Maz Jobrani
Encyclopedia
Maziar “Maz” Jobrani is an Iran
ian-born American
comedian who is part of the "Axis of Evil
" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central
. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, including Better Off Ted
, on radio and in comedy clubs. His filmography includes roles in The Interpreter
, Friday After Next
, and Dragonfly.
, Iran
, Jobrani and his parents moved to California
when he was six years old. He was raised in Tiburon
in the San Francisco Bay
area. He attended Redwood High School
in Larkspur
. Jobrani studied political science and Italian at UC Berkeley, where he received a B.A. degree. He was enrolled in a Ph.D. program at UCLA when he decided to pursue his childhood dream of acting and performing comedy.
He has since made appearances on shows like The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
, Talkshow with Spike Feresten
and regularly performs at top comedy clubs (in California and New York) such as The Comedy Store
. He made an appearance as a dental patient on an episode of Still Standing
, in the pilot episodes of Better Off Ted
, The Knights of Prosperity
and on an episode of Cedric the Entertainer Presents
. He also made an appearance in 13 Going on 30
. Jobrani will play Mohammed Jazeyeri in the upcoming ABC sitcom Funny in Farsi, based on the book of the same name
. He has toured with the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour
. He provided the voice of Ahmed Farahnakian in the audiobook version of World War Z
. Jobrani has written a movie with a friend called Jimmy Vestvood: American Hero
Jobrani's jokes focuses on race, while outwardly poking fun at his own ethnic group, Iranians.
He is married to an Indian-American woman, an attorney. They reside in California.
Jobrani has been a cultural ambassador with the Levantine Cultural Center
in Los Angeles since 2005. He served as the presenter for a joint public program with the Levantine Cultural Center and PEN USA in September 2005, "Strange Times My Dear" which celebrated Iran and freedom of expression. In November 2009, Jobrani moderated a public forum for the Levantine Cultural Center, "Dismantling the Axis of Evil," which included on the panel comedian/actor Ahmed Ahmed
, author and Islamic scholar Reza Aslan
, actor and activist Shiva Rose
, and author/attorney John Tehranian. On December 1, 2010, Jobrani performed at the Levantine Cultural Center's 9th Anniversary event, the East-West Awards, where Jodie Evans
of CODEPINK: Women for Peace, Roxana Saberi
and Bana Hilal all received awards.
He makes occasional appearances on NPR
's news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian who is part of the "Axis of Evil
Axis of Evil Comedy Tour
The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour is a stand-up comedy tour featuring Middle Eastern comedians Ahmed Ahmed, Aron Kader and Maz Jobrani, with special guests Dean Obeidallah, Won Ho Chung, and Nick Youssef. The tour's name is derived from a speech by US President George W. Bush which designated Iraq,...
" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, including Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted is an American satirical situation comedy series, created and written by Victor Fresco , who also serves as the show's Executive Producer...
, on radio and in comedy clubs. His filmography includes roles in The Interpreter
The Interpreter
The Interpreter is a 2005 political thriller film starring Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, and Catherine Keener. It was the final film to be directed by Sydney Pollack.-Plot:...
, Friday After Next
Friday After Next
Friday After Next is a 2002 comedy film directed by Marcus Raboy, starring Ice Cube and Mike Epps. It is the third installment in the Friday series, and the sequel to the 2000 film Next Friday.-Plot:...
, and Dragonfly.
Life and career
Born in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Jobrani and his parents moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
when he was six years old. He was raised in Tiburon
Tiburon, California
Tiburon is an incorporated town in Marin County, California. It occupies most of the Tiburon Peninsula, which reaches south into the San Francisco Bay. The smaller city of Belvedere occupies the south-east part of the peninsula and is contiguous with Tiburon...
in the San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area. He attended Redwood High School
Redwood High School (Larkspur, California)
Redwood High School is a public secondary school located in the city of Larkspur, Marin County, California, approximately 11 miles north of San Francisco. Redwood High is part of the Tamalpais Union High School District...
in Larkspur
Larkspur, California
Larkspur is a city in Marin County, California, United States. Larkspur is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of . As of the 2010 Census, the city's population was 11,926. Larkspur is located north of San Francisco near Mount Tamalpais. Larkspur's Police Department is shared with that...
. Jobrani studied political science and Italian at UC Berkeley, where he received a B.A. degree. He was enrolled in a Ph.D. program at UCLA when he decided to pursue his childhood dream of acting and performing comedy.
He has since made appearances on shows like The Colbert Report, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is a Peabody Award-winning American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson, the third regular host of the Late Late Show franchise, follows Late Show with David Letterman in the CBS late-night lineup...
