Sarah Shahi: Who is she? Past roles + photos

So, who is Aahoo Jahansouzshahi?

And where have you seen her before?

She’s the name on everyone’s lips right now and her screen name is: Sarah Shahi. Yes, she plays Billie in cult Netflix series 'Sex/Life'.

The 41 year old was born on January 10, 1980 in Euless, Texas, USA and is the daughter of Abbas Jahansouzshahi and Mahmonir Soroushazar, an interior designer, who divorced when she was ten.

Her father is from Iran, and his family left Iran two years before the Iranian Revolution. Sarah's father was working at the American embassy in Iran, and was slated for execution when the last Shah's regime collapsed in 1979, but was able to flee the country.

Sarah's mother was born in Spain, to an Iranian father and a Spanish mother. She has an older brother, Cyrus, and a younger sister, Samantha, who is a production assistant. 

Sarah is a former NFL cheerleader, and while working as an extra on the set of 'Dr. T and the Women in Texas', Shahi met renowned director Robert Altman, who encouraged her to move to Hollywood, where she received roles in several series, including 'Alias', 'Dawson's Creek', 'Reba', and 'Supernatural'. In 2005 she appeared in the supporting character role of DJ Carmen de la Pica Morales on 'The L Word', which she joined in its second season. Shahi's two-year contract was not renewed after the end of the fourth season, and her character was written out.

She also played Farah in the second season of Sleeper Cell, and also appeared in HBO's 'The Sopranos' in 2007, in the Season 6b episode 'Kennedy and Heidi' as Sonya Aragon, a stripper and college student who spends a weekend with Tony after a death in his family.

In 2007, she secured a small role in 'Rush Hour 3' as Zoe, a scantily clad rich girl who is pursued by Chris Tucker's character, Detective Carter.

In 2007, she took on her first permanent leading role on a TV series, co-starring with Damian Lewis in the NBC series 'Life' as homicide detective Dani Reese. The series ran for two seasons.

In October 2009, Shahi landed the lead role in the USA Network pilot, 'Facing Kate'. Shahi began filming in November 2009.[20] The show followed the life of Kate Reed, a legal mediator who is frustrated with the bureaucracy and injustice she witnesses in the legal system. The series title was later changed to 'Fairly Legal'. The show was cancelled after two seasons in November 2012.

Shahi was cast as a recurring love interest for Taylor Kinney's character Lt. Kelly Severide on NBC's show 'Chicago Fire' in October 2012.

She was cast as the possibly recurring character of Sameen Shaw on 'Person of Interest' and was featured in the sixteenth episode of the second season, ‘Relevance', which aired in February 2013.

In May 2013 CBS President Nina Tassler announced that Shahi would be added as a series regular for its third season. She played the daughter of Sylvester Stallone's character in the action film 'Bullet to the Head' which was also the first time working with co-star Jason Momoa who she would later go on to work with again in his movie 'Road to Paloma' in 2014.

Following the January 7, 2015, episode of Person of Interest, Shahi and the show's producers announced she would be leaving the show for an indefinite period of time because of her pregnancy.

In February 2016, she was cast as iconic detective Nancy Drew in a planned TV series based on the books.

In May 2016, CBS passed on the series, and its producers announced they would continue looking for a network to air the show. Also in May, Shahi resumed her appearances as Shaw on Person of Interest, until June 21, 2016, when the show ended. Shahi starred in the new TV series 'Reverie' in 2018, however it was cancelled after one season.

In 2019, Shahi joined the cast of Showtime's 'City on A Hill' (seen in Australian TV on the Stan streaming service) as recurring character Rachel Behnam, an investigator for the district attorney.

In October 2020, Shahi started filming 'Sex/Life', a Netflix series inspired by BB Easton's book ’44 Chapters About 4’, in Toronto, Canada. This has been arguably her most talked about role to date.

She plays Billie, a housewife struggling to remain a devoted wife and mother when tempted by an old flame and the freer days of her youth.

Shahi was named number 90 on the Maxim magazine "Hot 100 of 2005" list, moving up to number 66 in 2006 and 36 in 2012. She appeared on the cover of Maxim's 2012 'TV's Hottest Girls' Issue in October 2012. She ranked number 5 on the AfterEllen.com hot list in 2007.

