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Payman Maadi

Payman Maadi

Actor · Born July 30, 1970 (56) · New York City, New York, USA

Berlinale award winner

Peyman Maadi (پیمان معادی) (born 30 July 1970) is an American-born Iranian actor, director and screenwriter. Maadi begun his film career as a screenwriter with the film Swan Song (2001). He began his acting career in Asghar Farhadi's film About Elly (2009), continuing his working relationship with the director in the film A Separation (2011), which was released to widespread critical acclaim.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 30, 1970 (56)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
15 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 65% in 30 days

What are Payman Maadi's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 95th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
37%
Bonds
21%
Survival
17%
Society
8%
Self
7%
Power
6%
Ideas
4%
Justice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 8

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 4

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 9

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

8 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 3 of 8 analyzed roles.

Hero
3 of 8
Shadow
2 of 8
Shapeshifter
1 of 8
Ally
1 of 8
Threshold guardian
1 of 8
Show the 8 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Melancholic
9
Dread
5
Contemplative
5
Thrilling
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Payman Maadi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 15 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Payman Maadi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 15 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Crime 101(2026)

    as Sammy Kassem

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Oh, What Happy Days! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Actor

  • Woman and Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Hamid

  • Azaazil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 13 episodes · as Major Behrouz Sharifi

  • Hard Shell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Siamak

  • Viper of Tehran (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 14 episodes · Creator · Writer · as Arman Bayani

  • Opponent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Iman

  • Aporia(2023)

    as Jabir

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Parfum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Actor

  • Leila's Brothers(2022)

    as Manouchehr

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Like a Fish on the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Technical Advisor

  • Hamid's Symphony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Payman

  • Night Shift(2020)

    as Asomidin Tohirov

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Walnut Tree(2020)

    as Qader

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • 6 Underground(2019)

    as Murat Alimov

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Law of Tehran(2019)

    as Samad

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Suddenly a Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Producer · as Farhad

  • Pig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Payman Maadi

  • Bomb: A Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Iraj

  • Window Horses(2016)

    as Payman (voice)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Westworld(2016)

    Show 3 episodes · as Elliot

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Night Of(2016)

    Show 8 episodes · as Salim Khan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Life and a Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Morteza

  • 13 Hours(2016)

    as Amahl

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Last Knights(2015)

    as Emperor

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Camp X-Ray(2014)

    as Ali

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Melbourne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Amir

  • Il était une fois... Une séparation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Taxi Driver

  • The Snow on the Pines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Writer

  • Mourning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Masoud (voice)

  • A Separation(2011)

    as Nader

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • About Elly(2009)

    as Peyman

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cafe Setareh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Writer

  • Wedding Dinner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Writer

  • Coma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Writer

  • Thirst (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Writer

  • Swan Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Costume Design · Production Design · Writer

  • Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Test (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles, 38 of them dated from 2001 to 2026; peak year 2015.

Biggest box office

13 Hours (2016)

$69M worldwide

Highest rated

A Separation (2011)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Night Of (2016)

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward win
20012026

Peak 2015 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 4 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting33 of 40: 30 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thDirecting2 of 40: 0 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting8 of 40: 4 only writing, 4 with another roleProducing2 of 40: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew3 of 40: 1 only other crew, 2 with another role

40 titles, 5 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

2000s6 · 1 acting · 5 crew2010s18 · 17 acting · 3 crew2020s14 · 13 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 27% of 15 roles
0919

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Won a Berlinale award in 2011, Best Actor.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Payman Maadi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 13; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 15 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 15 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Window Horses (2016)

85th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

A Separation (2011)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 80/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 49. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Payman Maadi's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles28–91 · median 75 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles4–61 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles15–85 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles10–85 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles41–85 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Payman Maadi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Payman Maadi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Saeed Roustayi shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers