Here is the biography of Ali Afshar:
Ali Afshar was born and raised in Northern California, specifically in the Sonoma Mountains of Petaluma. He grew up on a 200-acre ranch where his family often found him racing motorcycles and horses at the age of 5. As the youngest of three brothers, Ali's parents, Eskandar Afshar and Leila Kasra Afshar, had a significant influence on his life. His father was an international agricultural businessman, and his mother was a world-renowned Persian poet and lyricist before her passing in 1989.
Ali's passion for speed and entertainment was evident from an early age. He grew up competing in breakdancing and bicycle freestyle events across Northern California. After winning his first high school challenge for drag racing at Sears Point International Raceway at age 16, Ali began racing his classic 1967 Chevrolet Camaro almost every week. If he wasn't racing, he was in wrestling practice, honing his skills, and eventually became an outstanding wrestler, setting numerous school records and becoming a California State Finalist in 1991.
After high school, Ali pursued his dream of acting, relocating to Los Angeles and studying medicine at California State University Northridge. However, he began to focus on acting, landing his first job as a skateboarder in a Pepsi commercial and later as the principal actor in a commercial for Raging Waters. Ali paired his acting and racing income to pay for his tuition, ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology as a pre-med major.
Ali's acting career took off, with roles in various films and television shows, including "Saved By The Bell," "Three Kings," "Godzilla," and "The Siege." He also had recurring roles in "The King Of Queens," "City Guys," and "The Masked Rider." Ali's voice work spanned over three years as the voice of the Phantom Ranger on the hit FOX/Saban children TV show "Power Rangers."
In addition to his acting career, Ali founded Easy Street Motorsports (ESX Motorsports),an automotive performance and race facility. He became a 2-Time NHRA National & World Champion Team, 18-Time NHRA event champion, 2005 Rally America Champion, and set multiple world records. Ali also created the exclusive "Ali Afshar Signature Series ESX" line of Aston Martin and Subaru vehicles, which are sold directly through Subaru and Aston Martin dealerships across the nation.
In the early 2000s, Ali took a hiatus from his acting career to focus on his racing career, winning numerous national championships and setting world records. He returned to acting in 2009, landing a supporting role in the feature film "He's Just Not That Into You" and appearing in several other films and television shows, including "Saving Grace" and "Peas In A Pod."
In 2010, Ali created his first full-length feature film, "Born To Race," a teen action film that combines his love of racing and acting. He went on to produce several more films, including "Born To Race FAST TRACK," "The Dog Lover," "American Wrestler: The Wizard," "Running Wild," and "Pray for Rain." These films gained the attention of legendary studio executives at Warner Bros. Studios, and Ali relocated his offices to the studio lot in 2015.
In 2016, Ali produced "Dirt," a high-action car racing film with heart, and "Ride," a true story of an abused and racist young boy who gets adopted by an African American man and becomes a BMX bicycle world champion. In 2017 and 2018, Ali released several films on Netflix, including "American Fighter," "Bennett's War," "Roped," "Lady Driver," "The Stand at Paxton County," and "Wheels of Fortune."
In 2019, Ali produced the MMA action film "Born A Champion" starring Dennis Quaid. In 2020, he produced the holiday film "A California Christmas," which became a huge hit on Netflix. In 2021, Ali produced a slate of three films for Netflix, including "That's Amor," "I Believe in Santa," and the sequel "A California Christmas: City Lights."
