# Fariba Sheikhan
**Fariba Sheikhan** (full name Fariba Sheikhan Uriarte) is a Spanish actress, born in 1988, known for roles in Spanish and international television series such as *La Unidad*, *[Tehran](https://www.edgepedia.org/tehran-tv-series)*, *Matices*, and *[Salvador](https://www.edgepedia.org/salvador-tv-series)*, and for her part in [Guy Ritchie](https://www.edgepedia.org/guy-ritchie)'s film *The Covenant*.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) • [2](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20250120/quien-es-fariba-sheikhan-actriz-invitada-revuelta-broncano-20-enero/16414794.shtml) She was born to a Basque mother and an Iranian father, and her native languages are Basque and Farsi.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, at the hospital of Cruces in Barakaldo, Biscay, Spain; raised in Gernika[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) |
| Family background | Basque mother from Gernika; Iranian father from Tehran, who studied nuclear physics in London[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) |
| Languages | Native Basque and Farsi; also Spanish, English, French, and Arabic at intermediate level[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) • [3](https://ruthfranco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fariba-Sheikhan-CV-EN.pdf) |
| Training | Acting at the ESAD in Seville and the Cristina Rota school in Madrid; also studied foreign-language teaching (English)[3](https://ruthfranco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fariba-Sheikhan-CV-EN.pdf) • [2](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20250120/quien-es-fariba-sheikhan-actriz-invitada-revuelta-broncano-20-enero/16414794.shtml) |
| Breakthrough role | Inés in the daily Antena 3 series *El secreto de Puente Viejo*, appearing in 270 episodes[4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html) |
| Signature television roles | Najwa in *La Unidad* (three seasons, 2020–2023), Shaparak Nouri in *Tehran* (Apple TV+), Fariba Sayyid in *Matices* (SkyShowtime), Marjane in *Salvador* (Netflix)[5](https://www.angelacariddi.com/talents/fariba-sheikhan) • [6](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-899029/filmografia/) |
| Film | Basira in *The Covenant* (Guy Ritchie, 2023); roles in *Raqa*, *Adiós Madrid*, and *Disforia*[6](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-899029/filmografia/) • [2](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20250120/quien-es-fariba-sheikhan-actriz-invitada-revuelta-broncano-20-enero/16414794.shtml) |
| Music | Former member of the band Leila Thenuit, which recorded songs in Basque, Farsi, English, and Spanish[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) |
## Early life and training
Sheikhan was born in 1988 at the hospital of Cruces in [Barakaldo](https://www.edgepedia.org/barakaldo), and grew up in Gernika, the town of her mother's family.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) Her parents met in London, where her mother had gone to work as an au pair and her father to study nuclear physics, a field he never practiced.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) She has described a mixed identity that shifts with the moment: a more spiritual connection to her Iranian side and a more visceral one to her Basque roots, and she has said she likes the feeling of not belonging entirely to any one place.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html)
**Training.** At 19 she left for Seville to study acting, passing the entrance examinations for the Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático (ESAD).[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) • [4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html) She also studied at the Cristina Rota school in Madrid, took courses in gestural and vocal theater, clown, and on-camera performance, and trained in singing and flamenco with Bibah Sheikh and La Farruca.[3](https://ruthfranco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fariba-Sheikhan-CV-EN.pdf) Before acting she qualified as a foreign-language teacher (English), a degree she has not used professionally.[4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html)
## Career
**Basque television and national breakthrough.** She began her career in the long-running Basque-language series *Goenkale* on ETB, and appeared in other Basque productions including *Bi eta bat* and the children's program *3txulo*.[5](https://www.angelacariddi.com/talents/fariba-sheikhan) • [4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html) Her national breakthrough came as Inés in the daily Antena 3 series *El secreto de Puente Viejo*, in which she appeared for 270 episodes.[4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html)
**La Unidad and international work.** She played Najwa, an agent in a police unit specialized in jihadist terrorism, in three seasons of the Movistar+ series *La Unidad* (2020–2023); in the second season her character became central because she was the only member of the team who understood Arabic.[5](https://www.angelacariddi.com/talents/fariba-sheikhan) • [4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html) Her international credits include a main-cast role as Basira in Guy Ritchie's film *The Covenant* (2023) and a part in the Apple TV+ series *Tehran*, in which she shared the screen with [Hugh Laurie](https://www.edgepedia.org/hugh-laurie).[5](https://www.angelacariddi.com/talents/fariba-sheikhan) • [7](https://cadenaser.com/audio/1752501170933/) She also appeared as May in the Netflix anthology *Élite: Historias breves*.[6](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-899029/filmografia/)
**Recent work.