We are now on the third part of our ongoing spotlight series on some rather amazing SWANASA (South West Asia, North Africa, and South Asia) actors that you should know, whether they are well known or not. What they have in common is that not only are they are all terrific artists but wonderful human beings that have come to my attention recently in their art and advocacy. Here are the eight that you should know:
Rasha Zamamiri is an Arab American actor, singer, and voice over artist. She spent one summer at Ritsona Refugee Camp, Greece, working with Syrian refugees on Shakespeare’s The Tempest as part of The Campfire Project with Jessica Hecht and Arin Arbus.
Past theatre credits include: Kiss (Yale Repertory), The Who & The What (Gulfshore Playhouse), We Live In Cairo (The O’Neill), The Wife (BerkeleyRep), Hour of Feeling (Humana Festival), Aftermath (New York Theatre Workshop & World Tour). TV/Films: Leverage: Redemption, The Girlfriend Experience, Madam Secretary, Looming Tower, Instinct, #Wargames, Sayid, Blindspot, Blue Bloods, and The Blacklist. Proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
Yasmin Kassim is an Indian, Malay Australian born in Perth, Western Australia. Her most recent credits include playing Sharon on the upcoming NBC/Peacock series Joe Vs Carol, Lucinda in Netflix’s Dive Club, and returning as her popular character Shay Quill on Neighbours in 2020, for a second time. Yasmin also stars opposite Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) in Jungle directed by Wolf Creek creator Greg McLean along with Joel Jackson and Alex Russell and opposite Kelsey Grammar in Guardians of the Tomb.
Yasmin was the first Australian to be one of ten Performer/Writers in the CBS Comedy Diversity Showcase which led to her performing stand up comedy regularly at The Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store at both Hollywood and San Diego locations. She is now also a represented writer in both Australia and the US.
Rudy Roushdi is a first-generation Arab American actor based in New York. On screen he has appeared in The Enemy Within (NBC), Ordinary Joe (NBC), The Resident (Fox), and Dr. Death (Peacock).
He was most recently seen in the Off-Broadway premier of The Vagrant Trilogy (NYT Critic’s Pick) by Mona Mansour at The Public Theater. Regional theatre credits include: Three Sisters and Twelfth Night (Two River Theater), King Charles III (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Concrete Orange (Guthrie Theatre), Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Cymbeline, and The Importance of Being Earnest (Orlando Shakes), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (7 Stages), The Liar (Seattle Public Theatre), and The Winter’s Tale (Seattle Shakespeare Company).
He holds an MFA in acting from the University of Washington School of Drama and a is proud PITizen of the People’s Improv Theater. More information at rudyroushdi.com.
From drama to comedy, Daya Vaidya has made a name for herself through the dynamic characters she has brought to life on screen, and her ability to seamlessly transform into every role she embodies.
Daya starred for seven seasons as political shark Jen Kowski on Amazon’s hit thriller/drama series Bosch, based on the best-selling novels by Michael Connelly. Daya also recently completed a recurring arc on Good Trouble on Freeform and starred in the mini series Black Hamptons on BET.
In addition to her current work, Daya has appeared in critically acclaimed projects in film and television over the years, including a series regular role on the CBS hit Unforgettable where she starred as the savvy, street smart Nina Inara. Additional credits include: Major Crimes, Castle, Twisted, Two and a Half Men, and Dexter. Daya has also worked behind the scenes with her husband, actor/writer/producer Don Wallace. The duo met on the set of the award winning, indie film Blue which they starred in together and Don wrote/produced.
Additionally, Daya also loves to teach children dance and acting. She coached and taught at Walter Pridgen’s Acting Studios, as well as privately coached dancers and actors alike- including several children who went on to become professional actors. Daya is a member of the Los Angeles based theater company — Theatre Tribe and continues refining her craft with award winning director and acting coach, Stuart Rogers.
As a multi-racial woman, whose father was South Asian Gujurati and whose Mother is of Italian and Spanish descent, Daya enthusiastically supports organizations that champion diversity in Hollywood and women’s rights. She is also a two-time breast cancer survivor and promotes breast cancer awareness and research.
