Actor HajirAzad: Learning process in acting is infinite
‘Public recognition is of great significance’
Mahdieh Qazvinian
Staff writer
In the world of Iranian cinema and television, the veteran actor Kazem HajirAzad has left an unforgettable mark through tens of theatrical, cinematic, and television performances. From the theatrical play ‘Rostam and Sohrab’ to television series like ‘The Passenger of Rey,’ ‘Mokhtarnameh,’ and ‘Mortal Wound,’ he has been a creative actor, although some believe that his talent remains underestimated.
Born on March 21, 1950, in Tehran, HajirAzad began his acting in the theater. At the age of 21, he had his first and last pre-revolutionary TV experience with the three-part ‘Rostam and Sohrab’ in 1971. His formal training in acting began in 1970, under the guidance of Mostafa Oskoui, focusing on Stanislavski’s method.
After the Islamic Revolution, he returned to acting with the TV series ‘Fresh Air’.
Reflecting on his extensive career, in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily, HajirAzad expressed his belief that the learning process in acting is infinite, and there are lots of things he needs to learn.
He emphasized the challenges of historical roles, such as his character in ‘Mokhtarnameh,’ requiring a deep understanding of dialogues, lifestyle, and costumes of different eras.
He values pushing his own limits as an actor, seeing it as a beautiful challenge that contributes to an artist’s growth.
Despite starting with theater, he prefers cinema and television due to his love for visual storytelling. He believes that being recognized by the audience is of great significance, and any role appreciated by people is valuable for him.
Discussing his recent work, he mentioned his involvement in the series ‘Rahil,’ currently on TV screens. Among his ongoing projects are ‘Breach,’ directed by Ali Ghaffari, and another directed by Ida Panahandeh.
Despite a career filled with diverse roles, HajirAzad has rarely played lead roles. Yet, since the 1980s, his face has become known to the audience, particularly after his role in ‘Mortal Wound’ and ‘Mokhtarnameh.’
He stressed that the joy of acting keeps him committed, and retirement is not in his plans as long as he can memorize scripts and perform.
“From the very beginning of my acting career, I have been given serious and challenging roles, but I have a great love for comedy. I had the pleasure of performing in a comedy play, ‘God of Carnage,’ alongside Elham Pavehnejad and Behnam Tashakkor, in which the audiences burst into laughter,” he said.
Away from acting, HajirAzad is a writer, contributing to the literary world with works like the play ‘Susangerd,’ highlighting the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), a script about behind-the-scenes of theater, a story collection titled ‘Bag,’ and various books.
His most recent book, ‘In the Presence of the Master,’ is a tribute to his acting mentor, Mostafa Oskoui.