Isabella Nefar

Isabella Nefar is a half Iranian, half Italian actor born in Iran, where she lived until the age of 18 before relocating to London, where she is currently based. She trained at Scuola Paolo Grassi in Milan and at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) in London. During her formative years in Milan, she also performed at the Piccolo Teatro in a play written by Nobel Prize-winner Dario Fo. Shortly after graduating, she landed the lead role in Salomé, directed by Yaël Farber for the National Theatre. Her screen work includes a leading role opposite Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp, and Robert Pattinson in Waiting for the Barbarians, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival. She also plays Parissa in the Apple TV series Tehran. In 2022, Isabella filmed the BBC series The Gold, directed by Aneil Karia. In Italy, she made her feature debut as co-lead in Profeti, Alessio Cremonini’s latest film, starring alongside Jasmine Trinca. In addition to her screen career, Isabella works extensively in physical theatre and has collaborated with international artists, including the Polish company Song of the Goat. Her most recent work, the one-woman show My English Persian Kitchen, sold out at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and at London’s Soho Theatre, and returned to London in 2025 for an additional run.