Homayoun Ershadi, sometimes spelled Homayon Ershadi (May 26th, 1947 - November 11th, 2025), was an Iranian actor. Ershadi was born in Isfahan, Iran, in 1947. He studied architecture in Italy and worked in that field. Acclaimed Iranian New Wave director Abbas Kiarostami chose him to play the leading role in Taste of Cherry. A non-professional actor, who started acting in his middle age, he has had immediate success in both cinema and television, with his expressionless, relaxed face and monotonous voice often giving his characters an intellectual personality. Most recently, he can be seen in the movie The Kite Runner, playing the role of Baba. He is one of the few Iran-based Iranian actors who are permitted to act in Western movies. He currently resides in Karaj, Iran.

Filmography

• 2025Mahoor
• 2024Nilgoon
• 2024Sky Blue
• 2023Fragrant
• 2023Resembling Madness
• Schemer
• 2022Laleh — Mr. Shahin
• 2022Mahan
• 2022The Sixth Day
• 2022The Town
• 2021A Bumpy Story — Dad / Judge
• 2021Revision Sentence
• 2020No Choice — head of the hospital
• 2019Blue Like the Sky — Narrator
• 2018Cypress Under Water
• 2018Hattrick
• 2017Calm Breaths
• 2017Dead End of Trust — Sarhang Amiri
• 2017Lina — Father
• 2017Mohey
• 2017Waiting for Kiarostami — Koroush Sinaki
• 2016Ali and Nino — Safar Khan Shirvanshir
• 2016The Last Inhabitant — Ibrahim
• 2015The Little Black Fish
• 2015Utopia — Najib
• 2014A 5 Star — Mirakabadi
• 2014A Most Wanted Man — Abdullah
• 2014Apparition
• 2014Inadvertent
• 2013Good to Be Back — Merati
• 2013The Sinners — Hajir Khatam
• 2012A Simple Love Story — Shater Aman
• 2012Bi Khodahafezi
• 2012Cheque — Daryoosh
• 2012Facing Mirrors — Mr. Tolooyi
• 2012Orange Suit
• 2012The Queen
• 2012Zero Dark Thirty — Hassan Ghul
• 2011Beloved Sky
• 2011Principles
• Ta Soraya
• 2011The Turned World — Bahrami
• 2010Aal
• 2010Life with Closed Eyes
• 2009Agora — Aspasius
• 2009Shirin
• 2007The Kite Runner — Baba
• 2006From Afar — Doctor
• 2006Havana File
• 2006The Wet Dream
• 2005Portrait of a Lady Far Away
• 2003Somewhere Else
• 2003The Fifth Reaction
• 2002Disturbant
• 2000Kiarostami in Close up — as Self
• 1998The Pear Tree — Mahmoud
• 1997Taste of Cherry — Mr. Badii
• 1995Kakadu
• Shamsolemareh
• The Sea and the Flying Fish

Appearances as themselves (1)

• 2017Italy Italy — Himself