Adrian Pasdar Biography

Date of Birth
30 April 1965, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA

Birth Name
Adrian Kayvan Pasdar

Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography

Adrian Pasdar was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, but at the age of 2, his father, a prominent heart surgeon, moved the family to Powelton, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. In high school, he excelled at football, eventually leading to a football scholarship at the University of Florida in 1983. Football may have been a promising future, had it not been for a terrible accident during his freshman year that left his face scarred and his legs badly injured. A very driven Adrian finished his freshman year in a wheelchair, doing intensive physical therapy and turning his attention to campus stage productions and redicovering a childhood interest in writing and acting. No longer able to play football, he dropped out of school and returned home, taking a job with a theater group People's Light and Theatre Company. Here he worked on sound and lighting and also did set construction. One day, while constructing a set, he cut off the end of his left thumb. Adrian, having the ability to turn tragedy into triumph, used his medical compensation to pay for attendance at the famous "Lee Strasberg Theater Institute". At the age of 19, he auditioned for a role in Top Gun (1986). Director Tony Scott was so impressed that he wrote the part of "Chipper" just for him. This led to bigger roles in Solarbabies (1986), Streets of Gold (1986), and Kathryn Bigelow's 1987 cult vampire movie Near Dark (1987), with Adrian in the lead role of Caleb Colton. Other major roles include Vital Signs (1990). Adrian has always been an actor ahead of his time, opting for roles in independent and cable movies long before they were considered fashionable for feature actors to do. In 1992, feeling completely out-of-touch with reality, Adrian left Hollywood and returned to New York. He worked as a cashier for room and board, while taking the occasional small part, such as Frankie in 'Brian De Palma''s Carlito's Way (1993). Another major break came in 1995, when Adrian was cast as the title character on the short-lived Fox series _Profit (1996)_. He continues to act in supporting roles and has now added directing to his already impressive body of work. He wrote and directed the short film Beyond Belief and also directed a feature film Cement (1999).
IMDb Mini Biography By: Randy Neil

Spouse
Natalie Maines (24 June 2000 - present) 2 children

Trivia

Married Natalie Maines (of the country music group Dixie Chicks) on the weekend of June 24-25, 2000. They were married in Las Vegas's Little White Wedding Chapel, in a $55 no-frills ceremony officiated by the chapel's "Pastor Ann." The couple first met in May 1999, at the wedding of band member Emily Robison and singer-songwriter Charlie Robison.

Mother is Rosemarie Pasdar

Son with Natalie Maines, Jackson Slade Pasdar, born on 15 March 2001 (weighing 6 lbs and 20 inches long); first child.

Graduated class of 1983 from Marple Newtown High School in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

Was an English major in college, but dropped out after his freshman year.

Went to the University of Florida on a football scholarship, but his football career ended due to serious injuries when he flipped his jeep while driving to Miami.

Worked as a "tech resident" in an internship with the People's Light and Theater Company in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.

Dated Gregory Peck's daughter, Cecilia Peck.

Worked at his father's friend's diner, the Vandam Diner, in lower East Manhattan.

His film company is Bobcat Films. He has a Bobcat tattoo on his upper right arm.

Has a tattoo of the Chinese character for Strength, which he got while filming Shang Hai yi jiu er ling (1991).

Lived for a year in Berlin and Paris.

His screenwriting and directorial debut was a short film called "Beyond Belief", which debuted at the East Hamptons Film Festival in October 1995. It got the Finalist Award at the Houston Film Festival in June 1996.

His feature film directorial debut, Cement (1999), won Grand Prize for Best Film at Worldfest-Houston Film Festival.

Father is Homayoon Pasdar, who was born in Iran and worked as a surgeon near Philadelphia. His mother, Rosemarie Sbresny, is a native of Germany who worked as a nurse and then became an English teacher in France. She currently owns a successful travel agency. Younger sister, Anamarie Pasdar, worked as an artistic director/associate producer for the SoHo Rep Theater Company in New York City.

Second child, a son, Beckett Finn Pasdar, with Natalie Maines, born weighing 7 lbs, 7 oz on July 14, 2004.

At the age of 19, he auditioned for a role in the film Top Gun (1986). Director Tony Scott was so impressed that he wrote the part of Chipper just for him.

His hobbies include skydiving, riding a Harley and playing chess.

Is friends with Jeffrey Wright.

Is friends with Sherilyn Fenn.

He is of Iranian and German heritage respectively on his father's and mother's sides, as for Queen Soraya of Iran. His father, Homayoun Pasdar, was a cardiac surgeon who was born in Iran and moved to the United States, working as a surgeon near Philadelphia. His mother, Rosemarie Sbresny, was born in Königsberg, Germany, and worked as a nurse before becoming an English teacher in France.

Older brother of Anamarie Pasdar.

Son Beckett Finn, born 14 July 2004.

Directed the feature film Cement (1999) in which one of the characters - played by Gregory Jbara - watches an episode of the cult TV series "Profit" (1996), whose Pasdar was the lead actor.

Friend of musicians Charlie Robison and Bruce Robison.

Was a good friend of Chris Penn.

Was in attendance at Chris Penn's funeral. He was one of his pallbearers.

Personal Quotes

"This is merely the first of ten children" - said on announcing that he and his wife Natalie (Dixie Chicks singer) are expecting their first child in April 2001.

I love directing. It's a different level of focus and a real mental challenge.

I had gotten so out of touch with reality that one day in 1992. I just sold my house at a $200,000.00 loss, moved back East, and put my money into T-bills. I spent the next year working behind the counter and running the cash register for room and board at Vandam Diner, a little lower east Manhattan diner, owned by a friend's father.

"I've used every ounce of energy and every drop of money I had to make Cement (1999)." - on directing the feature film Cement (1999).

Where Are They Now

(January 2005) In season two of role as David McClarren on "Judging Amy."

(September 2006) Starring in NBC series, Heroes.

(July 2008) Third series of 'Heroes' to be shown in September.

(1994) In Ouarzazate, Morocco, filming Slave of Dreams (1995) (TV).

Source: imdb.com