Sepideh Moafi — The Bare Magazine

The incomparable Sepideh Moafi will be joining her Black Bird costars on the Golden Globes red carpet January 10th to celebrate the show’s three nominations. (If you haven’t seen her powerful performance, head over to Apple TV+, stat!) Before heading out west, Sepi joined us in Brooklyn for a shoot at Maison Emeute, which has some of the coolest sustainable wear/androgynous and custom designer vintage pieces around. Read all about Sepi’s experience in Black Bird, her goals on-screen and off, new projects, advocacy supporting Iran, ways to de-stress and her Bare essentials. It’s fair to say that Sepi is crushing it—and we’re crushing on her.

The Bare Magazine: Can you describe how it felt when you heard about all the Black Bird Golden Globe nominations?

Sepideh Moafi: It’s shocking in the most wonderful way when you hear that something you’ve worked so hard on is being acknowledged. The work ethic and caliber of talent that it took to make this were so high, from the PAs to the directors to the gaffers to the camera operators to our brilliant DP and, of course, our cast, our producers and the creator, show runner, and writer Dennis Lehane. I felt so lucky to be a part of such excellence. To be nominated with these beautiful humans and masterful artists is nothing less than an honor.

Bare: Could you share the top three reasons you think it is such a successful series?

SM: All the elements are there; the story, writing, acting, cinemetogrpahy, direction, etc. We are bombarded with content, the bulk of which is made up of brittle story lines that rely on sex, violence and other devices to keep viewers engaged. Black Bird relies on one thing: a damn good script. Also, pitch-perfect casting, and I’m not just talking about the characters you see on screen, I’m talking about everyone involved, which includes the entire sound team, the lighting team, production design team, makeup and hair teams, etc. It really does take a village, and I’d say about 99% of people in this village were as good as they come. And last, the story. Dennis Lehane is a prolific crime novelist and screenwriter who knows how to craft a compelling plot with nuanced characters, many twists and a lot of heart. There’s a lot of heart. Actually, that’s number one. Heart. Everyone involved poured their hearts into this show and I think people can feel that.

Bare: What roles have inspired you and pushed you to grow both as an artist and personally?

SM: Every role I take on challenges me and forces growth upon me in various ways. That’s part of the reason I love this work, I get to throw my mind and heart and body into different times and places and breathe life into all these different people, and they become part of me forever. I love Lauren’s (Black Bird) tenacity and chameleon-like ability to change in order to get what she wants; I love Gigi’s (TLW:GQ) liberated spirit and how unapologetic she is about taking space; I love Hour’s relentless pursuit for truth and justice and eventual ability to surrender into inner-peace (from upcoming Class of ‘09, the show takes place over four decades). She’s actually similar to Loretta (The Deuce) in a way. I mean they couldn’t be more opposite as characters, but they’re on a somewhat similar spiritual journey.

I feel lucky because I’ve been able to explore quite a range throughout my career in film/TV, plus all of my theater roles from Hecuba to Rosalind to Serafina; opera roles from Susanna to Agrippina; musical theater roles from Queenie to Dahna (a role I originated off-Broadway)…each and every one of these roles have become part of who I am and will stay with me for life.

I love to explore, to research, to study, to analyze. But most importantly, I love that I get to intuit and connect in ineffable ways with the characters I embody, whether they are based on real people or not. I even enjoy the challenge of taking on parts that may seem somewhat two-dimensional on the page, but then when you dig in you find all of the habits, the quirks, the flaws, the strengths that make each character and, in turn, each human being, unique.

I find that when you’re able to connect to the heart of a character, it radiates and people feel that. My goal in everything I do is to make people feel something — maybe to feel connected to the story or maybe to themselves, to feel deeper.

Bare: In thinking about inspiring qualities, we can’t help but be blown away by all the groundbreaking work you are doing to support Iran…how is it progressing? What needs more attention? And what is the update with Taraneh Alidoosti?

