Reza Naji, an Iranian actor, and an iconic figure of Iranian cinema, embarked on his journey in the world of theater during his teenage years. Even while serving in the Iranian army, he continued to hone his craft by taking on various roles.
Naji's breakthrough in the film industry dates back to 1997, with his appearance in the critically acclaimed film "Children of Heaven". The director, Majid Majidi, was specifically seeking an actor with an Azeri accent to play the role of Ali's father, and Naji was carefully selected from a pool of 2,500 actors who auditioned for the part.
Since then, Naji has appeared in numerous Iranian films, with some of his most notable performances including his role in "The Song of Sparrows", directed by the renowned film director Majid Majidi. This particular role earned Naji the prestigious Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, as well as the Best Performance by an Actor award at the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
