Schari Rahbari

What inspired you to leave a more traditional path and take the leap from working in your family’s auto repair shop to pursuing acting in New York?

My inspiration to become an actor is deeply personal and rooted in my father’s story. Around my age, he made the courageous decision to leave his family home in his native country and start over in search of who he truly wanted to become. He wanted to explore the world on his own terms and, through trial

and error, eventually discovered his passion for auto repair, dedicating his life to mastering that craft. His journey taught me the importance of taking risks, embracing uncertainty, and committing to something meaningful.

After graduating from high school, I spent time helping my parents in our family-run auto repair shop. It gave me the opportunity to step away from school, work with my hands, and reflect on what I wanted my future to look like. Many people my age were pursuing more traditional paths in business, law, or medicine, but I found myself asking a different question: not just what career I wanted, but how I wanted to live and what I wanted to contribute to others.

Although I have a strong bond with my family and deeply value my heritage, I felt the need to forge my own path—one that would allow me to discover who I am and how I want to express myself. Acting came to mind because it felt completely outside of my comfort zone. I had no experience, and the idea of pursuing it in another country, especially in New York, made it even more uncertain. But that uncertainty was exactly what attracted me.

The defining moment came when I asked myself whether I wanted to live according to expectations or explore who I truly was. Following the example my father had set decades earlier, I chose to take a leap into the unknown. That decision ultimately led me to New York and to acting.

Since then, acting has become much more than a profession. It has given me the opportunity to grow, take risks, and build meaningful connections with people. What continues to inspire me is the constant chance to see the world from new perspectives and to keep discovering new aspects of myself. The journey is unpredictable, but that is precisely what makes it meaningful.

Your personal philosophy is “Style Meets Strength.” What does that phrase mean to you today, and how has it evolved throughout your journey?

“Style Meets Strength” is ultimately about authenticity. I want people to gain confidence, courage, and a sense of purpose through my work and the message behind my brand. Above all, I hope to encourage them to reflect on who they are and what truly matters to them, especially in a fast-paced world where it is easy to lose sight of those things.

When I first embraced this concept, I viewed style primarily as an expression of personality and identity—the way we present ourselves to the world. Over time, however, my understanding of it evolved. Today, I see style as something much deeper. It is the unique identity, perspective, values, and heritage that shape who we are. Strength comes from having the courage to embrace those qualities, stay true to them, and continue growing through life’s challenges.

To me, “Style Meets Strength” is also a reminder that every individual possesses something valuable beyond talent, status, or circumstance. Each of us has the ability to contribute something meaningful,

make a positive impact, and discover our own place in the world. In a culture that often encourages us to focus on what we lack, I believe it is equally important to recognize the strengths, experiences, and opportunities we already carry within us.

The idea behind “Style Meets Strength” is that every person carries something unique that can become a source of resilience and purpose. Some people already know what that is, while others are still discovering it. My goal is to inspire people to trust that process and embrace their own journey.

I want people to see setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities for growth, learning, and self-discovery. I firmly believe that our background, circumstances, or differences do not determine our limits. Every individual has the ability to overcome challenges, learn from mistakes, create something meaningful, and find their place in the world.

Ultimately, I hope my work encourages people to find their own path, accept themselves, and live with purpose, resilience, and authenticity.

Growing up and working with people from many different backgrounds, what lessons about human nature have stayed with you the most as an actor?

Growing up in the workshop was a true privilege—an opportunity to build meaningful connections with people and develop a deep appreciation for their stories and experiences. The greatest lesson it taught me, and one that continues to shape me as an actor, is that every person carries a story far more complex than what we see on the surface.

From the moment I was born until I began my university studies, I was surrounded by people from many different backgrounds. I listened to stories of success and failure, happiness and regret, love and loss. What fascinated me was not only the stories themselves, but the way people carried them. I saw how deeply individuals were connected to their pasts and how those experiences shaped the way they understood themselves and the world around them.

What struck me most was how real these stories felt. The people telling them had arrived at their current place in life through unpredictable journeys and vastly different circumstances. Nothing felt staged or artificial. Over the years, I realized that the workshop was about much more than repairing cars. It was a place where life unfolded in front of me. Visit after visit, year after year, I watched people grow, struggle, reinvent themselves, and sometimes lose their way. Every journey was unique.

Those experiences taught me that human beings are never static. We are constantly changing, shaped by time, circumstance, and the choices we make. In many ways, we hold the wrench in our own hands. We have the ability to repair, guide, and reshape aspects of our lives, even though perfection is impossible and change is inevitable.

That realization has stayed with me as an actor. Every character, just like every person I met in the workshop, carries a history, a set of hopes, fears, contradictions, and experiences that may not be immediately visible. My job is to look beyond the surface and understand the human story underneath.

Ultimately, the workshop taught me that life is happening everywhere, often in places we overlook. If we slow down long enough to truly observe and listen, we begin to recognize something remarkable: every person is fighting their own battles, pursuing their own hopes, and trying to make sense of their journey.

That shared humanity is what connects us all, and it is what continues to inspire me both as an actor and as a person.

Perhaps that is why I have always loved dirt and rocks. They remind me that the most meaningful stories are often hidden beneath the surface, waiting for someone willing to slow down, look closely, and truly see them.

Your father’s decision to leave his homeland had a strong impact on your life. How has his story influenced the choices you make both personally and professionally?

My father’s history and decisions remind me of the immense courage, ambition, and determination he possessed at that time—qualities that enabled him to embark on such a path and embrace its inherent risks. Beyond that pivotal decision, his life has been marked by many defining moments—highs and lows that, over time, made him both wiser and more hopeful.

Whenever I think of him, I admire the fact that he is a man who has continued to evolve throughout the years, approaching each new chapter of his life with courage and vitality. At the same time, he has remained deeply grounded and approachable. What I find particularly fascinating about his journey is how, despite his steadfastness and unwavering character, he has remained connected to the changing world around him rather than becoming disconnected from it. This is all the more remarkable because he is, in many ways, a man of his own era.

At his core, my father embodies a type of character that is becoming increasingly rare in modern society—one shaped by a time when humanity, perseverance, and authenticity paved the way for self-realization. It was an era in which hard work, combined with courtesy and respect in everyday interactions, fostered a genuine sense of community and mutual connection.

For my own life, I view this legacy as a foundation for my personal development. In particular, I value the unique opportunity to gain insight into—and draw distinctions between—the experiences, mindsets,

and social dynamics of my father’s generation and my own. This perspective helps me better understand the societal shifts that have taken place and gives me a broader understanding of the world around me.

In many ways, this helps me navigate my own life. It allows me to remain connected to my generation while also drawing guidance from the values and experiences of previous generations. Together, these influences serve as a constant reminder of where I come from, who I am, and the kind of person I aspire to be.

Both personally and professionally, this perspective has taught me the importance of listening. In a time when people often struggle to truly hear one another, I try to approach others with curiosity, empathy, and presence. I draw upon my experiences and inner sense of calm to genuinely understand the person in front of me and give them my full attention. Through that process, we often find inspiration—not only in others, but within ourselves. We begin to move beyond what may be holding us back and discover new possibilities for growth.

Ultimately, the experiences of my parents, my family history, and my own journey have helped me develop a deeper capacity for empathy and a stronger understanding of different perspectives and character types. This is especially valuable as an actor, allowing me to step into diverse and multifaceted roles and give voice to characters in a way that feels truthful to their unique experiences and identities.

You have cited writers like Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, August Wilson, and Tony Kushner as influences. What have these storytellers taught you about the human experience?

During my training in acting and dramatic literature, these great playwrights showed me the many ways in which human life can be viewed and interpreted. Drawing upon their own experiences, each of them succeeded in conveying, in a universal way, a framework for understanding the meaning, complexities, and lessons of human existence.

This built upon the experiences and encounters I had previously gathered in our workshop, where I met people from diverse backgrounds. These playwrights helped me better understand many of the stories I had heard from those individuals. They opened my eyes to how life can be interpreted from a broader perspective and how, through recurring patterns, people and relationships continuously shape and influence one another.

While the works of these playwrights—and the widely differing worldviews they represent—contain profound truths, they can also be approached from a critical or even controversial perspective. Nevertheless, they reveal something fundamental: that human life is deeply interconnected, transcending the boundaries of time and circumstance. The generations that came before us and those that will follow may face different challenges, yet many of their struggles, aspirations, and questions remain remarkably similar.

