Homayoun Ershadi
- Homayoun Ershadi, an acclaimed and world-renowned actor, is best known for his role in Taste of Cherry, which won the Palm d’Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival in France. After Kiarostami discovered him on the streets of Teheran, Ershadi gave up his job as an architect and became an internationally recognized actor. For his role as Baba in The Kite Runner, David Ansen of Newsweek stated “Ershadi’s soulful, morally complex Baba is the film’s standout performance” (December 8, 2007). In this, his 44th film, When is Mr. Kiarostami Coming?, Ershadi portrays the father of the main protagonist, which goes far beyond our expectations and welcomes future awards.
Ana Bayat
- Ana Bayat is the award-winning playwright and performer of Mimi’s Suitcase (Audience Choice Award for Best Play at Iranisches Theatre Festival in Heidelberg, Germany). An international, multilingual actress based in San Francisco, California, Ana is fluent in Spanish, French, Persian and English, and can get by in German. Encouraged by her actor father, Nader Bayat, Ana began studying acting and working professionally on stage and on camera in the mid 1980s. Establishing herself as a strong on-camera presence in Iranian cinema prior to embarking for England, Bayat underwent another rigorous conservatory training at Birmingham School of Speech and Dramatic Arts. In this film, When is Mr. Kiarostami Coming?, Bayat brilliantly portrays the mother of the main protagonist. http://www.anabayat.com/
Dorsa Sinaki
- Dorsa Sinaki, a musically talented, Iranian-born medical student living in China, is fluent in Persian, English, and Mandarin–to the point that one would think she were Chinese. She has appeared on CCTV several times as a singer. In July 2016, she won second place for singing in the non-Chinese category as part of the Global Foreign Talents in China. Sinaki was originally discovered by Khandan to play in a China-based film with Kiarostami, which due to his sudden passing was not completed. In honor of Kiarostami’s preference to choose non-professional actors, Sinaki represents herself as the protagonist in the film When is Mr. Kiarostami Coming? This is the first time Sinaki has been involved as an actress in a film.
Randy Williams
- Randy Williams, a 16-year resident of Ningbo, provides manufacturing services to western companies around the world. Randy also owns and co-manages Ningbo Focus Magazine, which opened the door for Randy to meet, and work directly with Hossein Khandan on a few video projects. When is Mr. Kiarostami Coming? is the beginning of Williams’ career producing and acting in films. Always having had an avid interest in the film industry, this opportunity with Khandan kindled his passion for supporting the art of filmmaking. In When is Mr. Kiarostami Coming? Williams portrays himself as a friend of the family, and a colleague of the father, played by Ershadi.
