Kiarostami saw something unique in Ershadi’s face and demeanor — a quiet strength and authenticity — and cast him in the lead role of his 1997 masterpiece Taste of Cherry. According to Paul Cronin’s book Lessons with Kiarostami, the director and actor first met by chance, and six months later, Ershadi was chosen to play the protagonist, Mr. Badii, a man contemplating suicide while driving through the hills outside Tehran. Taste of Cherry went on to win the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, bringing international attention not only to Kiarostami but also to Ershadi, whose restrained and profoundly real performance was widely praised.
Critics around the world noted his ability to convey deep emotion with minimal dialogue, marking him as one of the most natural actors in world cinema. Following this breakthrough, Ershadi appeared in The Pear Tree (1998), directed by Dariush Mehrjui. His performance as a reflective, melancholy writer reaffirmed his status as one of Iran’s leading screen talents. In 2011, he took on a wordless yet expressive role in The Queen (Malakeh) directed by Mohammad Ali Bashe Ahangar — a performance that demonstrated his ability to communicate emotion through silence and gesture alone.