What these playwrights understood so well is that great art can endure beyond the era in which it was created. Their works continue to serve as a means of exploring the role of the individual within society and of gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. In this sense, art becomes a tool for reflection, enlightenment, and reason.

Consequently, I was able to take something unique from each of them. From Shakespeare, I learned about the depth of human relationships and the forces of ambition, love, power, and tragedy. Through Samuel Beckett’s perspective, I engaged with themes of uncertainty, the search for meaning, and the contradictions of existence. August Wilson revealed to me the profound relationship between identity, community, and history. Through “Angels in America”, Tony Kushner illuminated the connection between social change, responsibility, and hope.

What unites all of these writers is their deep concern with the meaning and purpose of human life. Their works remind us that, despite our differences, certain questions remain universal. People from all walks of life can recognize aspects of themselves in these stories. As an actor, I find that both inspiring and essential, because it reflects the very thing that first drew me to storytelling: the desire to better understand ourselves, one another, and the world we share.

You seem particularly drawn to emotionally complex characters. What attracts you to these roles, and what do they allow you to explore about yourself?

I feel particularly drawn to emotionally complex characters because they reveal so much about the nature of human complexity. At the same time, they challenge me to grow in new ways and continually push me to prove myself as an actor.

What fascinates me most is that these characters often expose aspects of human nature in their rawest and most unfiltered form. This may sound paradoxical, because as actors we put on a mask when portraying a character. Yet, in a strange way, that very mask begins to fall away. Through the process of inhabiting another person, deeper truths are revealed—not only about the character, but also about ourselves. The art lies in internalizing a character so deeply that audiences recognize something familiar in them, whether it is someone they know or a part of themselves.

One of my current projects, which I am particularly proud of, is my participation in a production inspired by Henrik Ibsen’s *Hedda Gabler*. Although the play was written during the Victorian era, it remains remarkably relevant today, exploring themes such as power, isolation, societal expectations, and human contradiction. The characters are driven by conflicting desires and motivations, which is precisely what makes engaging with the work both challenging and rewarding as an actor.

In this production, I portray Jørgen Tesman—a character whose optimism, ambition, and naivety unintentionally contribute to his wife’s growing sense of isolation and despair. What fascinates me most about Tesman is that he is neither a villain nor a hero. Like many people, he struggles to recognize the consequences of his own actions and the emotional needs of those closest to him.

Working on this role has reminded me how timeless these human dynamics truly are. The relationships and conflicts in “Hedda Gabler” continue to resonate because they raise questions that remain deeply relevant today—questions of responsibility, empathy, ambition, and self-awareness. At the same time, roles like Tesman encourage me to examine my own assumptions, perspectives, and blind spots. They remind me that self-understanding is an ongoing process and that every character offers an opportunity to learn something new about human nature and about myself.

As both an actor and an observer of human behavior, I find it incredibly enriching to bring such complex characters to life and invite audiences to form their own judgments about the choices these individuals make. To do that authentically requires a deep understanding of a character’s background, motivations, and inner world.

Bringing such a character to life on stage demands a great deal of awareness, discipline, and understanding. It requires an actor to look beyond appearances and search for the deeper truths that drive human behavior. That process is one of the things I find most rewarding about acting.

Your performance in Mrs. Huegermen’s Children dealt with themes of abandonment and isolation. What was the most challenging and rewarding aspect of bringing that character to life?

One project I am particularly proud of is an independent short film titled “Mrs. Huegermen’s Children”, in which I portrayed a chaotic and emotionally complex young man who, together with his siblings, grew up isolated and abandoned without any adult guidance.

The most challenging aspect of bringing the character to life was exploring the contradiction at the heart of who he was. Although the siblings appear to be adults, they remain emotionally trapped in childhood due to years of isolation. Portraying that psychological reality required me to move beyond conventional character work and focus on instinct, vulnerability, and emotional truth.

At the same time, that challenge became the most rewarding part of the experience. It allowed me to explore a perspective far removed from my own and to better understand how deeply our environment

and experiences shape the people we become. The role pushed me to approach human behavior with greater curiosity and empathy.

