Homayoun Ershadi completed his education up to high school in Abadan. After receiving his diploma, he went to Italy, where he studied architecture at an Italian university. Eleven years later, he returned. In 1996, Ershadi was introduced to cinema by Abbas Kiarostami. According to Paul Cronin’s book Lessons with Kiarostami, Abbas Kiarostami mentioned that they met and, after six months, Ershadi was chosen to play the lead role in Taste of Cherry. Taste of Cherry won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, and Ershadi’s performance was widely acclaimed.
In 1997, he appeared in The Pear Tree directed by Dariush Mehrjui, and once again his acting drew attention. In 2011, he took on a different, non-speaking role in The Queen directed by Mohammad Ali Bashe Ahangar. In 2007, Ershadi played a role in The Kite Runner directed by Marc Forster. The Kite Runner was Ershadi’s first international and Hollywood experience — a successful one that earned him praise from critics and audiences alike. Both the film’s director and critics described his performance as astonishing.
