Bahar Soomekh (Persian: بهار سومخ, born March 30, 1975) is an American former actress. She is best known for her roles in Crash and the Saw franchise.
Bahar Soomekh | |
|---|---|
بهار سومخ | |
| Born | March 30, 1975 Tehran, Iran |
| Education | University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A. 1997) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–2014 |
| Notable credit(s) | Crash, Saw franchise |
| Spouse |
Clayton Frech (m. 2001) |
| Children | 3, including Ezra Frech |
| Relatives | Saba Soomekh (sister) |
| Website | labahar |
Early life and education
editBahar was born in Tehran, Iran, to a devout Persian-Jewish family.[1][2] She moved with her parents and sister, Saba Soomekh, to Los Angeles, California, United States in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution of Iran.[1][3][4] Soomekh attended Sinai Akiba Academy and Beverly Hills High School.[5][6]
Bahar later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara.[2] She graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in environmental studies.[2]
Career
editAfter graduating from UCSB, Soomekh worked in motivational sales while taking acting classes.[5][6] At the beginning of her acting career, Soomekh guest starred on several television programs, including JAG and 24. She ultimately quit her day job to pursue acting full-time and landed her role in Crash less than three months later.[5][6]
Soomekh's breakthrough role came as Dorri in the Academy Award-winning movie for Best Picture, Crash. Following her success in Crash, People magazine listed Soomekh as a member of the Class of 2006 as "New on the Scene".[7] She followed up with roles in Syriana and Mission: Impossible III. In 2006, she had a leading role as Dr. Lynn Denlon in the horror film Saw III. Soomekh had a recurring role as Margo in the television series Day Break and guest appearances on shows such as Ghost Whisperer and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Her last film role was in Just like a Woman, released in 2012.
After the Southern California area experienced the loss of film industry jobs to other locations, Soomekh decided to pursue a real estate career to remain close to her family.[8][9]
Personal life
editBahar married Clayton Frech in 2001.[2] The couple have three children.[2] One of their children, Ezra Frech, was born without most of his left leg (missing a knee and fibula) and missing fingers on his left hand. He was a double gold medalist at the 2024 Summer Paralympics[10] and was named as a finalist for the 2014 Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year.[11][12][13]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Without a Trace | Lemese Salman | |
| JAG | Jasmine | Season 8, Episode 10 "The Killer" | |
| 2003 | Naked Hotel | Bhurka Woman | |
| 2004 | JAG | Amira Sattar | Season 9, Episode 20 "Fighting Words" |
| Intermission | Hair Wearer | ||
| Crash | Dorri | ||
| A Lousy Ten Grand | Najah | ||
| 2005 | 24 | Habib Marwan's Wife | (deleted scenes) |
| Bones | Sahar Masruk | ||
| Syriana | Yassi | (Director's Uncut Version) | |
| 2006 | In Justice | Neena Oponi | |
| Mission: Impossible III | Davian's Translator | ||
| The Unit | Firefly | Season 2, Episode 1 "Change of Station" | |
| Day Break | Margo | (2006–2007) | |
| Saw III | Lynn Denlon | ||
| 2008 | The Oaks | Hollis | Unaired TV pilot |
| Ghost Whisperer | Tricia | Season 4, Episode 6 "Imaginary Friends and Enemies" | |
| 2009 | Lost & Found | Abigail | |
| 2010 | Miami Medical | Vanessa | Season 1, Episode 8 "An Arm and a Leg" |
| 2011 | Castle | Nazihah Alhabi | Season 3, Episode 16 "Setup"; Season 3, Episode 17 "Countdown" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dr. Sylvia Sloane | Season 12, Episode 10 "Genetic Dsorder" | |
| 2012 | Parenthood | Dr. Haryana | Season 4, Episode 3 "Everything Is Not Okay" |
| Just like a Woman | Soha | ||
| 2014 | Perception | Yael | Season 3, Episode 5 "Eternity" |
References
edit- ^ a b "Bahar Soomekh Prominent Iranian-Americans". usembassy.gov. Archived from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Rishon, Shais (May 13, 2016). "The Journeys of Six Jewish Americans". Tablet. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (February 4, 2014). "Iranian Jewish scholar breaks stereotypes while studying them". The Times of Israel. German Colony, Jerusalem. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Melamed, Karmel (April 28, 2006). "Tom Cruise's Persian Princess". The Forward. New York City. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c Melamed, Karmel (February 11, 2007). "Exclusive Interview: Iranian Jewish Actress Bahar Soomekh". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Kathryn (March 17, 2006). "So, Did You Hear The One About The Iranian Deadhead In Hollywood?". MTV. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "New on the Scene". People. Vol. 65, no. 18. May 8, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Bahar Soomekh's Second Act". 2015 Business Directory & Community Guide. West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. 2015. pp. 38–45. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ "Nourmand & Associates Realtors: About the Agent". Michael.Nourmand.com. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Woodyatt, Amy; Sterling, Wayne (September 4, 2024). "American Ezra Frech completes incredible Paralympic gold double". CNN.
- ^ Sandoval, Curt (October 10, 2014). "Local kid a finalist for 'Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year'". KABC-TV. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ O'Keefe, Brian (April 16, 2010). "Boy's NBA-Size Dream Comes True". ABC News. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
- ^ Torok, Ryan (July 20, 2016). "Moving and shaking: Angel City Games with Adam Sandler, CIJE and more". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved July 21, 2016.