Pejman Jamshidi (Persian: پژمان جمشیدی; born September 11, 1977) is an Iranian actor and former footballer. His performances in the films The Misunderstanding (2018), Shishlik (2021), Grassland (2022), and A Relic of the South (2023) have earned him Crystal Simorgh nominations.[2][3][4]
Early life and career
Football career
Peyman Jamshidi developed an interest in football in his teens and joined the youth team of Daraei Tehran Football Club. At 15, he moved to Keshavarz Tehran Club, where he played 67 matches and scored 7 goals. In 1995, Jamshidi was selected for the Iran national youth team. He studied civil engineering at the university but left after completing 110 credits. Jamshidi spent six years playing for Keshavarz and Saipa clubs, where his performances earned him a spot in the Iran U-23 national team.[5]
In 2000, Jamshidi joined Persepolis FC as a right-back, where he played for five years and participated in 100 matches, including AFC Champions League competitions. During the 2001–2002 season, Jamshidi and his team won their first Iran Pro League championship. He was also called up to the Iran national football team by Miroslav Blažević, making 14 appearances, including playing in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. In 2005, Jamshidi transferred to Pas Tehran under Mustafa Denizli, where he played in the AFC Champions League and helped the team finish second in the 2005–2006 Iran Pro League season. Later, he joined Steel Azin but could not help the team secure promotion to the Pro League. In 2007, Jamshidi transferred to Foolad Khuzestan at the invitation of Majid Jalali. He retired from professional football in 2011 after 15 years of playing at the highest level in Iranian football.[5]
Acting Career
In 2002, Jamshidi was introduced to Bahareh Rahnama at an event, and through her, he met Peyman Ghasemkhani. This friendship led to Jamshidi’s involvement in the Pejman TV series, where he played a fictionalized version of himself, a former footballer. Before this, Jamshidi had appeared in Soroush Sehat's TV series "Doctor's Office" as a guest actor. However, his role in Pejman earned him widespread fame and popularity.[5]
Transition to Cinema
In 2014, Jamshidi made his cinematic debut with the film "Ceasefire 2". He subsequently starred in various films, including 50 Kilograms of Cherries, The Good, the Bad, the Corny, I'm Not Crazy, Bee's Nest, and Texas. His eighth film, Misunderstanding, earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Fajr International Film Festival, which sparked mixed reactions and some mockery. Nevertheless, by 2019, Jamshidi had established himself as one of the highest-grossing actors in Iran, with films collectively earning over 62.8 billion tomans at the box office.[5]
Box Office Success with "Hotel"
Jamshidi's latest film, Hotel, set a new record for daily sales in Iranian cinema, reaching 50 billion tomans in just 23 days. Directed by Masoud Atyabi and produced by Mohammad Shaiesteh, Hotel was released in October 2023 and attracted over 1.07 million viewers in under a month. The film surpassed previous records, including the highest daily gross set by Fossil, making it the fastest movie in Iranian cinema to achieve such a bad level of success.[5]
Peyman Jamshidi remains single and attributes his single status to his high standards in relationships. He believes that the person he would marry must share many similarities and common values with him.[5]
His father was a biology teacher, and his mother was also a teacher. Peyman is the middle child in his family, with an older brother and a younger sister.[5]
The Plane Incident
Jamshidi was involved in a famous plane incident when he posted a story of himself in the cockpit of a plane (having completed a pilot training course). Ignoring the pilot’s advice, Jamshidi reportedly attempted to fly the plane and crash-landed shortly after. However, he later clarified that the incident was a staged joke, which resulted in the pilot being temporarily grounded.[5]