, Talkshow with Spike Feresten
Talkshow with Spike Feresten
Talkshow with Spike Feresten is an American late-night talk show television program on Fox starring Spike Feresten that aired from September 16, 2006 to May 16, 2009. It was the longest-running late night talk show in Fox's history, with three seasons...
and regularly performs at top comedy clubs (in California and New York) such as The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. It has a sister comedy club in La Jolla, San Diego, California.-History:...
. He made an appearance as a dental patient on an episode of Still Standing
Still Standing (TV series)
Still Standing is an American sitcom television series. It debuted on CBS on September 30, 2002, and ended March 8, 2006. Lifetime obtained the United States syndication rights to the show in February 2005 and aired it until 2009...
, in the pilot episodes of Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted is an American satirical situation comedy series, created and written by Victor Fresco , who also serves as the show's Executive Producer...
, The Knights of Prosperity
The Knights of Prosperity
The Knights of Prosperity was a short-lived comedy series that premiered on ABC in the United States on Wednesday, January 3, 2007. It was created by Rob Burnett and Jon Beckerman, who also created the NBC comedy-drama Ed...
and on an episode of Cedric the Entertainer Presents
Cedric the Entertainer Presents
Cedric the Entertainer Presents was an American sketch comedy television series starring Cedric the Entertainer. The series premiered September 18, 2002 on Fox and after the first season, Fox renewed the show for a second season but right before the show aired its second season, Fox canceled the...
. He also made an appearance in 13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30 is a 2004 American romantic comedy fantasy film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. It has a similar premise to the classic short story Rip Van Winkle, in which a young person falls asleep and wakes up many years later as an older person...
. Jobrani will play Mohammed Jazeyeri in the upcoming ABC sitcom Funny in Farsi, based on the book of the same name
Firoozeh Dumas
Firoozeh Dumas is an Iranian-American writer.Dumas began to write and submit essays to obtain money to go toward college....
. He has toured with the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour
Axis of Evil Comedy Tour
The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour is a stand-up comedy tour featuring Middle Eastern comedians Ahmed Ahmed, Aron Kader and Maz Jobrani, with special guests Dean Obeidallah, Won Ho Chung, and Nick Youssef. The tour's name is derived from a speech by US President George W. Bush which designated Iraq,...
. He provided the voice of Ahmed Farahnakian in the audiobook version of World War Z
World War Z
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a 2006 post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks. It is a follow-up to his 2003 book The Zombie Survival Guide. Rather than a grand overview or narrative, World War Z is a collection of individual accounts in the form of first-person anecdote...
. Jobrani has written a movie with a friend called Jimmy Vestvood: American Hero
Jobrani's jokes focuses on race, while outwardly poking fun at his own ethnic group, Iranians.
He is married to an Indian-American woman, an attorney. They reside in California.
Jobrani has been a cultural ambassador with the Levantine Cultural Center
Levantine Cultural Center
Levantine Cultural CenterThe Levantine Cultural Center is a 501 nonprofit organization founded in June of 2001. The center, located in West Los Angeles, champions a greater understanding of the Middle East and North Africa by presenting artistic and educational programs that bridge political and...
in Los Angeles since 2005. He served as the presenter for a joint public program with the Levantine Cultural Center and PEN USA in September 2005, "Strange Times My Dear" which celebrated Iran and freedom of expression. In November 2009, Jobrani moderated a public forum for the Levantine Cultural Center, "Dismantling the Axis of Evil," which included on the panel comedian/actor Ahmed Ahmed
Ahmed Ahmed
-Early life:Ahmed Ahmed was born in Helwan, Egypt. His family came to the United States when he was one month old and he grew up in Riverside, California.-Career:...
, author and Islamic scholar Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan is an Iranian-American activist, a nationally acclaimed writer of religions. He is on the faculty at the University of California, Riverside, and is a contributing editor for The Daily Beast...
, actor and activist Shiva Rose
Shiva Rose
Shiva Rose Gharibafshar is an American actress born in an Iranian-American family.-Personal life:...
, and author/attorney John Tehranian. On December 1, 2010, Jobrani performed at the Levantine Cultural Center's 9th Anniversary event, the East-West Awards, where Jodie Evans
Jodie Evans
Jodie Evans is a political activist, author, and documentary film producer. She characterizes her activism as working for peace and justice, environmental causes and women’s rights...
of CODEPINK: Women for Peace, Roxana Saberi
Roxana Saberi
Roxana Saberi is an American journalist who was arrested in Iran in January 2009. On April 8, 2009, the Iranian government charged Saberi with espionage, which she denied. She was subsequently sentenced to an eight-year prison term...
and Bana Hilal all received awards.
He makes occasional appearances on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
Further reading
- Interview and photos
- Maz Jobrani speaks out about Democracy for Iranians
- Interview with SanDiego.com, 2/14/2011
External links
- Official website
- Official page at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....