Asia News Iran - Art Service
Mansour Jahani - Homayoun Ershadi, an Iranian actor who appeared in films by Abbas Kiarostami, Marc Forster, Kathryn Bigelow and Terrence Malick, dies aged 78 in Tehran, and his funeral was held today, Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Behesht Sakineh Cemetery in Karaj. According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international cinema journalist, Homayoun Ershadi first starred in the 1996 film “The Taste of Cherry” directed by Abbas Kiarostami, and the film won the Palme d'Or at the 50th Cannes Film Festival in 1997.
This actor starred in the 1998 film “The Pear Tree” directed by Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui and in 2007 in the film “The Kite Runner” directed by Marc Forster. This film was Ershad's first international and Hollywood appearance, which was considered a successful experience for him, and his performance was also noticed by critics and the public.
In 2009, Ershadi starred in the film “Agora” directed by Alejandro Amenabar and in 2012, in the film “Zero Dark Thirty” directed by Kathryn Bigelow. In 2014, the Iranian actor joined the project “A Most Wanted Man” directed by Anton Corbijn and starred alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams and Willem Dafoe. In 2016, he also starred in a movie called “Ali and Nino” directed by Asif Kapadia.
In his last international collaboration in 2019, the actor starred in the film “The Way of the Wind”, the tenth feature film by renowned American filmmaker Terrence Malick, which has been in editing and post-production for more than 6 years. Homayoun Ershadi was born on March 24, 1947 in Isfahan, and studied until high school in Abadan. After graduating from high school, he went to Italy and graduated from the University of Italy with a degree in architecture. After living in Italy and Canada, he returned to his country, Iran, after many years. This actor of film and television, who has starred in dozens of Iranian and international films, dies aged 78 of cancer in Tehran on the morning of Tuesday, November 11, 2025.