** In 2024 she appeared in three films: *Disforia*, the first feature by Christopher Cartagena, in a leading role; *Raqa*, directed by Gerardo Herrero and starring [Álvaro Morte](https://www.edgepedia.org/alvaro-morte) and Mina El Hammani; and the Spanish-Argentine co-production *Adiós Madrid*.[2](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20250120/quien-es-fariba-sheikhan-actriz-invitada-revuelta-broncano-20-enero/16414794.shtml) In the [SkyShowtime](https://www.edgepedia.org/skyshowtime) psychological thriller *Matices* (2025) she played a character named Fariba Sayyid, a role written expressly for her, and in the Netflix series *Salvador* (2026) she plays Marjane opposite Luis Tosar.[6](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-899029/filmografia/) • [8](https://nouermagazine.com/fariba-sheikhan/) She has also worked with directors Daniel Calparsoro and Dani de la Torre, and with actors including [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/jake-gyllenhaal).[9](https://festivalsahara.org/en/participants-2026/)
**Visa episode.** She was denied a United States visa at the last moment and missed the Hollywood premiere of *The Covenant*; she attributed the refusal to her travel history in Iran and other countries, and has since obtained a visa, attending [Fantastic Fest](https://www.edgepedia.org/fantastic-fest) in Austin for *Disforia*.[10](https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencial.com/famosos/2026-05-18/entrevista-fariba-sheikhan-series-salvador-vida-trayectoria-muerte-hermano_4354908/)
## Music and other work
With her friend Iker Lauroba she formed the band Leila Thenuit, named for a [Persian name](https://www.edgepedia.org/persian-name) meaning roughly "beauty in the night"; the group released an album of what a friend called "gentle pop" with songs in Basque, Farsi, English, and Spanish, and once opened for [Julieta Venegas](https://www.edgepedia.org/julieta-venegas) before disbanding after a short run.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) She has said she would like to resume making music.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) She is a flamenco enthusiast, with a particular fondness for cante jondo, and has named singers including La Paquera, Remedios Amaya, and Camarón.[11](https://www.diariodecadiz.es/entrevistas/fariba-sheikhan-di-clases-flamenco_0_2006840803.html) In 2026 she took part in the FiSahara film festival, held in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria.[9](https://festivalsahara.org/en/participants-2026/)
## Iran and public commentary
Sheikhan travels to Iran regularly, often for a month or more, and has traveled alone across the country by bus and on foot; she has described Iran as a complex, dynamic society with many internal contradictions, saying that the Iran of the news is not the one she knows.[4](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html) • [12](https://as.com/tikitakas/famosos/fariba-sheikhan-la-actriz-espanola-con-raices-iranies-que-explica-la-otra-cara-de-iran-f202606-n/) In a 2026 interview with *El País*, she spoke about living with concern for part of her family caught in the war between Israel and Iran.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html) She has also said she avoids accepting roles that merely reproduce the stereotype of an ethnicity or religion, preferring characters with depth.[1](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html)
## References
1. [Fariba Sheikhan, actriz: "Cuando Trump amenazó con acabar con una civilización entera no pude dormir", El País (22 April 2026)](https://elpais.com/television/series/2026-04-22/fariba-sheikhan-actriz-cuando-trump-amenazo-con-acabar-con-una-civilizacion-entera-no-pude-dormir.html)
2. [Quién es Fariba Sheikhan, actriz invitada en La Revuelta, RTVE Play (20 January 2025)](https://www.rtve.es/play/noticias/20250120/quien-es-fariba-sheikhan-actriz-invitada-revuelta-broncano-20-enero/16414794.shtml)
3. [Fariba Sheikhan CV, Ruth Franco Talent (PDF)](https://ruthfranco.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fariba-Sheikhan-CV-EN.pdf)
4. [Fariba Sheikhan: "Me gusta cantar, bailar, y lo que tenga que ver con la farándula", Deia (4 April 2022)](https://www.deia.eus/gente/2022/04/04/fariba-sheikhan-gusta-cantar-bailar-1715545.html)
5. [Fariba Sheikhan, Angela Cariddi talent profile](https://www.angelacariddi.com/talents/fariba-sheikhan)
6. [Fariba Sheikhan: Filmografía, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-899029/filmografia/)
7. [Fariba Sheikhan, de Gernika a Hollywood, Cadena SER (14 July 2025)](https://cadenaser.com/audio/1752501170933/)
8. [Fariba Sheikhan, Nouer Magazine (5 May 2026)](https://nouermagazine.com/fariba-sheikhan/)
9. [Participants 2026, FiSahara](https://festivalsahara.org/en/participants-2026/)
10. [Fariba Sheikhan: "Tengo pendiente escribir una historia que le prometí a mi hermano antes de que falleciera", Vanitatis (18 May 2026)](https://www.vanitatis.elconfidencial.com/famosos/2026-05-18/entrevista-fariba-sheikhan-series-salvador-vida-trayectoria-muerte-hermano_4354908/)
11. [Fariba Sheikhan: "Di clases de flamenco con la Farruca", Diario de Cádiz (24 May 2026)](https://www.diariodecadiz.es/entrevistas/fariba-sheikhan-di-clases-flamenco_0_2006840803.html)
12. [Fariba Sheikhan, la actriz española con raíces iraníes que explica la otra cara de Irán, AS (16 June 2026)](https://as.com/tikitakas/famosos/fariba-sheikhan-la-actriz-espanola-con-raices-iranies-que-explica-la-otra-cara-de-iran-f202606-n/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › Spanish actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license