From a young age, television and cinema were a powerful force of influence in Azita Ghanizada’s life. Through these mediums, she could escape her difficult life as a young Afghan-American immigrant; she could develop her skills as an English speaker; she could bond with her parents. And through all of these impacts coming together, Azita came to realize that she, too, wanted to someday be on the other side of the screen. She wanted to help people to escape their difficult realities like others had done for her, and she instinctually knew that she could channel the agony and the ecstasy of her life into compelling performance.
Azita Ghanizada's journey began in Afghanistan. Born in Kabul on the eve of the 1980s, Azita and her family were among the fortunate who were allowed entry into the United States by way of asylum. Unlike many others, they were given the chance to escape the violence and poverty that surrounded them. Azita holds this event near to her heart, and considers it nothing short of an act of divine intervention for her and her family. Even at the age of four, the pain of leaving their lives, family and friends behind, and the prospect of continuing life in an unknown land, was difficult and traumatic for Azita.
Looking back on her experiences growing up in Fairfax County, Virginia — from elementary school to college — Azita looks back with a sense of pride at the long, winding, and unforgiving road that helped shape her. From a young age, Azita recognized a strong desire to take control of her own life. Frustration at her parents' restrictions led to impulsive behavior, but eventually Azita was able to navigate her way through this period of self-discovery, and came out the other side with a graceful confidence.
Once out of college, Azita decided it was time to take her life into her own hands in a big way. She told her parents that she was moving to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. She would work as much as she needed to save up the funds, and she would find her own way. True to her word, she eventually landed a job at E! television network, where she learned the ropes of the entertainment industry. It was during this time that she was given access to some of her first acting classes. It didn’t take long for her far-reaching talent to be recognized, and today she is an accomplished actress in film and television.
Today, Azita’s purpose has evolved into an effort to give voice to the voiceless by fighting for fair portrayal and equal representation of Mid-East, North-African, and South-Asian actors and actresses. She is the founder of the MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition, which aims to “… build a more balanced and positive representation of [Mid-East, North-African, and South-Asian] people.". If Azita isn’t on the frontlines, talking to industry decision-makers about how to solve the issues of misrepresentation, then she is empowering - through her own work - others who deserve the right to be themselves onscreen.
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For full show notes
https://www.baktashahadi.com/podcast
Connect with Azita Ghanizada
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azitagram/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AzitaGhanizada?s=20
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1671257/
Resources
Learn more about the MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition:
https://www.menaartsadvocacy.com/
Watch Azita Ghanizada's TEDxTalk, "How I discovered my purpose from watching television":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGKp-G_YGoI&app=desktop
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Credits
Produced by: Joseph Gangemi
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gangemi-audio/
Digital Marketing & Media by: Katherine An
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-a-91081b56/
Theme music by: Qais Essar
www.therabab.com
Artwork by: Masheed Ahadi
https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/masheed
Episode Music Credits
"A Certain Distance" by Sean Williams
"August" by Philip Daniel Zach (feat. Alistair Sung)
"Hues" by Philip Daniel Zach
