Desiree Akhavan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Desiree Akhavan
Akhavan in 2015
Born	(1984-12-27) December 27, 1984 (age 40) New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Smith College New York University
Occupation	Filmmaker actress writer
Years active	2010–present

Desiree Akhavan (born December 27, 1984) is an American filmmaker, writer, and actress. She is well-known for her first major film, Appropriate Behavior, which came out in 2014. She also directed the 2018 film The Miseducation of Cameron Post. You might have also seen her in the horror film Creep 2.

Early Life and Education

Desiree Akhavan was born in New York City in 1984. Her parents moved to the United States from Iran in 1979, after the Iranian Revolution. Desiree has said that her parents now see themselves as American. Her father has not gone back to Iran since the 1980s. However, Desiree sometimes visited family there when she was a child.

As a child, Desiree lived in New Jersey. Later, her family moved to Rockland County, New York. She went to Horace Mann School for high school, which is a private school in The Bronx. During this time, she felt a bit lonely. She spent a lot of time watching TV and movies, which helped her learn about American culture.

Desiree started writing plays when she was 10 years old. She began acting in plays when she was 13.

She studied Film and Theatre at Smith College in Massachusetts. After finishing college in 2007, she went on to study film directing. She attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She also spent a year studying in London at Queen Mary, University of London.

Career Highlights

Desiree Akhavan made her first short film, Two Drink Minimum, while she was studying in London. In 2010, she wrote and directed another short film called Nose Job.

She often appears in her own projects. She wrote, directed, and acted in a web series called The Slope. A web series is like a TV show, but it's made to be watched online. In 2012, Filmmaker magazine named her and her creative partner, Ingrid Jungermann, as two of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film." The Slope first came out in 2011.

Desiree also acted in season 4 of the TV show Girls. She played a writing student. The creators of Girls offered her the role after seeing her film Appropriate Behaviour.

In 2014, her film Appropriate Behavior was shown for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival. In this movie, she plays a character who is a bit like herself. She wrote the film as her final project in graduate school at New York University. The film was inspired by her own life experiences, but she says it's not exactly her life story. That same year, she was chosen for the Sundance Institute's program for TV show ideas.

In 2015, Desiree was the head of the Queer Palm jury at the Cannes Film Festival. This jury gives an award to films that explore LGBTQ+ themes.

She has said that she gets ideas from other filmmakers like Todd Solondz and Noah Baumbach.

A TV show called The Bisexual was created for her by Channel 4 in the UK. Desiree wrote, directed, and starred in the show. It first aired in the UK in October 2018 and in the US in November 2018.

In 2016, it was announced that Desiree would write, direct, and produce The Miseducation of Cameron Post. This film stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane. The movie was highly praised and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. It was also shown at many other film festivals and won several awards.

Desiree has talked about wanting to tell stories from a different point of view. She explained that she wanted The Miseducation of Cameron Post to feel real and honest. She believes that movies about teenagers often show that adults don't always have all the answers.

In November 2018, Desiree attended the Vulture Festival. She had a discussion with actresses Chloë Grace Moretz and Tatum O'Neal about working in the film industry.

2024 Memoir: You're Embarrassing Yourself

In 2024, Desiree Akhavan released her book called You're Embarrassing Yourself. This book is a very open look at her personal and work life. It talks about topics like who she is, her mental health, and doubts she had about her creative work. The book has been praised for being honest and funny.

Activism

Desiree Akhavan is an activist who supports the LGBTQ community in the film industry. She works to make sure more diverse stories are told.

Personal Life

Desiree Akhavan lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has a brother who is a doctor specializing in children's urology.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web

Personal Television Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Desiree Akhavan para niños

• List of female film and television directors