Mehran Modiri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mehran Modiri
مهران مدیری
Modiri in 2017
Born	(1967-04-07) 7 April 1967 (age 58) Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Occupation	Director actor comedian producer screenwriter singer host
Years active	1989–present
Children	2
Signature

Mehran Modiri (Persian: مهران مدیری; born on April 7, 1967) is a famous Iranian director, actor, singer, producer, and TV host. He is known for his many popular comedy shows and films. In 2009, Newsweek magazine called him one of the most powerful people in Iran. Modiri has won the Hafez Awards 10 times, which is a record! He was also nominated for a top acting award at the Fajr International Film Festival for his role in the movie There's Always a Woman Involved (2007).

Early Life and First Steps

Mehran Modiri was born in Tehran, Iran, on April 7, 1967. His family is originally from Arak. He is the youngest of six children, with three older brothers.

Modiri started acting in plays when he was just 16 years old. Some of the plays he performed in include Joke (1977), Telegraph (1979), and Hamlet (1990). In 1989, he began working in radio, telling stories for a program called Night Stories for six years.

In 1993, he created his first comedy show for Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year. He became very well-known that same year for his role in the comedy series Nowruz 72. After that, he acted in and directed many popular comedy series on Iranian TV. Modiri also mentioned that he served in the Iran-Iraq War.

Mehran Modiri's Career Journey

Early Comedy Shows (1993–2001)

Mehran Modiri started directing TV comedy with shows that became very popular.

Flight 57

Flight 57 was a comedy TV series that aired in 1993. It was Modiri's first time directing a TV comedy. This show was a big step for comedy TV in Iran after the revolution. Many actors, like Nasrollah Radesh, became famous because of it.

Happy Hour

After Flight 57, Modiri created Happy Hour. This was a weekly comedy show that aired in 1994 and 1995. It featured short, funny sketches and was different from other comedy shows at the time. Modiri's new style of humor sometimes caused disagreements with some newspapers. Even though Happy Hour was very popular, it was suddenly canceled, which surprised everyone involved.

Story-Based Comedies (2002–2008)

After 2001, Modiri changed his style from short sketches to longer, story-based comedy series. He made one new series each year, and they all became very popular. These shows included Pavarchin (2002), Noghteh-Chin (2003), Grand Prize (2004), Barareh Nights (2005), Mozafar’s Garden (2006), Thousand-Face Man (2007), and Two-Thousand-Face Man (2008). Many of these shows were written with the help of Peyman Qasemkhani.

Moving to Home Video (2009–2013)

After 2008, Modiri planned a new series called Bitter Coffee for TV, but it wasn't approved. So, in 2010, the series was released on the home video network instead. It became the most successful home video series ever! The story is about a history professor who travels back in time after drinking a special cup of coffee.

Laughter Bomb

In 2011, a funny video of Modiri making fun of satellite TV shows was released online and on DVD. It quickly became very popular on Persian websites and social media.

My Villa

In 2012, Modiri started making My Villa for home video. This show was also about a rich, sick man with no children. His lawyer tries to find anyone who knows him for inheritance. Like Bitter Coffee, My Villa was sold on home video, and some buyers even won prizes like villas. However, it wasn't as successful as Bitter Coffee.

TV Ban

In 2013, when a cartoon movie called Tehran 1500 was promoted, Modiri's name was missing, even though he played the main role. The producer said that TV channels were not allowed to show Modiri's image, voice, or name.

I Was Kidding…!

In 2014, Modiri started a new series called I Was Kidding…!. This show went back to sketch comedy, with each episode focusing on a different social issue. It had 67 comedy actors and marked Modiri's return to hosting after 12 years. He had always wanted to combine comedy with social commentary, and this show made that dream come true.

Return to Television and Film (2014–Present)

At the end of 2013, Modiri appeared on a TV show and won two awards for his acting. After being away from TV for six years, he announced his return in 2014. He said he returned because:

• He felt TV was where he created his most important works.
• TV reaches 70 million viewers, much more than home video.
• He felt people needed more joy and laughter, and he wanted to provide that.

In the Margin

In 2014, Modiri began directing and acting in a new TV series called In the Margin. The show faced some challenges, including disagreements from medical groups. After some changes, it premiered in March 2015. It was his first TV series since returning to television.

Sneeze

In 2015, Modiri announced Sneeze, a 10-episode comedy series that used sketches to talk about social issues. It was released every two weeks on the home video network starting in July 2015.

Dorehami

Dorehami started in 2016 and quickly became very popular. It was a talk show where Modiri interviewed guests and discussed various topics. The show was very successful in TV polls, with Modiri often ranked as the top host.

Music Career

Mehran Modiri is also a singer! In 2000, he released an album called From Simplicity. He has also sung theme songs for movies and TV series like Barareh Nights, Mozafar’s Garden, and Bitter Coffee.

In 2018, Modiri held concerts at Milad Tower. He announced that all the money from these concerts would be given to a charity to buy baby formula, which was met with great applause. He sang many popular songs and talked with the audience between performances.

Latest Projects: Monster and Dracula

Monster was Modiri's latest home video series as a director, starting in 2019. It had 19 episodes and also talked about social issues. It was written with the help of Peyman Qasemkhani. In 2020, they started making a second season called Dracula, which premiered in March 2021.

Personal Life

Mehran Modiri is the youngest child in his family, which is from Arak. He grew up in a family that didn't have a lot of money in southern Tehran. As a child and teenager, he worked many different jobs, including being a carpenter, a porter, a welder, a mechanic, and a baker.

Filmography

Movies

Web Series

Television Series

Theater Performances

Music Discography

Albums

• 1999: Deltangi-ha – Poems by Hatef Alimardani.
• 2000: Az Roo-ye Sadegi – Music by Babak Bayat and Fardin Khalatbari

Singles

• 2003: Ahang-e Film-e Hamnafas – Music by Fardin Khalatbari
• 2004: Ahang-e film-e Shabhaye barareh
• 2005: Ahang-e film-e Baghe mozaffar
• 2010: Ahang-e serial-e Ghahveye Talkh – two songs, produced by Bahram Dehghanyar
• 2010: Bia Berim Kooh – produced by Darkoob Band in Darkoob Album
• 2010: Heyran – produced by Darkoob Band in Darkoob Album
• 2016: Ahang-e Titraje Dorehami – Music by Mahyar Alizadeh
• 2016: Ahang-e serial-e Zaaferani – Two songs, music by Mahyar Alizadeh
• 2017: Ahang-e Yar Toei – Music by Mahyar Alizadeh

Awards and Nominations

Mehran Modiri has won many awards for his work. He holds the record for the most Hafez Awards won by one person, with 7 awards until 2018.