Sepideh Moafi Says She Refused Early Pressure to Change Her Name

Actress Sepideh Moafi says she faced early pressure in her career to change her name to sound more “marketable,” but refused, a decision she says did not hold her back.

In an interview with PEOPLE published in March 2026, Moafi—who currently stars as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on HBO’s The Pitt—recalled that her first agent made the suggestion shortly after she graduated from the University of California, Irvine. The agent encouraged her to adopt a different name to better fit industry expectations.

“I immediately said, ‘no,’” Moafi said, describing the moment as clear-cut for her.

Moafi, who was born in Germany to Iranian refugee parents, said changing her name would have meant distancing herself from her identity and heritage. She added that this kind of pressure is not uncommon in Hollywood, particularly for actors of color who are often asked to conform to narrower standards of marketability.

At the same time, she emphasized that she does not judge others who choose to change their names, noting that such decisions are often shaped by broader systemic pressures within the industry.

Despite rejecting the advice, Moafi said her career progressed quickly. She booked her first three roles soon after and has since built what she described as a “varied” body of work. Her credits include The Deuce, The L Word: Generation Q, and Black Bird.

Moafi is currently gaining attention for her role in the second season of The Pitt, where she plays an attending physician stepping in during another character’s absence. Viewers have praised her performance, including her deliberate effort to correctly pronounce characters’ names from diverse backgrounds—something many see as consistent with her broader commitment to authentic representation.

The Pitt has become a major success for HBO, recently renewed for a third season following multiple Emmy and Golden Globe wins.