The Burgeoning Thespian: Parham Rownaghi

Parham Rownaghi is a Persian-Canadian born in Karaj, Iran. He grew up in London, England before moving to Toronto, Canada at the age of 10. Since 2016, Parham has been slowly making his mark in the Canadian Film and Television industry. He has found success playing the brooding and stronghearted Syrian refugee in Degrassi: The Next Class along with villainous takes in guest appearances such as CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. 

He trained at the Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles under full scholarship and the guidance of David Strasberg, son of legendary method acting pioneer Lee Strasberg. He chose this school because he wants to fully immerse in his characters and provide the most authentic experience to his audience. His naturalism and raw talent stood out among his peers during his conservatory year.

The Degrass franchise received two nominations for Best Children’s/Youth Television Program in 2017 and 2018. The show has been a staple in Canadian television for three decades and alumni include Drake and Nina Dobrev among many of Canada’s most successful and promising performers. The show was concluded in 2018 with a new adaptation potentially in the works. 

Parham has moved onto making noise in the persian community as he was recently cast to star in his first feature film “His Father’s Son” which is in pre-production, set to start filming in the month of June. The film will be directed by Meelad Moaphi and received funding from Telefilm’s “Talent to Watch ” program, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Toronto Arts Council.

Parham Rownaghi will play a young man who becomes entitled to an inheritance from an individual he has never known or met. The film is a family drama split between Farsi and English dialogue. This film allows him to expand into the Iranian audience, presenting his talents while staying close to his roots. 

His ultimate dream is to be one of the first Iranian-born actors to win a major North American film/television award for a leading role. He wants to change how Iran is viewed in western civilization and promote more international work to bring new forms of storytelling to the mainstream. Parham can relate to the people of the stories he tells, and he wants to help represent more minorities in the Hollywood scene.

His ultimate dream is to be one of the first Iranian-born actors to win a major North American film/television award for a leading role. He wants to change how Iran is viewed.