Ebrahim Abadi (; 15 August 1934 – 31 October 2019) was an Iranian stage, film, and television actor. He was best known for his roles in notable feature films and television series, including Grand Cinema, Mokhtarnameh, On Tiptoes, and Dar Chashm-e Baad.
Early life and education Abadi was born on 15 August 1934 in Tabriz, Iran. He attended primary school in Tabriz through fifth grade before moving to Tehran to complete his secondary education. While in high school, he developed an interest in the performing arts and attended fine arts theatre classes taught by visiting instructors.
After studying for a year under educators Davidson and Kotkim B, he enrolled in an arts academy, where he trained under directors Ali Asghar Garmsiri and Hooshang Sarang. He later moved to Czechoslovakia to pursue higher education, graduating from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in 1967.
Career Abadi began his acting career on stage in 1953 with a role in the play Haqbaz's Son. During his 14 years in Czechoslovakia, he performed with professional theatre groups.
Upon returning to Iran, Abadi was employed by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Art to direct and expand regional theatre programs. He spent seven years in Urmia, one year in Gorgan, and eight years in Tabriz, establishing local theatre troupes and directing nearly 60 stage productions. He retired from full-time theatrical management in 1993.
In addition to stage work, Abadi made his feature film debut in 1984 in Yadollah Samadi's Za'er Khalaf (Pilgrim Khalaf). Over the following decades, he appeared in dozens of films, including Grand Cinema (1988), Apartment No. 13 (1990), Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine (1999), Tokyo Non-Stop (2002), and 100 Years to These Years (2007). On television, he appeared in major Iranian series such as Under the City's Skin, Tenth Night, Lost Innocence, On Tiptoes, and Mokhtarnameh.
Abadi also served as a juror and organizer for multiple cultural events, including the Shohada-ye Mehrab Festival in Tabriz, and was a member of the Central Council of the Iranian Cinema Actors Association at the Iranian Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds (Khaneh Cinema).
Personal life Abadi married Maliheh Ebrahimi, a makeup artist and actress from Tabriz (born 1930). Ebrahimi earned a diploma in makeup artistry in Prague and appeared in several Iranian films, beginning with Diamond 33 in 1967. The couple had five children.
Illness and death In October 2019, Abadi was hospitalized in Tehran due to severe respiratory illness and fell into a coma on 10 October 2019. He underwent surgery on 21 October 2019, but died on 31 October 2019 at the age of 85.
Filmography
Cinema
Pilgrim Khalaf (1984) Boycott (1985) The Rings (1985) Sand Tracking (1987) Station (1987) Grand Cinema (1988) The Good Wedding (1988) Window (1988) Doll Skins (1989) Dust Crossing (1989) June 5 Flight (1989) All One Nation (1989) Apartment No. 13 (1990) Khatoon Property (1990) Satan's Call (1992) Unfinished Man (1992) All My Girls (1993) Hasrat (1994) I Want to Survive (1994) Smell of Good Life (1994) Conspiracy (1995) Invisible Man (1995) Summer Holidays (1995) Yahya (1995) Abraham (1996) Behind the Night Wall (1997) The Badaskaran (1997) World of Upside (1997) Mummy 3 (1999) Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine (1999) Star Sky (1999) My Favorite Wife (2000) Sweet Jam (2001) Tokyo Non-Stop (2002) I Am Not Bin Laden (2004) Qalqlak (2005) Remote (2005) Whatever You Want (2006) 100 Years to These Years (2007) Wall (2007)
Television Under the City's Skin (2001) Tenth Night (2002) On Tiptoes (2002) Lost Innocence (2003) Dar Chashm-e Baad (2008–2009) Mokhtarnameh (2010–2011)
Awards Crystal Simorgh for Best Supporting Actor, 9th Fajr Film Festival (for Apartment No. 13)
References
External links
Ebrahim Abadi at Soureh Cinema