Elnaaz Norouzi, who broke into Hollywood with the 2023 action thriller Kandahar, now stars in Guy Moshe’s The Fix alongside Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi. In an exclusive chat, she describes the honour of working with her longtime favourite actor Neeson, praises his ability to switch into character, and recalls learning poker from Levi during off-set evenings in Georgia.
Three years since breaking into Hollywood with the 2023 action-thriller Kandahar starring Gerard Butler, Sacred Games star Elnaaz Norouzi is already back for seconds.
The actor made her Bollywood debut with the film Hello Charlie in 2021. She later appeared in major films like Tehran alongside John Abraham, and also in Milap Zaveri's Mastiii 4.
Norouzi is now ready to star in her next Hollywood project, acting with one of the industry's most celebrated figures.
The actor is now set to appear in Guy Moshe's Iran-set action thriller The Fix, alongside Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi in lead roles.
In an exclusive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Norouzi gushes on working with Neeson, her favourite film of his, and shares a joyful anecdote about how she learned how to play poker on the film's set.
"Not all actors are immersed in a character when they're on-screen. But actors like Liam can just switch on and off and immediately get into character. It's just beautiful to see that," says Norouzi.
She also feels that Neeson is someone who doesn't let the stardom seep into the version of himself you see away form the camera. "Off-screen, you would not imagine that you are with a superstar," she says, expressing what an honour it has been for her to share the screen with him.
But for Norouzi, what made working with Neeson particularly special is that he has also long been one of her favourite actors. When asked if she is a Neeson fan, she says, "Oh yes, one hundred percent!"
"My father and I have seen all of his films and all the Taken movies," she admits. "I mean, is there anybody who hasn't Liam Neeson movies and is not a fan of his?"
She also describes a particularly memorable experience of learning how to play poker on the film's set, revealing that she would usually be the only girl there. "Once we would finish filming, we'd sit in the hotel lobby, order dinner, and just play poker," she says.
Norouzi calls Levi, who also leads the film alongside Neeson, a skilled poker player and reveals she learned a lot about the game from him. "We were in Georgia, and Liam, unfortunately, was not on that trip with us," she says. "But I'm sure he's a great player," she remarks playfully.
Centered on a group of ex-CIA operators who enter Tehran on a journey of redemption after their mission in Afghanistan goes technically wrong, The Fix is set to release in theaters on September 11.