SM: The most important thing in this moment is to amplify the executions being carried out by the Islamic Republic against protesters in Iran. While they’re killing people right and left in the streets, the judiciary committee has now executed four protesters, each of whom suffered extensive torture leading to forced confessions and were sentenced to death in sham trials with no due process. Right now, there are at least 60 people who are on death row and are at imminent risk of execution. We need to raise awareness about their cases. We need to say their names. It may feel like virtue signaling (trust me, I used to dismiss posting on social media as fake activism). It really does make a difference. Protesters in Iran fighting for their freedom and their lives draw strength and courage from our show of support, and the regime is affected by global solidarity and condemnation. We can and do make a difference.

Taraneh Alidoosti was arrested for speaking out against the first official execution of a protester, Mohsen Shekari, and for posting a picture on Instagram of herself holding a sign that read “Woman Life Freedom” without the mandatory hijab. The regime wanted to make an example of her — just for context, this would be like throwing Angelina Jolie in prison for speaking out against capital punishment — so they threw her in prison and held her in solitary confinement. This sparked a massive global campaign calling for her release. I was working with organizers in Iran, Belgium, London, all over the world. Over 600 artists added their names to an open letter, including Kate Winslet, Sir Ian McKellen, Juliette Binoche, Penelope Cruz, Mark Ruffalo, the list goes on and on, and we got coverage in major international news outlets including The Guardian, CNN and elsewhere. Taraneh was released on bail on January 4th — a win and we need wins to fuel the marathon of revolution. But just three days later, we suffered a massive loss with the vicious execution of 22 year-old Mohammad Mehdi Karami and 39-year-old Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, who were even cruelly denied last visits with their loved one before they were murdered.

Hosseini was visiting parents’ graves (they both died when he was 15) when he came across a large protest where he was later arrested. He was the sole caretaker for his brother. When Karami, a karate champion with dreams of going to the Olympics, spoke to his father by phone after he learned of his death sentence, he said, “Dad, they’re going to execute me by hanging. Please don’t tell mom.” This runs through my mind constantly.

It’s a heavy time, but we have to continue to draw strength from the fearlessness of the people in Iran, who despite arrest, torture, and even death, continue to pour into the streets to demand their basic human rights. We must continue to amplify their voices and demand action from our governments, such as recalling their ambassadors and shutting down Iranian embassies worldwide and sanctioning senior Islamic Republic officials. Enough is enough.

Bare: We are going to throw a few topics your way please write whatever pops into your mind:

Freedom: Jin, jian, azadi.

Music: All that can’t be spoken or expressed in words is in silence and music.

Taron Egerton: A true artist and collaborator whom I adore. I can’t wait to work together again, and I can’t wait to see him at the Golden Globes on Tuesday and celebrate his nomination, Paul [Walter Hauser’s] nomination and our show’s nomination.

Bare: Currently my favorite ________ is ________

Snack: Sweet Smarts. The sour bears and watermelon gummies are my stress eats.

Book: Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis

Shopping destination: The bazaar in a free Iran.

Director: Jafar Panahi, an Iranian icon who is a likely Oscar contender for his film No Bears. He is currently in solitary confinement in Iran’s notorious Evin prison.

Bare: Do you have any upcoming projects or events (besides the Golden Globes!) you’d like to share?

SM: Yes, quite a few! The FX/Hulu miniseries Class of ’09 will premiere in the Spring. We fell in love as a cast—Kate Mara, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake McDorman, Brian Smith, Raul Castillo, Rosalind Eleazar, Brooke Smith, Jon Jon Briones…I mean the talent was insane. I loved working with every single one of them and we developed life long friendships from the experience (plus a life long best friend in Kate). There’s a film coming out this year that I did opposite Edie Falco, Bradley Whitmore and Jeannie Berlin called I’ll Be Right There, as well as the HBO Max animated series Scavengers Reign with another all-star cast including Letitia Wright. It’s been a childhood dream of mine to create and sculpt an animated character through voice. I found it profoundly inspiring and it was such an expansive creative experience. I just want to do animation now, haha.

Bare: Please list your top 5 Bare essentials….they can be anything.

SM:

— Family & friends

— Phone & laptop, which keep me tapped into the news

— The community of activists and organizers around the world who I work with and am in touch with all day, every day, who inspire me more than I could ever express.

— Osea vagus nerve oil, which is an essential oil blend that I use morning and night to help relax my body and regulate stress.

— Parajumpers coat, which keeps me warm when I’m in NY and running around.