The film was shot independently in an abandoned house in Yonkers, which added a raw and immersive quality to the project. Because the story was entirely original, I had the opportunity to build the character from the ground up, developing his inner life, motivations, and emotional world from the earliest stages of the process.

I am especially proud of this project because it pushed me outside my comfort zone and encouraged me to explore new creative boundaries. It reminded me why I am drawn to acting in the first place: the opportunity to step into the unknown, challenge myself, and continue growing both as an artist and as a person.

Improvisation appears to be an important part of your creative process. Can you share a moment when improvisation unexpectedly transformed a scene or performance?

Improvisation is the aspect of acting I enjoy most. It encourages you to break free from constraints and allow the action and your relationship with your scene partner to guide you. It also fosters creative experimentation.

I have made it a habit, whenever possible—even in small ways—to incorporate behaviors or movements that add new meaning to a character and a scene. This gives the character distinctive traits that can shed light on their personality and background. I love giving characters depth and a genuine identity. Improvisation allows me to step away from the rigid structure of a script and fully express myself.

Furthermore, it helps me maintain my composure during unexpected moments on stage—something that has, in fact, happened to me. During a production of *Italian American Reconciliation*, a moment arose at the beginning of the third act when my scene partner accidentally skipped several lines and jumped ahead in the narrative. I immediately realized what was happening and did not hesitate to adapt to the moment and maintain continuity. I remained calm and composed. The audience had no idea that

anything had gone wrong; my scene partner followed my lead, and we finished the performance without revealing that a mishap had occurred.

I believe these are some of the most pivotal moments in an actor’s journey. They reveal how well you can handle a situation under pressure and demonstrate the level of confidence and trust you have developed in your craft. In many ways, those moments are just as important as the performance itself.

As someone who works across acting, modeling, public speaking, and video editing, how do these different disciplines influence and strengthen one another?

For me, these disciplines complement and reinforce one another in meaningful ways. Acting has taught me how to connect with people on an emotional level, understand different perspectives, and tell stories authentically. Public speaking has helped me become more confident in front of an audience and strengthened my ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively.

Modeling has deepened my awareness of body language, presence, and visual storytelling—skills that are equally valuable both on stage and in front of the camera. Video editing, on the other hand, allows

me to view storytelling from a different perspective. It has shown me how performances are shaped in post-production and how pacing, rhythm, and visual choices influence an audience’s experience.

Together, these disciplines have given me a more comprehensive understanding of communication and storytelling. Each challenges me in its own way, yet they all contribute to the same goal: creating meaningful connections, inspiring people through stories and ideas, and encouraging them to take action.

Ultimately, they have taught me that effective communication goes beyond words. Whether through a performance, an image, a speech, or an edited video, the goal remains the same—to connect with people in an authentic and meaningful way.

At the heart of your work is the belief that everyone has unique potential. What message would you most like audiences to take away from your performances and creative projects?

Above all, I hope my performances encourage people to recognize their own potential and capacity to create positive change.

It is a matter close to my heart that audiences realize that the potential for extraordinary things exists within each and every one of us. Every person has the ability to make a difference—even through the smallest actions—provided they are willing to take action and remain true to their convictions. When people come together as a collective, something truly meaningful can emerge.

I believe everyone should feel empowered to make their voice heard, to step out from behind the curtain or the audience seats, and to actively participate in shaping their own lives and communities. Ultimately, this is not about the actor, but about the art itself and its deeper purpose. Art has the power to inspire us, challenge us, and encourage us to reflect on the choices we make.

Life is marked by both successes and setbacks—sometimes painful ones. I know this from my own experiences growing up. Yet no matter how difficult the circumstances may be, we should never lose faith that standing up for what is right is worthwhile. From a young age, we are confronted with obstacles and challenges, often feeling as though we must face them alone. What matters is keeping your head held high, remaining true to your values, and having the courage to persevere through both present and future struggles.

This is something I believe younger generations should keep in mind. We should never lose sight of the values we stand for, and we should be willing to defend and uphold them. Likewise, children should never doubt their own worth, their abilities, or their right to pursue their dreams whenever the opportunity presents itself.

To express this idea, I would like to share a quote that has accompanied and shaped me throughout my life:

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

I believe there is great truth in those words. In many ways, what we think, we become.