Deadline, IMDB cover Iran actor death news

Leading publication for Hollywood entertainment, Deadline, reports the passing of renowned Iranian actor Homayoun Ershadi.

Best known for his roles in 'The Kite Runner' and Abbas Kiarostami’s Palme d’Or‑winning 'Taste of Cherry', the actor died at 78.

The news article published by Deadline quoted Iran’s official news agency IRNA as confirming that Ershadi died on November 11 in Tehran following a long battle with cancer.

The artcile was also republished by one of the world's most popular and authoritative sources for movie content, IMDB.

The article noted, an architect by profession before turning to acting, Ershadi became a defining figure of Iranian cinema after a chance encounter with Kiarostami in mid‑1990s Tehran.

As Ershadi often recalled, the auteur tapped on his car window at a red light and asked, “I’m making a film. Would you like to be in it?” That impulsive exchange resulted in 'Taste of Cherry' (1997), a minimalist masterpiece that introduced him to global audiences as a man searching for someone to bury him after his planned suicide.

'Taste of Cherry' began a late‑career renaissance for him.

Internationally, Ershadi reached a wider audience portraying Baba, the dignified Afghan father, in Marc Forster’s 'The Kite Runner' (2007). 

Ershadi’s blend of restraint, emotional depth, and worldly calm made him a beloved figure bridging Iranian art cinema and international film.