Birth : 30 March 1975, Tehran, Iran
Height : 5' 5"
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Bahar Soomekh was born on March 30th 1975 in Tehran, Iran, to a Persian Jewish family, and moved, at age 4, with her parents and sister, Saba Soomekh, to Los Angeles, United States in 1979, to escape the Iranian revolution. She attended a Yeshiva, Sinai Akiba Academy and Beverly Hills High School, where she played the violin in the school orchestra. She majored in environmental studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Soomekh began working at a corporate job, and took acting classes at night, before quitting her job to pursue a full-time acting career. Bahar began acting at age 27, guest starring in television shows like _"Without a Trace" (2002)_ (qv), _"24" (2001)_ (qv), _"JAG" (1995)_ (qv), among others. She got her big break portraying an Iranian-American woman named Dorri, speaking fluent English and Farsi, in the Academy Award winner for Best Picture, _Crash (2004/I)_ (qv). The whole cast won the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. Bahar also appeared in the director's cut version of another Academy Award winning movie, _Syriana (2005)_ (qv), playing Yassi. Bahar got some more attention playing Davian's Translator in _Mission: Impossible III (2006)_ (qv). She had a leading role in the horror film _Saw III (2006)_ (qv), playing a victim, Dr. Lynn Denlon. She had also portrayed Margo on the television series _"Day Break" (2006)_ (qv). Recently, Soomekh got one of the lead roles as Hollis on the television Series _"The Oaks" (2008)_ (qv), which will come out in the fall of 2008.
Biography written by: Anonymous
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- A Lousy 10 Grand (2004) (as Bahar) [Najah] <5>
- Crash (2004/I) [Dorri] <42>
- Intermission (2004) [Hair Wearer]
- Lost & Found (2009) (TV) [Abigail]
- Mission: Impossible III (2006) [Davian's Translator] <12>
- Naked Hotel (2003) (TV) [Bhurka Woman]
- Saw III (2006) [Lynn] <4>
- Saw IV (2007) [Lynn] <12>
- Saw V (2008) (archive footage) [Lynn Denlon] <25>
- Saw VI (2009) (archive footage) (uncredited) [Lynn Denlon]
- Syriana (2005) (uncredited) [Yassi]
- "24" (2001) {Day 4: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (#4.12)} (scenes deleted) [Hessa Marwan]
- "Bones" (2005) {The Man in the SUV (#1.2)} [Sahar Masruk] <8>
- "Day Break" (2006) {Pilot (#1.1)} [Margo] <13>
- "Day Break" (2006) {What If He Lets Her Go? (#1.3)} [Margo] <10>
- "Day Break" (2006) {What If It's Him? (#1.13)} [Margo] <18>
- "Day Break" (2006) {What If She's the Key? (#1.12)} [Margo] <16>
- "Day Break" (2006) {What If They Run? (#1.2)} [Margo] <9>
- "Ghost Whisperer" (2005) {Imaginary Friends and Enemies (#4.6)} [Tricia] <6>
- "In Justice" (2006) {Lovers (#1.11)} [Neena Oponi] <6>
- "JAG" (1995) {Fighting Words (#9.20)} [Amira Sattar]
- "JAG" (1995) {The Killer (#8.10)} [Jasmine]
- "Miami Medical" (2010) {An Arm and a Leg (#1.8)} [Vanessa] <11>
- "The Oaks" (2008) {Pilot (#1.0)} [Hollis]
- "The Unit" (2006) {Change of Station (#2.1)} [Firefly] <10>
- "Without a Trace" (2002) {In Extremis (#1.9)} [Lemese Salman]
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- 'Clayton' (2001 - present); 1 child
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- "Parade Magazine" (USA), 29 October 2006, pg. 2, by: Walter Scott, "Personality Parade"
- "The Star Scoop.com" (USA), 1 October 2006, by: Traci Grant, "Bahar Soomekh"
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- "Pretty-Scary" (USA), 22 October 2006, by: Superheidi, "The Women of SAW"
- "Distinctive Living" (USA), July 2006, Iss. July/August, pg. 96, by: Katharine Angelo, "Hollywood's Hottest: Bahar Soomekh"
- "Variety" (USA), 28 August 2005, by: Justin Chang, "Bahar Soomekh"
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- "Oprah Magazine" (USA), October 2006, Vol. 7, Iss. 10, pg. 323, by: Fabrizio Ferri, "Suits, The Female of the Species"
- "Salon City" (USA), October 2006, Vol. 6, Iss. 5, pg. 40-49, by: Leah Sydney, "Wild on Bahar"
- "People Magazine" (USA), 8 May 2006, Vol. 65, Iss. 18, pg. 136, by: Andrew MacPherson, "100 Most Beautiful People"
- "Gulf News Tabloid" (U.A.E.), 7 March 2006, pg. 12, by: AFT, "The Full Oscar Story - Lights, Camera, Glamour"
- "Life & Style Weekly" (USA), 13 February 2006, Vol. 3, Iss. 7, pg. 10-11, "SAG Awards - Best Moments"
- "Hollywood Reporter" (USA), 29 April 2005, Vol. CCCLXXXVIII, Iss. 47, pg. 68, by: Sara Bakhshian, "Collision Course"
- "People" (USA), 20 March 2005, Vol. 65, Iss. 11, pg. 120, "2006 Oscar Parties"
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- "Salon City" (USA), October 2006, Vol. 6, Iss. 5
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- Just because I'm in Hollywood doesn't mean that I forget that I'm Persian or that I'm Jewish. Judaism is not only my religion - it's my identity.
- You dream about doing phenomenal work and being proud of your work and living you dream. I had the corporate job. I was sitting behind the computer typing away looking outside my window dreaming about pursuing this career and thinking, could I ever, and could that be me? And so, and to be able to look back and be here today and have everyone be so excited, or go to the Academy Awards and have everyone screaming my name, thinking back it was just a couple of years ago that I was sitting behind a computer desk at a job that I absolutely hated and I was so miserable there. It's mind blowing to me. I can't believe my dream has come true and it's happening. I am very grateful, I am very grateful to God, I am honored that I have the opportunity to be able to do the kind of work that I am doing.
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- Graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1993, where she played violin in the school orchestra.
- "Bahar" in Persian means; spring, a new life.
- Graduated in environmental studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
- Was one of People magazine's 100 Most beautiful people in the world (2006)
- Is of Persian Jewish descent and speaks fluent Persian (Farsi) and English.
- Her sister, Saba, teaches Theology at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
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