Mohsen Ghaffari on Acting Where Politics and People Collide
Actor Mohsen Ghaffari has built a career around stories that explore the complex intersections of politics, identity, and human resilience. Originally from Iran and now working internationally across television, film, and theatre, Ghaffari is drawn to projects that examine the human realities behind global events. His recent work includes politically charged dramas such as ‘The Deal’ and ‘Prisoner 951’, as well as theatre productions that explore displacement and rebuilding life after conflict. Currently appearing in the UK tour of ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’, Ghaffari continues to bring emotional depth and authenticity to stories where personal lives collide with larger political forces.
CREDIT LINE:BBC/Dancing Ledge
1. Many of your recent projects sit at the intersection of art, politics, and power. What draws you to stories like ‘The Deal’ and ‘Prisoner 951’, and how do you approach telling politically charged narratives with care and responsibility?
I’m drawn to projects like ‘The Deal’, which explores the complex negotiations around the nuclear agreement between Iran and the West, and ‘Prisoner 951’, which tells the story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s imprisonment. These are stories where politics, human choices, and personal pressure intersect. For me, it’s never about preaching or making a statement — it’s about the people, the decisions they have to make, and the circumstances they’re under. That’s where the story really comes alive.
When I approach politically charged narratives, I start by listening, researching, and understanding the context. My focus is always on making the character feel real and human, not like a symbol or a mouthpiece. If that authenticity is there, the broader political and societal layers come through naturally, and that’s what makes it compelling as an actor.
CREDIT LINE:BBC/Dancing Ledge
2. ‘Prisoner 951’ explores the imprisonment of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in Iran, and you portrayed her lawyer. How did that experience shape your understanding of the responsibility actors carry when portraying real-life stories?
Stepping into the role of one of Nazanin’s lawyers in ‘Prisoner 951’, a story about her wrongful imprisonment in Iran, was an intense and humbling experience. Every gesture, every choice mattered because it wasn’t just a performance — it was someone’s lived reality.
Being personally connected to Iran made that responsibility even stronger. I paid close attention to the small human details — the fear, the tension, the resilience, the quiet moments that reveal so much. I had to make sure the portrayal was honest and nuanced, without overplaying or simplifying the experience.
It also reinforced something I feel in all my work: acting in these stories carries the weight of empathy. Audiences may see the world through the characters we bring to life, so respecting that truth is essential.
3. You’ve spoken about your personal connection to Iran. How does that connection inform your work, particularly when engaging with themes of identity, exile, and displacement that remain so relevant today?
Growing up in Iran and then moving abroad gave me a dual perspective — you’re always navigating between two worlds, two ways of seeing things. That experience naturally shapes how I approach stories about identity, exile, and displacement, because these aren’t abstract themes for me — they’re lived realities.
It gives me an instinct for the emotional texture of these stories: the longing for home, the push and pull of belonging and not belonging, and the quiet tensions people carry when caught between cultures. Even when a story isn’t explicitly about Iran, I bring that sensibility to my characters — how they navigate spaces and carry memory, language, and culture.
I want them to feel fully human, not symbolic. That connection keeps me grounded in human truths and shapes both how I perform and the kinds of stories I’m drawn to.
4. Alongside your screen work, you’re currently involved in theatre projects including ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’. How does working in theatre — especially on stories about war, trauma, and rebuilding life after displacement — differ from television in terms of emotional impact and audience connection?
Theatre is a very different experience from TV. On stage, you feel the audience with you in real time — every emotional moment lands instantly, and that shared energy changes everything.
In ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’, I’m multi-roling, which is exciting because I get to inhabit multiple perspectives within the same story. It keeps me on my toes and allows me to explore grief, hope, and resilience in a very immediate way.
Working with Antony Almeida and the team has been fantastic. Rehearsals give space to experiment and explore subtle details, which really comes through in performance. Stories about displacement and rebuilding life are heavy, but theatre allows you to make them human, tangible, and shared in a way television can’t fully replicate.
Telling hard truths with quiet courage
For me, the work also carries an extra weight because the struggles we’re exploring aren’t abstract or fictional. Right now in Iran, people are being killed simply for protesting, and the brutality of the regime is a stark reminder of the real human cost of oppression.
When I go into rehearsal, the stories we’re telling aren’t fairy-tale narratives — they reflect the harsh realities many people live every day. That awareness adds a lot of responsibility to what I do as an actor. It reminds me that portraying these experiences honestly isn’t just about performance; it’s about giving those realities the respect, empathy, and care they deserve.
5. As you move between television, film, and theatre, how do you choose projects at this stage of your career, and what kinds of stories do you feel most compelled to tell going forward?
At this stage, it’s a mix of opportunity and instinct. I don’t get to choose every role I audition for, so sometimes it’s about showing up and hoping the work resonates. But I do get to decide how I interpret a character when I step into the room — that’s where the creative freedom comes in.
I’m drawn to stories that challenge me, spark curiosity, and explore the human experience — identity, resilience, connection, or even the small messy truths of life.
Across theatre, film, and television, I love projects that allow me to dig into nuance, take risks, and collaborate with people who push storytelling in unexpected ways. Even if I don’t choose the exact character, I get to shape how they live and breathe. That’s where the joy and challenge lie: making each role my own while serving the story and the audience.
Mohsen ghaffari in beekeeper of aleppo
Mohsen Ghaffari is currently appearing in the 2026 UK tour of ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’, presented by Nottingham Playhouse and UK Productions. The production is touring venues across the UK and Ireland throughout 2026.
