Shaghayegh Dehghan

Shaghayegh Dehghan, honestly, she’s kind of a legend in Iranian television if you ask around. Most people probably first caught her on “Pavarchin” back in 2002, where her comedic timing and deadpan expressions made her impossible to forget. That show, it was everywhere — kind of the thing you’d binge on VHS tapes if you missed an episode, and everyone at school would be quoting the jokes the next day. But she didn’t just stop there. Fast forward to “Shabhaye Barareh” in 2005, and suddenly, Dehghan’s face is everywhere again. The show itself is a satirical spin on Iranian society, and her role? She walks the line between totally hilarious and weirdly relatable. You kind of get the sense she’s the only sane person in a town full of lunatics, but she’s not above getting swept up in the madness herself. It’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder if she’s secretly just riffing off the script, adding her own quirks. Then you’ve got “Dozd Va Police” in 2012 — that one’s a crime comedy, and it’s a riot. Dehghan plays off the chaos with this effortless charm, like the friend who always has a snappy comeback or a sarcastic take. Over the years, she’s basically carved out her own space as a comedic powerhouse, able to flip between slapstick and subtle humor in a heartbeat. Even now, people still talk about her roles, quoting lines and rewatching clips online. She’s just that good.