Elnaaz Norouzi has spoken plainly about her Hollywood debut in The Fix, saying her casting came from auditions and screen tests, not industry friendships. The Iranian-German actor stars alongside Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi in the action thriller, which opened in U.S. theatres on September 11, 2026, and is set for an India release on October 30, 2026.
Norouzi told India Today that she did not know the producers or directors before joining the project. Her manager suggested her for the role, and she went through an audition process that included a screen test with Levi.
The Casting Came Down to the Audition
Norouzi described the casting process as straightforward. The team was looking for an actor who matched the director’s vision. She auditioned, read with Levi, and the final decision came down to how they looked and worked together on screen.
“I didn’t know the producers or the directors. I wasn’t chosen because I am somebody’s friend. I was chosen because out of all the actors that were presented to my director, I was the one that worked best”.
She also matched the film’s look and height requirements, and the pieces fell into place.
A Role That Grows Through the Film
In The Fix, Norouzi plays Zara, an Iranian-born, American-raised college student who poses as a wife during a dangerous mission in Iran. The character becomes more central as the story moves forward, and Norouzi said Zara delivers a surprise near the climax.
The role carries a personal layer for Norouzi, who was born in Tehran and speaks both Farsi and English in the film. Playing Zara required her to set aside her own views and understand the character without judgment, which meant research, reading, and working on an American accent.
From Sacred Games to a Hollywood Lead
Norouzi’s path to The Fix did not start in Hollywood. She grew up in Germany after her family moved from Iran, started modelling at 14, and later moved to India to pursue acting. Her breakthrough came with the Netflix series Sacred Games in 2018.
She went on to appear in Made in Heaven, the Apple TV+ series Tehran, and the 2023 Hollywood film Kandahar with Gerard Butler. The Fix marks her first leading role in a Hollywood film.
Bollywood and Hollywood: A Fairness Comparison
Norouzi has previously said that Hollywood feels fairer when it comes to auditions. In a March 2025 interview with Hindustan Times, she said that a good audition is often enough for an actor to be recognised in the West, while the same is not always true in India.
“Here you have an industry that’s not always very accepting of outsiders… Over there, when you give a good audition, they see you as a great actor. It doesn’t work like that here, and people don’t select you based only on auditions”.
She made the comparison while speaking about her early years in Bollywood, where she had to learn Hindi and adjust to a new industry as an outsider.
Beating Big Names to the Role
A separate News18 exclusive reported that Norouzi’s ethnicity and authenticity helped her land the part. The director, Guy Moshe, was offered many actresses in the U.S., including stars of Indian descent, but he wanted an Iranian actress who could do the part. Norouzi said the director was near the end of his search when he found her.
She also told News18 that she is against forced diversity in casting and believes the right actor should be chosen for the right part, regardless of background.
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The Fix Release Details
The Fix is directed by Guy Moshe and follows former CIA operatives on a mission in Tehran after an Afghanistan operation goes wrong. The film opened in U.S. theatres on September 11, 2026.
For Indian audiences, The Fix is scheduled to release in theatres on October 30, 2026. The film also stars Zachary Levi and Liam Neeson in lead roles.
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