This Iranian comedian is tired of playing terrorists

When Iranian comic and actor Maz Jobrani snagged an audition for "24" in the show's 2002 season, he was mostly glad about one thing: It wasn't for the part of a terrorist.

"It was a big role, and he was a regular guy," says Jobrani, 42, who was tired of being cast as a cartoonish Middle Eastern baddie in movies and shows. "But later, they called and said, '[We] want to offer you the part of the terrorist instead.' I said, 'No!!' They said, 'But listen — he changes his mind halfway through the mission.'

"'Ah, the ambivalent terrorist,'" he said wryly.

Jobrani took the part, but it started him on a path toward pushing back on Hollywood stereotypes of Middle Easterners; a few years later, he would turn down the chance to audition to play a terrorist in the Oscar-nominated movie "United 93."

Instead, the comedian founded the "Axis of Evil" comedy tour, which he headlined and toured the world with from 2005 to 2007. Now he's written a book, out Tuesday, about his career: "I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One on TV: Memoirs of a Middle Eastern Funny Man."

In it, Jobrani, who was born in Iran but mostly grew up in northern California, shares tales of his early projects, like the one in which his terrorist character is shot dead by Chuck Norris.

And then there are the stand-up stories, such as comedy club owner Mitzi Shore (mom of Pauly) advising him to wear a turban while telling jokes. "I think she had good intentions," he says. "I think she thought it would help me stand out."

Needless to say, he didn't take her advice. These days, Jobrani, who's married and the father of two children, makes appearances on the panel of NPR's "Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me!," tours solo and is ramping up promotion on his upcoming film, "Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero."

"I call it the 'Persian Pink Panther,'" he says. "The point was to get a bunch of my friends together to work on a film where the guy who saves the day is Iranian!"

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