Arian Moayed

Arian Moayed is an Iranian-American actor, director, and screenwriter who has worked extensively across theater, television, and film. He is widely recognized for his performance as private equity investor Stewy Hosseini on the HBO drama series Succession, a role that earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He has also achieved significant recognition on Broadway, earning two Tony Award nominations for his stage roles.

Born in Tehran, Iran, Moayed moved from the country with his family in 1986 when he was five years old. They settled in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, Illinois, where he was raised in a practicing Muslim family. He is fluent in Persian. Moayed graduated from Glenbrook South High School in 1998 and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Indiana University in 2002, where he participated in collegiate productions of works by William Shakespeare, Samuel Beckett, and Carlo Goldoni.

After completing his university studies, Moayed relocated to Manhattan. In 2002, he co-founded Waterwell, an artist-driven theater, education, and film organization based in New York, alongside his college roommate Tom Ridgely. The company emphasizes socially conscious and civic-minded projects. Through Waterwell, Moayed has helped create numerous stage productions, including starring in the title role of a dual-language adaptation of Hamlet and producing the military musical Blueprint Specials featuring a cast of veterans aboard the USS Intrepid.

Moayed's theatrical breakthrough occurred when he starred as Musa, an Iraqi gardener, alongside Robin Williams in Rajiv Joseph's play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. His performance yielded a 2011 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play, as well as a Theater World Award and a Drama League Award nomination. He received a second Tony Award nomination in 2023 for his performance as a controlling spouse in A Doll's House. His other notable stage achievements include an Obie Award for his work in Guards at the Taj and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble for his role in Stephen Karam's The Humans.

In screen projects, Moayed played lawyer Todd Spodek in the Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna. Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he portrayed Agent P. Cleary in the feature film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and continued the role in the television series Ms. Marvel (2022) and Wonder Man (2026). As a filmmaker, he wrote and directed the short films Overdue and Day Ten, the latter focusing on the aftermath of September 11, 2001. He also created, wrote, and directed the short-form drama series The Accidental Wolf, which received Emmy and Webby nominations.

Moayed resides in New York City with his wife, Krissy Shields, and their two daughters. Alongside his artistic career, he has engaged in humanitarian and political advocacy, including signing public statements advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza and supporting initiatives regarding Palestinian rights.