Faran Tahir To Take On Supergirl as The Commander

Pakistani-American Hollywood actor Faran Tahir, who gained popularity for his roles in movies such as Iron Man, Star Trek and Elysium, has been roped in to join the cast of highly anticipated American TV series Supergirl. The actor will be portraying the role of The Commander, an alien military expert leading the forces against Supergirl.

The series is expected to go on air on CBS network during the 2015-2016 television season with the first episode scheduled to air in November 2015. Based on the comic book character Supergirl, the show has generated a lot of interest worldwide especially from fans of DC Comics. Faran has wrapped up shooting for the pilot, and will be seen in a recurring role throughout the series.

Faran recently gave a heartfelt interview to renowned international publication Huffington Post, talking about his experience of being a Muslim actor working in Hollywood. He spoke about his efforts of trying to change the perception of Muslims in the West. He detailed how he had expressed his opinion about his character Raza in Iron Man being portrayed as a power hungry man, rather than as a religious extremist. His opinion was not only heard by the directors, but also prompted them to make some crucial changes in the script. Likewise, Faran mentioned in the interview that he tries to keep his background in mind before accepting any roles which might stereotype his heritage. The full article can be read here: huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/muslims-in-entertainment_n_7007410.html

Faran, while standing his ground, has won himself accolades worldwide for his work.
Speaking about the upcoming show, Faran says “Supegirl is a tremendously fun show. Hopefully, CBS will order a full season. The Commander has the potential to be a deliciously ruthless and mischievous character.”

About Faran Tahir

Faran Tahir (born February 16, 1964) is a Pakistani-American film and television actor. Tahir is best known for his portrayal as Raza, the leader of a terrorist organization, “The Ten Rings” in Iron Man (2008). In 1985, he appeared as Bolshintsov in U.C. Berkeley’s production of A Month in the Country. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in Theatre before acquiring a graduate degree from the American Repertory Theater’s (A.R.T.) Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University.

He made his film debut playing Nathoo in the Disney’s 1994 live-action version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. He has since appeared in such films as Picture Perfect (1997), Anywhere But Here (1999) and Charlie Wilson’s War (2007). He also played the male lead in the 1999 independent film ABCD. In 2008, Tahir played the role of the villain Raza in the Marvel Comics-based Iron Man. He played Starfleet Captain Richard Robau in the 2009 film Star Trek. In 2013, Tahir played President Patel in the science-fiction film Elysium.

Tahir has guest starred on many television series, including Alias, The Practice, Family Law, The Agency, NYPD Blue, Lost, 7th Heaven, The West Wing, Walker, Texas Ranger, The D.A., 24, Monk, Justice, Cold Case, Chuck and Warehouse 13. He also co-starred with Robert Beltran and Chase Masterson in the 2005 Sci-Fi Channel original movie Manticore. He also starred in the medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy as Isaac and appeared on the CW series Supernatural as the Egyptian god Osiris in the seventh season’s episode “Defending Your Life”. Tahir starred in the ghost horror film Jinn. His most recent TV role was that of Frank, Cliff Barnes’ right-hand man in the reboot of Dallas.

He appeared in JAG in the episodes “Ice Queen” and “Meltdown” which served as the two pilot episodes for the series NCIS. Seven years later, Tahir appeared in the spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles.