The film’s success transformed her career. She was suddenly in demand, and her distinctive voice and presence set her apart in an industry that often sought authenticity but rarely found it. Following House of Sand and Fog, Aghdashloo took on a range of roles that challenged stereotypes while also giving visibility to Middle Eastern characters.
Television Breakthrough: 24 and Beyond
In 2005, Aghdashloo joined the cast of 24’s fourth season, playing Dina Araz, a complex character who initially appears as a terrorist but whose loyalty to her family complicates her motives. Although Aghdashloo had long resisted roles that portrayed Muslims as terrorists, she later explained that the depth and humanity written into Dina Araz’s character convinced her to take the role. She portrayed Dina not as a villain but as a mother torn between ideology and love. Her performance earned critical praise and introduced her to mainstream American audiences.
Throughout the late 2000s, Aghdashloo became a familiar face on television, appearing in Will & Grace, ER, and Grey’s Anatomy, among others. In 2008, she starred as Sajida Talfah, the wife of Saddam Hussein, in the HBO miniseries House of Saddam. The role won her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Her portrayal of Sajida was layered and emotionally gripping — a performance that revealed the human cost of tyranny and power from a woman’s perspective.
This success reinforced Aghdashloo’s ability to inhabit morally complex characters, often women shaped by history and conflict. Her presence on screen, dignified and resonant, brought depth to roles that might otherwise have been defined by cultural stereotypes.
