Meet Neda Davarpanah

We had the good fortune of connecting with Neda Davarpanah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Neda, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m lucky to have found my passion at a young age. Art began as a form of self-expression — writing stories to turn my inner world into something tangible, acting in plays and short films to take on perspectives other than my own, playing music to explore complex feelings that I couldn’t name. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household where this kind of expression was not only encouraged but celebrated, and when I applied to colleges, the Writing for Screen & Television program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts was my top choice. After graduating, I began working in television writers rooms and on film & TV sets, where I’ve worked ever since. My decision to pursue a career in entertainment was sparked from the passion for the craft that had developed throughout my childhood. And over the course of my time in this industry, as I became intimately aware of the fact that instability in Hollywood is a feature, not a bug, it has become clear to me that a love for the work is essential to sustain a successful career. The progress that I’ve made in my career so far — recently, co-writing Episode 205 of Netflix original series The Recruit and starring in the feature film Bird of Paradise from Equilibria Pictures — and the relationships that I’ve nurtured with my mentors and collaborators, has taught me that longevity in this industry is possible through a combination of personal drive and community support. As I continue to move forward as a writer, actor, and producer, I hope to foster that spirit of support with the aim of increasing equity in entertainment, so that other emerging artists can pursue a career they may feel like they can now only dream about.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an Iranian-American writer, actor, and producer. I tell stories of rebellious women who fight the systems that silence them. Over the years, I’m grateful to have worked on some amazing projects, like The Recruit and Bird of Paradise, to participate in fellowships with organizations like Mentorship Matters and Women in Film, and to have achieved incredible milestones like joining the Writers Guild of America and traveling to Vancouver to produce my first episode of television on set. It hasn’t been an easy ride, and in many ways, I feel like I’m just getting started. But as the industry recovers from the aftershocks of the 2023 strikes and the 2024 contraction, I feel hopeful for the future of labor in Hollywood and my own place in this ecosystem. My goal is to continue climbing the ladder in television writers rooms as I have been (and to create and run my own shows), to make my mark as an actress and as a writer-producer of feature films (including my upcoming supernatural horror-satire film Influence with West 36 Productions), as well as expanding my efforts to advocate for entertainment industry workers as a collective.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question. After I studied abroad in college and did my Neda in Paris thing, I decided to try living like I was on vacation when I came back home to LA. My friend Morgan Peters is an engineer for this amazing app called Places which has recommendations for the coolest (you guessed it) places all over the world, and I’ve been using it to log my favorite spots around town, so I have plenty to explore during my time off. I’d probably give my friend a rundown of our week over brunch at Republique (plenty of time to talk in that line but the food is worth it), if it were a Sunday we’d hit the Melrose Place Farmers Market before heading to Malibu to hike (and to end up in the water, of course). Otherwise, we might walk along Abbot Kinney and explore the Venice Canals, maybe try a dance class at the Playground and do dinner and drinks in WeHo, finish off the night with a concert at the Hotel Cafe or a movie at the New Beverly. As long as we’re outside when the sun sets — there are few things more beautiful than blue hour in LA (ask any film major).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In an industry like entertainment, an individual’s success is the product not only of their hard work and determination, but also the strength of their support system. I owe so much of my success to my loved ones, particularly Mina Kermani. In addition, there are so many teachers, mentors, and colleagues who have taught me invaluable lessons over the years, namely Alexi Hawley, Maya Goldsmith, the team at The Recruit, my mentors at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the Mentorship Matters BIPOC Writers Initiative, and the Women in Film Writer Fellowship, as well as my fellow organizers in Hollywood Labor who give me hope for the future of this industry.

Website: https://nedadavarpanah.com 

Image Credits
Joanna DeGeneres, Carly Arin, Olivia Brett, Albert L. Ortega, Mentorship Matters, Silicon Beach Film Festival, Heidi Garcia