Omid Abtahi (born July 12, 1979) is an Iranian-born American actor. He is best known for his roles as Salim, in the Starz Original American Gods, Penn Pershing in The Mandalorian, Saleem Ulman in NCIS, and Homes in the fourth installment of The Hunger Games film series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015). He is also known for his performances as Justin Yates in Ghost Whisperer, and as Detective Jerry Molbeck, in the American TV adaptation of Those Who Kill.

Early life and education

Omid Abtahi was born on July 12, 1979 in Tehran, Iran. At the age of five, he moved to Paris with his family, before again relocating to the United States, to Irvine, Orange County, California, when he was 10. Abtahi graduated from University High School, Irvine, in 1997, and attended California State University, Fullerton. He began studying advertising, then picked up a second major in theater, graduating in 2002.

Career

Prior to appearing on television, Abtahi performed with several theater companies, starring in a stage production of Arthur Schnitzler's Fräulein Else at the Berkeley Repertory, McCarter Theatre and Long Wharf Theatre; Adoration of the Old Woman at the Sundance Theatre Lab; and Your Everyday Typical Romantic Comedy at the Kennedy Center. After arriving in Los Angeles, Abtahi was a series regular on FX's Over There and Showtime's Sleeper Cell, both premiering in 2005. He has also guest-starred on the television series JAG, Judging Amy, and 24. He played Justin Yates in Ghost Whisperer. Abtahi made his New York City stage debut in Urge for Going by Mona Mansour in January 2016. He has also been a voice actor in video games, playing the voice of Farid in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and of Sergeant John Lugo in Spec Ops: The Line. He also voices Victor "Gator" Diallo in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Short film