Shahi married actor Steve Howey (he is known for his roles as Van Montgomery on The WB/CW television series 'Reba', and Kevin Ball on the Showtime series 'Shameless') on February 7, 2009, in Las Vegas. In July 2009, she gave birth to their first child, a son, during an at-home water birth. In January 2015, she announced that she was pregnant with twins. In March, a daughter and son were born during another home birth. Shahi and Howey filed for divorce in May 2020.

Their divorce was finalised in January 2021.

After meeting during the 2020 filming of Sex/Life, Shahi started dating Australian actor Adam Demos. Yeah, he of THAT shower scene. (He has appeared in 'Falling Inn Love', also on Netflix - more on him in the next post. This is Sarah's moment to shine!).

Demos and Shahi first met in the make-up trailer and had some interests in common. Shahi commented to People magazine; "I said, 'Well, that's a tall drink of water.' When I first met Adam, I was really blown away with him".

Sarah’s birth name, Aahoo (Persian: آهو‎), means ‘gazelle’ in Persian. She is a descendant of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar of the Qajar Dynasty.

Such esteemed roots and a gorgeous connotation to a name.

Watch her star rise and rise from NOW.

'Sex/Life' - Adam Demos shower scene

Episode 3.

At 20 minute mark.

Thoughts? 😬

The WHOLE show 'Sex/Life' on Netflix is now something a zeitgeist moment in pop culture - and suddenly errrryone is talking about it 🤷‍♀️ 

The show dropped on Netflix on June 25, and it sat largely unwatched on my own Netflix menu because... school holidays and a shared, centrally located TV!

But the calls were getting louder to watch it immediately, if not sooner... I'm sure you can relate - unless your were one of the early adopters and binged the eight episode TV show in a day (there's only season one right now, with no word on season two yet).

So I succumbed. And whoa.

The scenes in the lead up to THAT shower scene everyone is talking about are explicit enough, and it has you asking: is this soft core porn dressed up as drama?

Or is it a modern presentation of one of life's quandaries... is the grass greener on the other side of your own patch... you know, that proverbial white picket fence?

Comments on social media often provide a real indicator to where the psyche of the general cult TV viewership is at, and this show has seen some polarising thoughts... here are some of note:

In response to this post from Netflix:

A woman’s daring sexual past collides with her married-with-kids present when the bad-boy ex she can’t stop fantasising about crashes back into her life. The world’s steamy new obsession, SEX/LIFE, is now streaming on Netflix.

A cross section of comments included:

Abby Barton

So another series where the wife cheats on her husband, because you know all housewives are dreaming of a better life. Why is it always housewives? I just get tired of the infidelity. I wanted something different from this show.

Alison Evans

Team Brad. Not sorry, in the end husband cheated in front of her face, invaded her diary and had the gall to lecture her about going out and not answering her phone wen HE stayed out ALL night at another woman's house. I was all for the husband to begin with, then He turned out to an insecure ass. She never crossed that line. He did.

Francesca Castellani

Is there someone else really pissed off with her?? I truly am!

Alviera Osmand

Going into the second episode and already seen her naked more than I wanted to, sorry to say it should be classified as softporn series Netflix  Watch only when no one is around, you've been warned  Hot actors though 

AND:

Ayanna James

I screamed out hard wen brad was showerin & he turn...cooper saw wat his wife was gettin, brad big dick...

James Radymski

No wonder people can’t settle down and stay faithful in a relationship  it’s because they are bombarded with films like this to make it seem normal 

Ana Beatriz Travesso

I just really wish the show was faithful to the book. It would have been much better

So, where do you sit? What are your thoughts on Billie's life dilemma (Billie is the catalyst in this story, she of beautiful looks, with a beautiful husband, and two cute kids - she's played by the gorgeous Sarah Shahi) - is the grass greener, and should you sacrifice a stable marriage to seek excitement outside of it? And with an old flame? Who broke your heart? The short answer to that should be no. But for Billie... 

Now... about that shower scene.

