Twenty-one years after coming to the United States, Shohreh Aghdashloo has her first leading role in an American movie.

She left Tehran before the 1979 revolution, studied international relations in England, came to the States to tour with a political play and has remained in Los Angeles for 21 years, doing bit parts in movies and sitcoms and hitting the big time as Ben Kingsley’s wife in House of Sand and Fog, which won her an Oscar nomination in 2004 and a spot on the TV series 24 as a wealthy housewife who is also a terrorist.

Question: How are you perceived in Iran?

Answer: Up until the Oscar nomination, my name was banned. Nobody mentioned my name. They knew what I was doing but never mentioned it officially. But I’ll never forget: My mother called and said, “Your name is in the newspapers.” And this time it was “OUR Shohreh Aghdashloo has been nominated.”

Q: What are you recognized for on the streets?

A: It is 24. And it’s usually my voice that gives me away. The moment I open my mouth. Usually my friends tell me, “Just shut up, let’s go have lunch and don’t say anything; we’ll order food for you.” We were sitting at this restaurant and they ordered for me, the waiter came back and looked at me and said, “How would you like your food, hot or mild?” And I said, “Hot.” And he said, “Are you the woman on 24?”