Shohreh Aghdashloo

Highest Rated: 100% Chess of the Wind (1976)

Lowest Rated: 16% Last Knights (2015)

Birthday: May 11, 1952

Birthplace: Tehran, Iran

The star of a number of politically controversial feature films in her native Iran during the 1970s, actress Shohreh Aghdashloo had to wait another 20 years before she resumed her career momentum with acclaimed screen performances in American films and television. At the age of 51, she emerged onto the international stage with her Oscar-nominated supporting performance as the wife of a former Iranian military officer reduced to working-class status upon the family's immigration to America in "House of Sand and Fog" (2003). From there, the actress was cast in many roles as highly educated, sophisticated professionals on primetime dramas and in films, including "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006). Aghdashloo also maintained a commitment to Iranian social and political issues with productions like "Maryam" (2002) and "The Stoning of Soraya M." (2008), which showcased her powerful screen presence and a versatility that helped break down the Western screen's limited notions about Middle-Eastern life and women.