Reza Naji

Reza Naji is an Iranian actor and an iconic figure of Iranian cinema.

Career
Naji started his career in theater as a teenager. While serving in the Iranian army, he continued to perform. His first film role was Children of Heaven (1997), which proved to be a breakthrough. For the role of Ali's father, director Majid Majidi sought an actor with an Azeri accent, and Naji was carefully selected from a group of 2,500 actors tested for the role.

Since, he has played various roles in Iranian cinema. Among his most notable performances is Majidi's The Song of Sparrows, for which Naji won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and Best Performance by an Actor at the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Awards

 * 2008: Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Actor: The Song of Sparrows
 * 2008: Best Performance by an Actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.