By FilmInk Staff
“I always thought that with my name, it would be complicated for me to break into this industry,” Mojean Aria told FilmInk back in 2017. We kinda disagree: despite not being your typical Aussie whitebread-type name, Mojean Aria undoubtedly has a starry, destined-for-greatness feel about it. And this young Australian actor is in pretty good shape when it comes to living up to that promise. In 2015, he was cast in the feature film, The Bronx Bull, a biopic about uncompromising boxing legend, Jake La Motta, most famously essayed by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. Holding his own against acting heavyweights like Joe Mantegna, Paul Sorvino, Tom Sizemore and James Russo, Ari played the young Jake La Motta to William Forsythe’s older, considerably more battered boxer.
Aria has been working steadily since, booking roles in the Aussie crime series, Dead Lucky (co-starring Rachel Griffiths); Kriv Stenders’ acclaimed war drama, Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan; the Jason Momoa-starring post-apocalyptic Apple+ TV series, See; and the upcoming Reminiscence (with Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson) and The Last Manhunt. In a big moment for Mojean Aria, 2017 saw the young actor pick up the coveted Heath Ledger Scholarship, making the Iranian-heritage Aria the first from a multicultural background to snag the honour. Boasting an illustrious judging panel of Naomi Watts, Ryan Murphy, Gary Oldman, and Bruna Papandrea, and with benefactors including the Ledger family, Michelle Williams, Baz Luhrmann, Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, The Heath Ledger Scholarship is something of a holy grail amongst burgeoning Aussie talent. “I was able to sign with agents and managers that I think love and understand me,” Aria told FilmInk in 2017. “It really changed everything for me.”
For Mojean Aria, however, it’s not just about moving up the rungs of his career ladder – this young actor is also keen to give back to the industry in which he’s currently thriving, and to give hope for those from multicultural backgrounds looking to make it on the screen. To this end, Aria has partnered with The Australian Institute for Performing Arts (AIPA) to launch a new scholarship for Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) Youth. This unique opportunity will see one aspiring acting student (aged 12 – 20) gain invaluable insights and connections within the film and television industries. “I wanted to launch this scholarship not just to give an opportunity to an aspiring actor/actress but to also spread awareness through the communities that I grew up in,” Aria says. “When I was an acting student, I was often the only one from an ethnic background and now, with so much of the film industry finally moving toward making films that better showcase our demographic reality, it’s imperative that we are developing diverse talent. I’m excited and honoured to be a part of that in Australia and with AIPA.”
The program will start on Friday December 18 and will continue on Saturday 19, Monday December 21 and Tuesday December 22. Students will work with Mojean Aria every day as well as top industry professionals from America, who will be zooming in to teach, give advice and guidance, and invaluable feedback. The scholarship will cover all meals, accommodation (if required) and classes. “We are excited to be working with Mojean on this initiative,” says Marg Haynes from APIA. “We are proud to support the scholarship and we encourage students from a MENA background to apply and attend. The week will open your eyes to opportunities that you may not have considered, give you a purpose to strive and thrive, and give you work that will allow you to be the next Mojean Aria. AIPA has trained a number of actors now working successfully in the industry. The most recent include Mojean, Danielle Macdonald, Liv Hewson and Eliza Scanlen. A safe, supportive environment is where it all starts, and that’s what we provide at AIPA.”
And you might just end up like Mojean Aria, who can now tell stories like this one: “When I was at The Tribeca Film Festival, I was able to go to this dinner with Francis Coppola, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Leonardo DiCaprio and James Franco. It was this very private dinner with only 25 people, and it was an unbelievable experience to be in that room. I don’t think I actually ate – it was after watching Godfather 1 and 2 at Radio City Music Hall, and then I go to this dinner and I’m just staring at Coppola…just staring at him! And Pacino was so charming and full of energy, and De Niro was so grounded. I’ve been very privileged to be in the rooms that I’ve been in.”
Those interested in applying for a scholarship to do the masterclass should call AIPA on 0412 736 977 to register. You will be asked to record on your phone or camera a brief introduction about yourself, why you would like to do the class, what acting means to you and then you will perform a short piece that will be emailed as soon as you register. There is no cost to apply for the scholarship. For those who want to jump straight in to the opportunity to work with Mojean and top US industry professionals, click here for details and to enroll. Feel free to call 0412 736 977 or 02 9966 5425 with any questions.
