Nasim Pedrad is an American actress and comedian born on November 18, 1981, in Tehran, Iran. She is best known for her five seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2009 to 2014.
Pedrad was born to a Muslim family and emigrated to the United States with her parents when she was three years old. Her younger sister, Nina Pedrad, is a comedy writer, and both sisters are fluent in Persian. They were raised in Irvine, California, and graduated from University High School.
Nasim attended UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, graduating in 2003. She was a member of the UCLA Spring Sing Company and performed with the Sunday Company at The Groundlings. She also frequently performed her one-woman show Me, Myself & Iran at the Los Angeles divisions of ImprovOlympic and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
Pedrad made her first television appearance on an episode of Gilmore Girls and went on to make guest appearances on several other shows, including The Winner, ER, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2009 and became a repertory player in the 2011-12 season.
In addition to her work on SNL, Pedrad has appeared in several films, including No Strings Attached, The Lorax, and Despicable Me 2. She has also had recurring roles on the Fox animated series Allen Gregory and the sitcom New Girl.
After leaving SNL in 2014, Pedrad starred in the Fox sitcom Mulaney, which was shut down after one season. She has since appeared in a commercial for Old Navy and had guest roles on the TV shows Curb Your Enthusiasm and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
In 2016, Pedrad appeared in the Fox horror-comedy Scream Queens and joined the cast of the TBS comedy series People of Earth. She has also made guest appearances on the TV shows New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
