Narges Rashidi (; born 1980) is an American-German actress of Iranian descent. She is known for her starring role in the 2016 film Under the Shadow by Babak Anvari, and as British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe the 2025 BBC fact-based drama miniseries Prisoner 951.
Early life Narges Rashidi was born in 1980 in Khorramabad, Iran. Her father was an army colonel and her mother is a housewife. She lived in Tehran at the time of the Iran–Iraq War.
Rashidi moved with her family to Turkey and then Germany when she was seven. She grew up in Bad Hersfeld in Germany. She was introduced to acting by the summer theatre festivals in the town.
Career Rashidi has appeared in many independent films and television productions, starting with the experimental film Venussian Tabutasco by Daryush Shokof in 2004.
Rashidi received international recognition and widespread acclaim for her starring role in the 2016 film Under the Shadow by Babak Anvari, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Variety cited her as "a favorite breakthrough performance" at Sundance. The magazine hailed her "intense yet fine-grained work... as a fiercely intelligent, progressive-minded Iranian woman infuriated by the direction of her country since the Islamic Revolution," noting, "Rashidi plays her character like a musical instrument going slowly out of tune; it's a performance rich in both motherly love and scream-queen abandon."
Rashidi plays Lale in the 2020 British TV series Gangs of London.
Rashidi was cast in the 2025 BBC fact-based drama miniseries Prisoner 951 as British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was detained in Iran for six years. Joseph Fiennes played her husband, Richard Ratcliffe.
Personal life Rashidi speaks Persian, German, and English.
She married Christian Straka, a former professional tennis player. In 2016 she was living in Los Angeles.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2004Venussian Tabutasco2005Aeon Flux Pregnant Woman2006Asudem GirlA2ZBlack Sheep Leo's Girlfriend2007Breathful Fuss2008Speed Racer Persian Announcer2009Meeting Laura Narges Short filmMust Love Death Isabel2010NOS (auf dich) Vina Short film2011Dating Lanzelot ZibaaMy Prince. My King Fatima2012Slave Nurse2013Kokowääh 2 Verkäuferin2015Von glücklichen Schafen Elmas / mother2016Under the Shadow Shideh2017Tigermilch Noura Bashir2019The Manchador Mina Short film 2025Havoc Helena Walker
Television Year Title Role Notes2006Die Geschichte MitteldeutschlandsOrientalische Frau des Grafen von GleichenEpisode: "Ehe zu dritt - Die Frauen des Grafen von Gleichen"2007KDD – KriminaldauerdienstNuranEpisode: "Fragen der Ehre"2008SchimanskiLauraEpisode: "Schicht im Schacht"2009Engel sucht LiebeAyseTV movie2012Ein Fall für zweiAysheEpisode: "Mord im Callcenter"FaizaTV movie2013NachtschichtDalida AbdullahEpisode: "Geld regiert die Welt"2014–2015LöwenzahnBanu4 episodes2015Sibel & MaxElifEpisode: "Schief gewickelt"Dalida MedjoubTV movie2016–2018Never Too Late For JusticeSamira Vaziri22 episodes2017The Girlfriend ExperienceDarya Esford5 episodesReich oder totDalida MedjoubTV movie2019Anatomy of EvilLeila NymannEpisode: "Sehnsucht"HannaSima2 episodes2020–presentGangs of LondonLale20 episodes 2025 Prisoner 951 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe BBC One miniseries
Awards Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2007 New York Independent International Film & Video Festival Best Breakthrough Actress A2Z 2026Royal Television Society Programme Awards Best Actress Prisoner 951 British Academy Television Awards Best Actress
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