In a Daily Mail article, the headline asks:

“Sex/Life fans notice a huge editing fail in Adam Demos' full-frontal shower scene (so is everything we can see REAL?)”

It continues to talk about the the show sending the internet alight thanks to its full-frontal shower scene featuring (Australian!) actor Adam Demos and “eyebrows have been raised with the steamy scenes, with one in particular shocking viewers as Adam, who plays Brad in the show, stripping completely naked.”

While fans were initially mesmerised by, well, Adam's private parts, a second look at the footage has apparently exposed an editing fail.

The article continues by gathering some, er, hard hitting evidence that during the X-rated shower scene, which airs in episode three (and is at the 20 minute mark because I see you!) Adam's character is seen washing himself with his tattoo-free body on display.   

However, a continuity error is revealed in episode four, during a throwback scene of Brad getting a tattoo on the upper right-hand portion of his crotch.

The tattoo of two bees was a romantic tribute to Brad's then-girlfriend Billie, and played a pivotal role in the continuation of Billie and Brad's love story. 

In a scene set eight years later, Brad declared his undying love for Billie during a FaceTime chat while revealing he kept the tattoo as a reminder of their relationship.

EEK! So, perhaps the peen was a prosthetic? Like Nicole Kidman's nose in 'The Hours'?

You decide...

Set in New York and inspired by BB Easton’s 2016 book '44 Chapters About 4 Men', the explicit series is the absolute BUZZ of TV pop culture right now.

That, and the fact that Adam and Sarah are a REAL life couple - even making it Insta official in December 2020!

Facts about Adam Demos: he is an Australian actor born May 24, 1986.

Before Sex/Life he was best known for his role as Jake Taylor on the Netflix film 'Falling Inn Love', August Walker on the American television series 'Unreal', and as Nate Baldwin on Australian television series 'Janet King'. (We bet you will be rewatching or searching for ALL of these right about now...).

The 35 year old is a 'Gong' boy - he was born in Wollongong, NSW, Australia!

Sex'LIfe is streaming now on Netflix globally.

'Tiger King' NEW episode: 'Tiger King and I'

Caught the wildly popular 'Tiger King: Murder, Madness and Mayhem' docuseries on Netflix yet? You have?

Well buckle up because the rumoured extra episode IS NOW HERE!

Premiering today on Netflix Australia/New Zealand (released Easter Sunday U.S. time) has a follow-up episode. The after show is titled 'Tiger King and I', and it's essential viewing.

Hosted by the inimitable Joel McHale, the episode features new interviews with the key people who appeared in the docuseries.

"I talk to a lot of people involved in the project - Jeff and Lauren Lowe, Saff, Erik Cowie, John Finlay, John Reinke, and Rick Kirkham - to see what’s happened in their lives since the release of the series,” Joel said in a teaser unveiled on Twitter late last week. “It’s eye-opening and hopefully, funny."

Here is that Tweet:

Netflix

✔@netflix

The Tiger King and I — a Tiger King after show hosted by Joel McHale and featuring brand new interviews with John Reinke, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Saff, Erik Cowie, Rick Kirkman, and Jeff and Lauren Lowe — will premiere April 12

6,918

7:00 AM - Apr 10, 2020

T

The central person in this docu-series is of course the controversial Joe Exotic (aka Joseph Maldonado-Passage), who remains incarcerated after being found guilty on murder-for-hire charges and wildlife violations.

Sentenced to 22 years in prison, Joe Exotic does not appear in the after show, and neither does his nemesis Carole Baskin.

One thing we do know is that since the series has aired, it has come to light that Carole is a person of interest in the disappearance of her former husband, Jack Donald 'Don' Lewis. 

While Carole has denied any involvement, since the airing of 'Tiger King', Florida’s Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister is seeking leads in the disappearance of Don.

Not just a bunch of interviews, the after party sheds light on how each person interviewed feels about Joe being in jail and if he should be released, and incredibly insightful parts like the fact that Joe Exotic is SCARED OF BIG CATS.

TV producer Rick Kirkham says that Joe was scared of his own animals, saying Joe would regularly pose with two tigers who were blind and tranquilised, and therefore posing no threat to him.

