About

Maz Jorbani is an Iranian-American comedian, actor, and performer who has been entertaining audiences for over two decades. Though he is a comedian by profession, and his talent for the craft sometimes make his performances look effortless, Maz' decision to pursue his passion on the stage was not spontaneous, and it didn’t come easy. His parents wanted him to take a more traditional route towards success, to choose a more stable career. It wasn’t until a culmination of events and encouragement that Maz decided to actually take to the stage to try his hand at the art of stand-up comedy.Maz’ interest in the performing arts began early on. Born and raised in Iran - and living there until around the time of the 1979 Iranian Revolution - Western culture was surprisingly accessible and prevalent in Maz’ life. He recalls loving comic book heroes like Spider Man, American movies like Rocky and The Mask of Zorro, and of course, comedy entertainment. In many ways, his Iranian-American dual identity was being sculpted even before he and his family immigrated to the United States. In high school, Maz joined the theatre group and began performing in plays. He quickly found himself thriving on stage - both literally and figuratively! It was common for him to hear words of encouragement from teachers and peers alike. Maz' interest in the performing arts grew in parallel with his confidence on stage.Some key moments over the course of his life would come to serve as eureka moments which gave Maz the collective encouragement to get up on stage and face the crowd. As it is for many comedians, Maz didn’t start off bringing down the house - delivering laughs night after night, joke after joke. There was a long road of practice, reflection, and refining ahead of him, but it was all a part of the journey. Fortunately for Maz, his countless hours spent performing plays and practicing on stage gave him an edge that many of his amateur peers lacked. Through time, effort, experience, and encouragement from some key characters over the course of his life, Maz was able to achieve his dream of becoming a professional stand-up comedian. Today, he is not only an accomplished performer, but a father and a husband. For his children, Maz says he wants to be their biggest encouragement in finding their passions and chasing their dreams.Tune into this episode of Stories of Transformation to hear exactly how Maz Jorbani’s story played out - from his birthplace in Iran, to his relocation to the United States, to his decision to step on stage. Hear about the several key moments which pushed him further towards his dream, and the eureka moment in which he decided to finally go all in on his dream. Maz also shares some insights into his own personal philosophy for how one ought to live their life on their terms, complete with interesting stories, experiences, and anecdotes which have informed him over the years. Finally, we discuss how Maz’ Iranian-American identity has assisted, but not totally informed, his comedy and the way he presents himself on stage and in life.For full show noteshttps://www.baktashahadi.com/podcastConnect with Maz JorbaniWebsite: https://www.mazjobrani.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazjobraniFacebook: Maz JobraniTwitter: MazJobraniYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/mazjobraniFollow/Support Stories of Transformation and Baktash AhadiDonate to the production of this podcast https://www.baktashahadi.com/supportFollow us on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/stories_of_transformation/Follow us on FacebookStories of TransformationCreditsHosted and created by: Baktash Ahadihttps://www.baktashahadi.comProduced by: Joseph Gangemihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gangemi-audio/Digital Marketing & Media by: Katherine Anhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-a-91081b56/Theme music by: Qais Essarwww.therabab.comArtwork by: Masheed Ahadihttps://www.LinkedIn.com/in/masheedEpisode Music Credits"The Journey" by Onyx Music"Flight Of The Inner Bird" by Sivan Talmor"Reflections" by Pete James Johnson