Marshall Manesh (born August 16, 1950) is an Iranian-American actor.

Biography

When Manesh was young, his father died; he was raised by his mother, from whom he feels he got his strength to make it in show business. He went to the United States in the mid-70s, joined the Persian Theater Group, and traveled extensively throughout the US, Canada and Europe for eight years. His debut film was ''

True Lies ''True Lies'' is a 1994 American spy action comedy film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Art Malik, Tia Carrere, Bill Paxton, Eliza Dushku, Grant Heslov and Charlton Heston. ...

'', directed by

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...

. He has since appeared in more than 100 feature films, in television projects, and in more than 40 commercials. Manesh has appeared in recurring roles on the

television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

s ''

Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra Messing), ...

'', '' Scrubs'', ''

Andy Barker, P.I. ''Andy Barker, P.I.'' is an American detective sitcom television series starring Andy Richter produced and broadcast by NBC, and co-starring Tony Hale, Marshall Manesh, Harve Presnell, and Clea Lewis. Richter plays Andy Barker, a certified pub ...

'', ''

Hot in Cleveland ''Hot in Cleveland'' is an American television sitcom on TV Land starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White. The series, which was TV Land's first original series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was TV Land's hig ...

'', ''

Boston Legal ''Boston Legal'' is an American legal drama and comedy drama television series created by former lawyer and Boston native David E. Kelley, produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for ABC. The series aired from October 3, 2004, t ...

'', and, most notably, '' How I Met Your Mother'', where he played taxi driver Ranjit. Though Ranjit was depicted as

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( bn, বাংলাদেশী ) are the citizens of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centered on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the eponymous bay. Bangladeshi citizenship was formed in 1971, when the ...

in the series, Manesh delivered several lines in his native

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

. He has also guest starred on many shows, including '' Burn Notice'', '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''

Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horac ...

'', '' Persons Unknown'', ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'', '' Scrubs'', '' ER'', '' JAG'', ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...

'', ''

Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life ''Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life'' (originally announced as ''The Guide to Surviving Life'' before reverting to its original working title) is an American television sitcom created by Jay Lacopo. It debuted online on December 21, 2015, ...

'' and ''

Prison Break ''Prison Break'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial drama television show, television series created by Paul Scheuring for Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. The series revolves around two brothers, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purce ...

''. Manesh has acted in several

movie A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s, including ''

'', ''

Stealing Harvard ''Stealing Harvard'' is a 2002 American crime comedy film directed by Bruce McCulloch and written by Martin Hynes and Peter Tolan, about a man who resorts to crime to pay for his niece's Harvard tuition. The film stars Jason Lee and Tom Green w ...

'', ''

The Big Lebowski ''The Big Lebowski'' () is a 1998 crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken i ...

'', ''

Kazaam ''Kazaam'' () is a 1996 fantasy comedy family film. It was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer based on a story by Glaser, and starring Shaquille O'Neal as the title character, a 5,000-year-old genie who ...

'', '' The Poseidon Adventure'', ''

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World ''Seeking a Friend for the End of the World'' is a 2012 American apocalyptic romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley as a pair of st ...

'', '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (with fellow Iranian-descended actor and friend

Omid Djalili Omid Djalili ( fa, امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965) is a British actor, comedian and writer. Early life and education Djalili was born on 30 September 1965 in Chelsea, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents. He attended Holland Park ...

), '' Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero'', and the

Vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

western '' A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night''. He made a cameo appearance as the cab driver on

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's 2005 video for "

Hung Up "Hung Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her tenth studio album ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). Initially used in a number of television advertisements and serials, the song was released as the album's lead single on October ...

". He served as a judge at the 6th annual

Noor Iranian Film Festival The Noor Iranian Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Los Angeles, California, founded by cultural producer Siamak Ghahremani and co-founder Anthony Azizi in 2007. The festival's namesake comes from the word Nur, also spelled Noor, mea ...

Selected filmography

*''Checkpoint'' (1987) .... Abe *''Guests of Hotel Astoria'' (1989) .... Dr. Parto *''

'' (1994) .... Jamal Khaled *''

Barb Wire Barb Wire may refer to: * Barb wire, a fencing material * Barb Wire (character), a comic book superhero published by Dark Horse Comics * ''Barb Wire'' (1996 film), starring Pamela Anderson, based on the comic book * ''Barb Wire'' (pinball), pinb ...

'' (1996) .... Sheik *''

'' (1996) .... Malik *''Univers'l'' (1997) *''

'' (1998) .... Doctor *''Word of Mouth'' (1999) .... Hertzog *''Wasted in Babylon'' (1999) .... Land Lord *'' The Last Producer'' (2000) .... Cabbie *''Face the Music'' (2000) .... Indian Man *''Guardian'' (2001) .... Iraqi Colonel *''

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

'' (2002) .... Convenience Store Owner *''Hip, Edgy, Sexy, Cool'' (2002) *''

'' (2002) .... Toy Store Manager *''

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

'' (2004) .... Camel Skinner *''

Raise Your Voice ''Raise Your Voice'' is a 2004 American teen musical drama film directed by Sean McNamara and starring Hilary Duff. Canadian rock band Three Days Grace made a cameo appearance in the film, performing the songs "Are You Ready" and "Home". Pl ...

'' (2004) .... Cabbie *''

Surviving Christmas ''Surviving Christmas'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell, written by Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan, Jennifer Ventimilia, and Joshua Sternin, based on a story by Elfont and Kaplan, and starring Ben Affleck, Jam ...

'' (2004) .... Janitor (uncredited) *''

The L.A. Riot Spectacular ''The L.A. Riot Spectacular'' is a 2005 satire film about the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Written and directed by music video director Marc Klasfeld (in his feature film directorial debut), the film stars Snoop Dogg, Charles Dutton, Emilio Estevez an ...

'' (2005) .... Nephi *''

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World ''Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World'' is a 2005 film starring and directed by Albert Brooks. It was shown at the Dubai International Film Festival. Synopsis Albert Brooks, a Jewish-American comedian, is asked by the United States government ...

'' (2005) .... Shaif Al-Rafi *''

Car Babes ''Car Babes'' is a 2006 independent comedy film starring Ben Savage and directed by Nick Fumia and Chris Wolf. The title of producer Ben Rekhi's ''Car Babes'' comes from the term car salesmen use for each other. He realizes that some might suspe ...

'' (2006) .... Babu Gulab *'' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (2007) .... Sri Sumbhajee *''

Carts A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...

'' (2007) .... Fab *''

The Onion Movie ''The Onion Movie'' (released in some countries as ''News Movie'') is a 2008 American comedy film written by ''The Onion'' writers Robert D. Siegel and Todd Hanson. It was filmed in 2003 and released on June 3, 2008 direct-to-video. The film was ...

'' (2008) .... Announcer (uncredited) *''Pants on Fire'' (2008) .... Aram *'' Crossing Over'' (2009) .... Sanjar Baraheri *'' Year One'' (2009) .... Slave Trader *''The Things We Carry'' (2009) .... Manager *''Tom Cool'' (2009) .... Mr. Azu *''Pickin' & Grinnin (2012) .... Clerk *''Commander and Chief'' (2012) .... Sheikh *''

'' (2012) .... Indian Man *'' Afternoon Delight'' (2013) .... Taxi Driver *''All American Christmas Carol'' (2013) .... Car Salesman *'' A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night'' (2014) .... Hossein 'The Junkie' *''

Shirin in Love ''Shirin in Love'' is an Iranian-American romantic comedy film directed by Ramin Niami and starring Nazanin Boniadi, Riley Smith, Maz Jobrani and Anahita Khalatbari. It was released in March 2014 via AMC Independent. Plot Shirin is an absent-min ...

'' (2014) .... Nader *''Benjamin Troubles'' (2015) .... Genie *'' Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero'' (2016) .... Mehdi the Butcher *''A Life Lived'' (2016) .... Danesh *''The Next Big Thing'' (2016) .... Mr. Shah *''

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

'' (2018) .... Kulwant

References

External links

* * 1950 births American male film actors American male television actors Iranian emigrants to the United States Living people People from Mashhad 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Iranian diaspora film people Iranian male television actors 21st-century Iranian male actors {{Iran-actor-stub