Comedian Maz Jobrani. Photo courtesy of MazJobrani.com
When Maz Jobrani’s family emigrated to the U.S. from Iran they were in search of the American Dream. Young Maz chased his dream in Hollywood but when he got there, he found his Iranian heritage was all casting directors had in mind.
“I went to my wardrobe fitting and they go ‘here’s your shirt, here’s your pants, here’s your turban,’” Jobrani says.
What’s more, after the Cold War era, Jobrani found that Middle Easterners were replacing Russians as the go-to villain.
"When they find out you're of Middle Eastern descent you know the part you get," Jobrani tells Steve Fast. "They go, oh, can you say 'I will kill you in the name of Allah?'"
After an unsatisfying stretch of playing Middle Eastern terrorists on TV, Jobrani decided to focus on his comedy. On stage he could talk about his heritage without promoting the stereotype of “the evil Arab.” A stereotype he found even more grating due to the fact that he was Persian.
Co-founding the “Axis of Evil” comedy troupe, Jobrani teamed up with two Arab comedians and confronted the issue head on. After a Comedy Central special and a bolstered profile on the standup circuit, Jobrani has written the memoir, “I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV.”
Listen to the interview: Maz Jobrani on The Steve Fast Show
Follow Steve Fast on Twitter @SteveFastShow
