Bahar Soomekh’s biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Bahar Soomekh (Persian: بهار سومخ‎‎, born March 30, 1975) is an Iranian-born American-based actress. She is best known for her roles in Crash and the Saw franchise.

Early life and education

Bahar was born on March 30, 1975, in Tehran, Iran, to a devout Persian Jewish family. She moved with her parents and sister, Saba Soomekh, to Los Angeles, California, United States in 1979 to escape the Iranian Revolution. Soomekh attended Sinai Akiba Academy and Beverly Hills High School.

Bahar later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara. She graduated in 1997 with a B.A. in environmental studies.

Career

Following her graduation from UCSB, Soomekh worked in motivational sales while taking acting classes. In the beginning of her acting career, Soomekh guest starred on several television programs, including JAG and 24. She ultimately quit her day job to pursue acting full-time and landed her role in Crash less than three months later.

Soomekh’s breakthrough role came as Dorri in the Academy Award-winning movie for Best Picture, Crash. Following her success in Crash, People magazine listed Soomekh as a member of the Class of 2006 as “New on the Scene”. She followed up with roles in Syriana and Mission: Impossible III. In 2006, she had a leading role as Dr. Lynn Denlon in the horror film Saw III. Soomekh had a recurring role as Margo in the television series Day Break and guest appearances on shows such as Ghost Whisperer and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Her last film role was in Just like a Woman.

After the Southern California area experienced the loss of film industry jobs to other locations, Soomekh decided to pursue a real estate career to remain close to her family.

Personal life

Bahar married Clayton Frech in 2001. The couple have three children. One of their children, Ezra, was born with a disability and was named as a finalist for the 2014 Sports Illustrated SportsKid of the Year.

Filmography