Bahara Golestani

Stunning, multi-faceted and classically trained actress Bahara Golestani is the new fresh face to watch in Hollywood as the newest addition to the cast of the fourth season of the Emmy-nominated, Golden Globe-winning NBC smash hit series "This is Us" returning Tuesday, September 24th. A graduate of the world-renowned Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre, Golestani is best known for her role in TNT's "Animal Kingdom," as well as her voice-over work in projects including "Chaldea." Her upcoming projects also include the Jason Koch-directed indie film Beneath The Black Veil and the highly anticipated Michael Bay action film 6 Underground premiering on Netflix in December 2019. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Golestani walked an untraditional path to achieve Hollywood success. She grew up in a creative household; her father was an artist and her mother was an actress, so she always had a natural passion to perform and to pursue the arts. At the young age of four, she and her family were forced to flee the country and became war refugees in Moscow. Their lives were completely transformed as they had to leave their home abruptly with nothing and led a refugee life with no stability. They ultimately were sponsored by the UN in Moscow helping her and her family move to America eventually residing in Phoenix, Arizona to start a new life. Golestani had a difficult childhood adapting in America as she didn't speak a word of English. With the help of the hit television series "Friends," she was able to learn the language and at the same time, became enthralled with acting. After high school, she pursued modeling, successfully landing several magazine covers, but always knew her true passion was to act. From the moment she stepped foot into the Stella Adler Academy in Hollywood during a campus tour visit, she knew this was exactly where she belonged. In order to make money for the costly tuition, she began diligently working multiple jobs for two years and finally saved enough money to move to LA and enroll herself in the Academy. Upon graduating from Stella Adler, she persistently went out on auditions and worked as a professional fitness model, even successfully placing first in female bodybuilding competitions. After landing roles in various short films, Golestani has since appeared in TNT's "Animal Kingdom," CBS' "Madam Secretary" ID TV's "Betrayed," and film AN American Funeral, before landing her breakout role on the newest season of NBC's "This is Us." When Golestani isn't busy acting and continuously honing her craft, she can be found working on her fitness continuously bettering herself both physically and mentally. As a speaker of five different languages (Farsi, Russian, Dari, Pashto and English), she has worked as a translator/consultant on film and TV sets and has also completed voiceover work. Golestani has a huge compassion for refugees of war and is very proud of her Afghan roots. Ultimately, she would love to become a role model to those in similar positions to her when she was a child and plans to become even more active through various charities and organizations.