Actress Irene Zazians

Irene Zazians (1927–2012) was an Iranian-Armenian film and television actress who appeared in 30 films. She was called the Eastern “Elizabeth Taylor”. She was born into an Armenian family that had emigrated to Babolsar in Iran. Her father, Alexander Zazyanov, came from Western Armenia, and her mother, Varia, from Eastern Armenia.

She married twice: at 16 to the actor Mohammad Asemi, and later to the director and producer Shahrokh Rafi. Both marriages ended in divorce. She was one of the best-known actresses of the Middle East. After the Iranian Revolution she was banned from any artistic activity. Her last screen appearance was in the film “Shirin” (2008).

The photograph shows a dark-haired woman wearing pearl necklaces, a ring and a wristwatch.