Rogin Rashidan is a voiceover actress and casting director with a passion for exploring the intersections of visual storytelling and diversity. She began her career in film after receiving her Diploma in Performing Arts from the School Creative Institute of Arts in 2017. Soon after, she graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelors in Sociology & Criminology, driving her ambition to represent minorities in film and TV.
Rogin has lent her voice to various projects, including: Nintento’s Dragalia Lost, Ejen Ali 3 on Disney+, IGG Canada’s Mythic Heroes,” & Lords Mobile, and commercial spots for 7-Eleven and InstaCart. She also provides voice casting and directing services for animations & video games.
You can often find her tucked away in her recording studio bringing characters to life, or exploring Vancouver cafes with her sketch book in hand.
Parvesh Cheena is an American actor and voice actor, who, for Disney, portrayed Mr. Babalabaloo in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Ron Sr. in Just Beyond, a conductor in Raven’s Home, a Pet Shop Owner in the live action remake of Lady and the Tramp, and voiced a Nevarro Chopper Droid in The Mandalorian. He also provides the voice of Bodhi in T.O.T.S., Bot-Bot MO-J4 in Star Darlings, Pradeep in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, Deany in The Rocketeer, Tibbles in The Owl House, and Manish in Mira, Royal Detective. Additionally, he portrayed a Publisher in the Hulu series History of the World, Part II.
Cheena was born in Elk Grove, Illinois, of Indian descent and grew up in Naperville, a suburb of Chicago. He went to Waubonsie Valley High School and studied musical theatre at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. He became recognized for his role of Samir in Barbershop with Ice Cube and the sequel Barbershop 2: Back in Business. He also appeared in other films, like Because I Said So, The Other End of the Line, House Broken, Hello I Must Be Going, Time Toys, and Music.
His television credits include a variety of live action and voiceover performances, which include Frasier (2023), ER, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The West Wing, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Craig of the Creek, The Goldbergs, Fresh Off The Boat, Help Me Help You, Outsourced, Sean Saves the World, A to Z, The Big Bang Theory, Mr. Mom, and Centaurworld.
Dalia Ramahi is a professionally trained actress, voice artist, writer, and teacher. She is bilingual in both English and Arabic and based out of the Washington D.C. area. Over the years, she has cultivated a diverse set of value added skills over the course of her professional life that she uses to support her clients with their projects. With a master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations, she started out in the corporate world working for Booz Allen Hamilton for many years. She then went into business for myself creating a successful pet services company which opened her path to pursing her absolute dream of being a voice actor.
She genuinely believes in the power our voices have to make a difference and create impact whether big or small. At heart, she is a teacher and a life long student of learning, growth, and advancement. She taught theater and drama in the K-12 education setting. Her passion for education and learning doesn’t stop there though. As an ESL teacher, she has taught English to children all over the world.
Mouzam Makkar is an Indian American TV actress who is best known for her recurring roles on The Vampire Diaries, The Exorcist, and a series regular role on Champions and Naomi. Makkar was born in India and spent the majority of her formative years living in the United Arab Emirates. She moved with her family once again, however, as a teen — this time settling in Chicago. Makkar quickly adapted to her new life in the United States, but never intended on becoming an actress. When it came time to attend college she enrolled in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Finance.
Makkar graduated with a B.S. in Finance and immediately embarked on a lucrative career in investment banking. During her stint there, Makkar wrote a monthly column titled “Windows on Wall Street” for Window & Door Magazine. There was just one problem — Makkar was incredibly unhappy and bored. Foreseeing an unhappy future in investment banking, Makkar decided on a whim to take a few acting classes. She quickly fell in love and before long was appearing on stage in various plays. Makkar’s professional training during this period included the School at Steppenwolf and the Second City — two of Chicago’s most iconic creative institutions. After a number of years honing her acting chops on stage, Makkar decided to broaden her acting prospects by auditioning for film and TV roles.
