Draft:Amir Talai

Amir Talai (born June 24, 1977) is an Iranian-American actor, singer, voice artist, writer, and activist. He is well known for playing a variety of characters in movies and television shows. On Saturday, October 14, it was announced that he will be part of the main cast of the adults series Hazbin Hotel, participating as Alastor. "He just makes funny voices".

Early Life and Education
Talai was born and raised in San Francisco, CA and is the first child of Iranian immigrants, Mohammad and Sima Talai. He speaks English, Persian, and French. Talai attended a French immersion school through 8th grade, after which he attended Lowell High School. He received a degree from UC Berkeley with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in Dramatic Arts.

Personal Life
Talai lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife Nina Manni, who he married in 2011.

Acting Career
Talai began working as an actor in San Francisco after graduating from UC Berkeley. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he enrolled in The Groundlings, eventually joining the Groundlings Sunday Company. His two big breaks were The Comeback and Campus Ladies, both cult shows with poor ratings but a substantial number of fans in Hollywood. Talai has more than 125 film, TV, and voice-over credits, making him arguably the most prolific Iranian-American actor of his generation. Notable credits include What To Expect When You’re Expecting, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, LA to Vegas, How I Met Your Mother, Bones, American Horror Story, and The Shrink Next Door.

Singing
Talai has performed in musicals since high school, and has performed on stage regionally including at the Hollywood Bowl in Guys and Dolls and Annie and at the Paris Las Vegas Resort in the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You.

Activism
Talai has been outspoken on social media in regard to racism, misogyny, gun control, worker’s rights, and other issues. He has volunteered with numerous Democratic campaigns since 2004. At the 2017 Women’s March, Talai carried a sign that read “I’ll see you nice white ladies at the next #BlackLivesMatter march, right?” A photo of the sign went viral and was subsequently featured in numerous books, textbooks, and articles.

Writing
Talai has written about depictions of Middle Eastern people for Vulture and Buzzfeed News, calling attention to the whitewashing of Middle Eastern actors and the dearth of opportunities for Middle Eastern actors to play roles that don’t involve terrorism or Islam.