Sam Asghari said his growing Hollywood platform meant more to him than landing big movie roles. The actor and model explained that he hoped to use his visibility to speak out for the people of Iran and bring attention to ongoing human rights issues in the country where he was born.
The former husband of Britney Spears reflected on his upbringing in Tehran and said witnessing oppression firsthand shaped how he viewed the world. While promoting his latest film, Asghari said he wanted to focus less on politics and more on advocating for people whose voices often went unheard.
Sam Asghari said he wanted to use his platform to support the people of Iran
Asghari discussed his goals during an appearance on TMZ Live while promoting The Gentleman Thief, starring John Travolta. He said he was not chasing fame for its own sake and instead hoped to use his career to promote human rights, particularly in Iran.
Asghari, who moved to the United States when he was 12 years old, said seeing the conditions in his home country had made him more politically aware over the years. Rather than focusing on political factions, he said he was most concerned about humanitarian issues, including what he described as the Iranian regime’s treatment of its own citizens and the denial of basic rights for women.
The outlet also reported that Asghari wanted his acting career to inspire others while giving “a voice to the voiceless.” He said he recognized how fortunate he was to build a life in America and compared the freedoms he enjoyed in the United States to “winning the lottery.”
During the interview, Asghari also spoke about his new movie and shared that one of John Travolta’s films helped him learn English after moving to the U.S. as a child. The actor said the experience made working alongside Travolta especially meaningful years later.
In a separate interview with The Washington Times reported that Asghari described the struggle facing many people inside Iran as deeply personal. He reflected on growing up in the country before immigrating to America and spoke about the risks many Iranians faced when speaking out against the government.
Asghari also discussed the protests that had claimed thousands of lives and said many Iranians, both inside the country and across the global diaspora, believed the current moment could become a historic turning point. He said he remained hopeful that meaningful change could eventually come for the Iranian people.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK CELEBRITIES SHOULD USE THEIR PLATFORMS TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES?