Another extremely disturbing story is Kirkham tells us is that Joe took in an old horse from a woman who visited his zoo. Joe then instructed Kirkham to keep the cameras rolling as he agreed to take care of the horse, but then shot it dead when the woman left, saying “I don’t take care of nobody’s animals. Now they’re tiger meat." He then proceeded to chop up the horse’s body and fed it to his tigers, according to Kirkham. 

Wow.

Kirkham also reveals he has had consistent nightmares since he filmed with Joe, exacerbated since the Netflix series was released.

Joe's campaign manager Josh Dial, who lived at the zoo for while, says: “When the folks first started filming Joe, I was already working for Joe,” he began. “So, I’ve known the producer and directors since day one. The way they did this documentary, it’s fair, it’s balanced and I just think it’s a wonderful production", adding: “Well, the truth hurts. The truth hurts.”

More juicy bits: this couple and their hot nanny... (you're going to have to watch). Anyway, THIS is their nanny: https://www.instagram.com/mashadiduk/

Joe's ex-husband with his new teeth:

And here is Joel's post post show on Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

Thanks to all that watched @netflix and the latest follow up ep to #tigerking. I’ll be on Instagram live with @variety in an hour and forty minutes. And yes, “NETFLIX” is still sharpied in my stomach.

A post shared by Joel McHale (@joelmchale) on Apr 12, 2020 at 6:20pm PDT

'Tiger King and I' is now tagged onto the end of the 'Tiger King' series you'll find on your Netflix menu.

Chris Lilley 'Lunatics' - new Netflix show TRAILER

Chris Lilley has created a new show and it's just about to drop on Netflix - on April 19!

Josie's Juice is a massive fan of anything Chris Lilley related and we have followed every single series he has created: 'We Can Be Heroes', Summer Heights High', 'Angry Boys', 'Ja’mie Private School Girl', 'Jonah From Tonga', and now... 'Lunatics'.

Here is the just released official trailer:

The Aussie comedian, who created alter egos including the OTT characters of schoolgirl Ja’mie King and drama teacher Mr G, will be seen again on screens, but this time, not free to air, instead 'Lunatics' will stream on Netflix from next week.

The new show is a 10-episode mockumentary and marks Lilley’s return to the small screen, five years after 'Jonah from Tonga'.

Lunatics introduces six new characters, all written and played by Lilley, including a South African woman called Jana, who is described as “a lesbian pet psychic to the stars who from her South African base struggles with an unrequited love for her personal assistant”.

Then there is Quentin, an “incompetent real estate agent” who dreams of being... a DJ.

Enter seven-foot-tall uni student Becky, and retail worker Keith who says his struggle with his “deep love for a cash register” is real.

Then there's Gavin, a boy destined to become the future Earl of an English country estate, and Joyce, a hoarder and ex-porn star.

Brace yourselves! Bring it.

Amy Schumer's Husband: Autistic Diagnosis - Netflix Show 'Growing'

Amy Schumer told Seth Meyers on his show 'Late Night' the reason she revealed her husband Chris Fischer's autism diagnosis, as seen in Amy's new Netflix comedy special 'Growing'.

"We both wanted to talk about it because it's been totally positive," Amy said, who is pregnant with her first child with Chris.

"I think some people resist getting diagnosed… because of the stigma that comes along with it," she said. "But the tools we've been given have made his life so much better and our marriage and our life so much more manageable."

In 'Growing', Amy talks about her marriage and her pregnancy, the fact that Fischer recently found out he has high-functioning autism, aka Asperger's syndrome.

"I just wanted to encourage people to not be afraid of that stigma," Amy told Meyers. "I think a lot of people with autism who go undiagnosed when I think their life could be better if they got those tools."

Amy also added the same sentiments she shared in her stand-up special when she said it was because of Chris's personality quirks possibly stemming from him being autistic, that she fell in love with him in the first place.

"And I wouldn't trade him in for anybody," Amy said, with a heartfelt smile.

Here is a clip with Seth:



Josie's Juice has just finished watching the Netflix special and we highly recommend it!

Plus: we love people with autism, young and old.

Watch 'Growing' now on Netflix.

Trailer below: