Tehran Times
May 26, 2018

TEHRAN – Iranian actor Nasser Malek-Motiei who appeared in over 100 movies and TV series, in most of which he played the roles of virile characters, died at Tehran’s Aatieh Hospital on Friday night, he was 88.

He was suffering from a kidney disorder, Persian media outlets announced.

Born in Tehran in 1930, he studied physical education at the Tehran Higher Education Center and pursued a teaching career as a sports theater at several of Tehran’s primary schools.


Photo: Actor Nasser Malek-Motiei in an undated photo (MMS/YAW)

Malek-Motiei later shifted onto cinema and made his debut in 1949 with “Spring Variety", an episodic film directed by Parviz Khatibi.

“I entered cinema with empty hands and lack of knowledge and unsupported, but with love. People ignored our mistakes, and it would be a pity if we do not appreciate them,” Malek-Motiei once said.

He worked in numerous movies such as "“Baba Shamal” and “Toqi” by Ali Hatami and “Qeisar” by Masud Kimiai, and TV series as  Soltan-e Sahebgharan. The movies and TV series all were produced before the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

“The Imperiled”, directed by Iraj Qaderi in 1982, was the first film Malek-Motiei acted in after the victory of the revolution.

Afterwards, he faced an unofficial ban due to the new conditions dominating the post-revolution cinema.

In 2013, he returned to the silver screen in the role of an old man in Ali Atshani’s family drama “Negar’s Role” after a 31-year hiatus.

“I cannot describe how pleased I am that I have appeared in cinema again,” Malek-Motiei said during a ceremony the film crew organized to celebrate his return.

“I was the bad boy of cinema, who has returned to his home. I do not know how to express my happiness like that which child would,” he added.

“Over the years, I was far from cinema. It was like I was far from my beloved. I always thought about the beloved, and now I do not know whether the beloved will accept me or not,” Malek-Motiei said.

The movie “Negar’s Role” turned out to be his swansong.

Photo: Actor Nasser Malek-Motiei in an undated photo (MMS/YAW)


Filmography

    1949 Vareiteh bahar
    1950 Vagabond
    1952 The Enchanter
    1955 The Crossroad of Events (Chahar-rahe havades)
    1956 Accusation
    1956 Seventeen Days to Execution
    1958 Broken Spell
    1958 The Runaway Bride
    1959 The Twins
    1959 Woman's Enemy
    1960 Quiter Before the Storm
    1960 The Stars Glitter
    1960 The Strong Man
    1961 Bitter Honey
    1961 The Bum
    1961 Uncle No-Ruz
    1962 The Merchants of Death
    1962 The Shadow of Fate
    1962 The Velvet Hat
    1963 Aras Khan
    1963 Men and Roads
    1963 The Polite Ones
    1964 Abraham in Paris
    1964 The Pleasures of Sin
    1965 A Perfect Gentleman
    1966 Running Away from Truth
    1966 Hashem khan
    1966 Hossein Kord Shabestari
    1969 Gheysar
    1969 Kölen Olayim
    1970 Avare asik
    1970 Wood Pigeon (Toghi) – directed by Ali Hatami
    1970 Dancer of City
    1970 The Coin of Luck
    1971 A Hut across the River
    1971 Baba Shamal
    1971 Gholam Zhandarm
    1971 Kako
    1971 Knucklebones
    1971 Looti
    1971 Noghre-dagh
    1971 Pahlevan Mofrad
    1971 The Bridge | Pol
    1972 Ghalandar
    1972 Mehdi in Black and Hot Mini Pants
    1973 Sheikh Saleh
    1973 Riot
    1974 Agha Mehdi Vared Mishavad
    1974 Oosta Karim Nokaretim
    1974 Salat-e zohr
    1974 Ten Little Indians
    1974 Soltan-e Sahebgharan (TV mini-series)
    1974 Torkaman
    1975 Golden Heel
    1976 Southern Fire
    1976 Idol
    1976 Deprem
    1977 Baraj
    1977 Sine-chak
    1982 The Imperilled
    2014 Negar's Role