Natasha Behnam

Natasha Beham
Born
Orange County, California, United States[1]
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationLoyola Marymount University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Comedian
Years active2016–present
TelevisionThe Girls on the Bus

Natasha Behnam is an American actress and comedian.

Early life

Natasha Behnam grew-up in an Iranian-American household in Orange County, and has described wanting to be an actress by the time she was four years old. She attended Loyola Marymount University's Film & TV Production school where she took acting classes and performed improv & sketch comedy.[2]

Career

Behnam performed comedy with Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings School. In 2018, she appeared in The CW's series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend season four, Animal Kingdom on TNT and also appeared in Mayans M.C. on FX.[3][4] She played Michelle in the 2020 film American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules.[5]

In 2024, Behnam appeared as journalist Lola Rahaii on HBO Max series The Girls on the Bus, based on Amy Chozick’s 2018 memoir Chasing Hillary.[6][7] Her character was shaped into being a first-generation Persian after her casting and show-runner Rina Mimoum introduced her to the writer's room to share her experience being Iranian American.[8] In a review for the LA Times, Mary McNamara described her performance by saying "she steals every scene she's in".[9]

In May 2024, Behnam was cast as Dominique in a recurring role on the fifth series of Netflix thriller series You.[10][11][12] She has an upcoming role in Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic which premiered at Series Fest and won the Audience Award, she described the series as being about "two absurd best friends who will do anything to get out of work, so they decide they want to start another pandemic just so they don't have to go back to work".[13]

Personal life

Behnam speaks English and Persian.[14] Her parents are from Tehran but fled from the Iranian Revolution. She describes herself as queer.[13]

Partial filmography

Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Get Spy Melissa 1 episode
2016 Blake and Emily Get Famous Blake 3 episodes
2018 Animal Kingdom Taylor 1 episode
2018 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Courtney Season 4
2020 American Pie Presents: Girls' Rules Michelle
2022 Mayans M.C. Suze 2 episodes
2024 The Girls on the Bus Lola Main role
TBA You† Dominique Recurring role
TBA Barden and Sarah Start a Pandemic† Sarah Post-production

References

  1. ^ "Breaking Boundaries: The Remarkable Story of Actress Natasha Behnam". The House Magazine. May 7, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  2. ^ Perez, Kacey (May 7, 2024). "Breaking Boundaries: The Remarkable Story of Actress Natasha Behnam". thehouse-magazine. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Meet Natasha Behnam". Voyage LA. June 18, 2019. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  4. ^ Mackey, Joshua S. (May 3, 2024). "The scoop on 'The Girls on the Bus' star Natasha Behnam". intomore.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  5. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 30, 2022). "'The Girls On The Bus': Natasha Behnam Joins Melissa Benoist In HBO Max Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  6. ^ Easton, Anne (March 12, 2024). "'The Girls On The Bus' Is About Making Unusual Connections, While Striving To Get The Hottest Scoop". Forbes. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Rosen, Christopher (April 22, 2024). "Natasha Behnam on 'The Girls on the Bus': 'It changed my perspective in the biggest way' [Exclusive Video Interview]". Goldderby. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  8. ^ Lewis, Rebecca (May 10, 2024). "Exclusive: Natasha Behnam on The Girls on the Bus season 2 and the power of Gen Z activism". Hello Magazine. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  9. ^ McNamara, Mary (March 14, 2024). "Commentary: How 'The Girls on the Bus' depicts journalists would be fun, if it weren't so dangerous". LA Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Al-Ghamdi, Abdullah (May 21, 2024). "You Season 5 Set Photos Reveal First Look At Joe's Sister-In-Law". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  11. ^ Soares, Isabella (May 21, 2024). "Meet the New Faces of 'You' Season 5". Collider. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  12. ^ Petski, Denise (May 10, 2024). "'You' Adds 4 To Cast For Fifth & Final Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Whittaker, Jeremy (May 13, 2024). "Interview: Rising Star Natasha Behnam Talks HBO's "The Girls on the Bus"". Rain-mag. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  14. ^ Tyrrell, Caitlin (April 20, 2024). "The Girls on the Bus Star On Lola's Tragic Backstory & Exploring Unresolved Trauma". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 20, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.