producer, Modiri became widely known through television comedy, particularly the series Happy Hour (Saat-e Khosh) in the 1990s. His work frequently uses comedy and satire to explore everyday social behaviour and cultural issues. He went on to create numerous successful comedy series, including Pavaneh 57, Bitter Coffee and The Man of a Thousand Faces.
Reza Attaran is another major figure in Iranian comedy. Born in Mashhad, Attaran began his career in theatre before becoming widely recognised through television. His collaboration with Mehran Modiri in Happy Hour helped establish him as a popular comic performer, and he later worked as an actor, writer and director across television and Iranian cinema.
Other well-known Iranian comedians and comic actors include Akbar Abdi, Javad Razavian, Reza Shafiei Jam, Mehran Ghafourian, Nasrollah Radesh, Siamak Ansari, Hadi Kazemi, Mohammad-Reza Hedayati and Hamid Lolayi. Many of these performers became familiar faces through Iranian television comedy and ensemble shows, particularly during the 1990s and 2000s.
Akbar Abdi is particularly notable in the history of Iranian comedy. His career has included television, theatre and cinema, and he became known for creating memorable comic characters and performances. His work represents an important link between Iran's older tradition of character-based comedy and the modern entertainment industry.
Modern Iranian comedy also extends beyond traditional television and cinema. Persian-language stand-up comedy has developed an audience both in Iran and among Iranian communities abroad. Comedians such as Max Amini, Maz Jobrani, Omid Djalili, Enissa Amani, Nasim Pedrad and Shaparak Khorsandi have brought different forms of Iranian or Iranian-influenced humor to international audiences, often combining observations about Persian culture with experiences of living in different countries.
Iranian comedy can therefore look quite different depending on the performer. Some comedians focus on everyday Persian family life and cultural differences, while others concentrate on social satire, personal experiences or life in the Iranian diaspora. This variety has helped Persian comedy find audiences far beyond Iran itself.
Satire has an especially important place in Iranian comedy. Comedians and comic writers have often used fictional characters, exaggerated situations and everyday observations to comment on social behaviour and the difficulties of ordinary life. Mehran Modiri's television work is a particularly well-known example, with several of his comedy programs using humorous situations to highlight cultural and social behaviour.
For anyone exploring Iranian comedians, it is worth looking beyond the biggest names. The country's comedy scene includes actors, stand-up performers, satirists, writers and internet personalities, with new performers continuing to bring Persian humor to younger audiences.
Whether you're looking for famous Iranian comedians, Persian stand-up comedy, classic Iranian comic actors or newer comedy performers, Iran has a fascinating range of talent to discover. Explore the comedians from Iran on GiggleTime, discover new performers and enjoy jokes and comedy from around the Persian-speaking world.
