Dariush Arjmand is an Iranian actor whose career spans theatre, cinema, and television. He became widely known after playing the title role in Captain Khorshid, receiving a Crystal Simorgh for the performance, and later gained recognition for historical and dramatic roles in Imam Ali, From Rey, Killing Mad Dogs, and Setayesh.
Background
Dariush Arjmand was born on July 27, 1944, in Mashhad, Iran, to a military father and a housewife mother. He grew up in Mashhad, a major cultural and educational center in northeastern Iran, and began performing in plays at the age of twelve.
His early interest in performance developed alongside an academic interest in history and sociology. During the late 1960s he was associated with Mashhad's Open Cinema movement, which encouraged independent film activity and experimentation outside the established commercial industry.
Education
Arjmand earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and sociology from Mashhad University in 1972. Mashhad University, now known as Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, was one of Iran's important institutions of higher education outside Tehran and served the northeastern region's growing academic and professional communities.
He later studied theatre and cinema at the University of Paris and earned a master's-level qualification in the field. His education combined the study of society and history with formal training in dramatic and cinematic practice, a combination reflected in his later work in historical and character-based roles.
Career
Arjmand began performing on stage in Mashhad during childhood and continued in theatre for many years. At the age of twenty-six, in 1970, he began working for Iran's Ministry of Art and Culture, the government institution responsible for supporting and administering cultural and artistic activities during that period.
Alongside theatre, he participated in independent filmmaking and wrote and directed short films, including the 8-millimeter film Hiss! and the 16-millimeter film Said, Come Under My Rule. These early activities preceded his transition to feature-film acting and connected his stage experience with the developing infrastructure of Iranian cinema.
His major screen breakthrough came with Nasser Taghvai's Captain Khorshid, released in 1986. Arjmand played the title character, a one-handed southern Iranian sea captain confronting smuggling, violence, and social pressure; his performance won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actor at the Fajr Film Festival.
He subsequently appeared in films including The Angelica Ship, The Final Act, Nasser al-Din Shah, Cinema Actor, The Snowman, From Rey, Marriage, Iranian Style, Rules of the Game, The Boss, Hot Chocolate, Maritime Silk Road, Report of a Ceremony, Without Permission, Dissertation, and Attachment. His television work included Imam Ali, in which he played Malik al-Ashtar, as well as The Days of Life, The Grey Land, Empty Frames, A Piece of Land, Hidden Secret, Setayesh, The King's Secret, and Misinterpretation of a Dream.
Arjmand also received recognition for his supporting performance in Bahram Beyzai's Killing Mad Dogs, winning a second Crystal Simorgh at the Fajr Film Festival. His career has remained associated with historical drama, literary and religious subjects, and roles requiring a strong stage presence.
Achievements
Arjmand established himself as a major screen actor through his performance as the title character in Nasser Taghvai's Captain Khorshid, a role that brought him national recognition and a Crystal Simorgh for Best Actor at the Fajr Film Festival.
He developed a substantial body of work in Iranian theatre, cinema, and television, with recurring recognition for historical, religious, and dramatic roles, including Malik al-Ashtar in Imam Ali and Heshmat Fardous in Setayesh.
Before becoming widely known as a film actor, he contributed to independent filmmaking in Mashhad by helping establish Mashhad's Open Cinema and by writing and directing short films.
(Iranian television drama series in which Arjmand played H...)
2010
Religion
Arjmand is identified with Islam and the Shi'a religious tradition associated with Iran. Shi'a Islam has been an important religious and cultural current in Iranian history, shaping public ceremonies, historical memory, literature, and artistic representation.
His best-known historical and religious television roles, including Malik al-Ashtar in Imam Ali, were presented within this cultural setting. These performances connected his acting career with dramatic portrayals drawn from Islamic history and Iranian religious memory.
Views
Arjmand has spoken of the importance of Iranian cultural identity, historical memory, and the relationship between artistic work and national culture. His repertoire, which includes figures from Iranian history and Islamic tradition, reflects a sustained interest in portraying characters whose personal conflicts are connected with wider social and moral questions.
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
He has been reported as approximately 180 centimeters tall.
Interests
Iranian cultural history, theatre, cinema, and traditional Iranian wrestling
Philosophers & Thinkers
Ali Shariati
Sport & Clubs
Football, basketball, table tennis
Music & Bands
He has expressed interest in Iranian vocal music and has been associated with an appreciation for singers including Mohammad Nouri, Homayoun Shajarian, Alireza Ghorbani, and Salar Aghili.
Connections
Arjmand's family includes several professional actors. His brother Anoushirvan Arjmand was an Iranian stage, film, and television actor; his son Amir-Yal Arjmand is also an actor and musician; and his nephew Borzou Arjmand is an actor.
Brother:
Anoushirvan Arjmand
Iranian stage, film, and television actor.
Son:
Amir-Yal Arjmand
Actor, singer, and musician.
nephew:
Borzou Arjmand
Iranian actor and the son of Anoushirvan Arjmand.
References
iFilm biography of Daryoush Arjmand
Biographical profile documenting Arjmand's education, major film and television roles, Crystal Simorgh awards, and family relationships.
