Shabana Azeezhas been making waves recently thanks to her performance in Max’sThe Pitt, but the Australian actress already has some notable movie and television roles under her belt. A native of Adelaide, South Australia, Shabana Azeez is in along line of Australian acting talentsand has only recently brought her acting to stateside productions.SoapCentralsays Azeez got hooked on acting while attending St. Aloysius College. From there, she quickly got to work, first appearing in shorts and TV movies in minor roles.
From there, she went on to earn her first TV show role, playing a hipster waitress in a 2019 episode of the Australian comedy series,The Letdown. More small roles came along, mostly on TV, with performances inThe Hunting,Love, Guns & Level Ups, and a series of short films.Her first notable performance came in 2021, when she appeared in two episodes ofWhy Are You Like This. Her career has slowly grown since, and in 2023, Azeez received acclaim for her performance inBirdeater, and it has all led up to herstarring performance inThe Pitt.
InRun Rabbit Run, an Australianpsychological horror movie by directorDaina Reid, Sarah Snook stars as Sarah, a divorced fertility doctor who discovers a rabbit in her house on the day of her seven-year-old daughter Mia’s birthday. What seems like a gift turns out to be an omen, and from the moment they find the rabbit, Sarah is beset by hallucinations and visions of a dark moment from her past that combine with her reality. Shabana Azeez plays Nowa inthe cast ofRun Rabbit Run.
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It’s a smaller role inRun Rabbit Run, but it’s another example of Azeez taking on a dark and strange script. Her entire filmography is filled with unique choices, particularly post-2021. It takes a certain type of actor to want to be a part of psychologically taxing movies. EvenThe Pitthas plenty of uneasy and tense moments, and is far from a network medical show. Azeez is trying for something more uncommon, and it’s an ambitious and impressive undertaking.
Why Are You Like Thisis a comedy series about Penny (Naomi Higgins) and Mia (Olivia Junkeer), two naive young women who decide they’re the ones to go out and set all the wrongs in the world right. However, all their attempts to make things better almost inevitably end with them causing chaos wherever they go. In their early 20s and attempting to be socially conscious, the pair struggle to navigate the complicated world of adulthood.
It’s a fresh satire that pokes fun at millennials and those who ridicule them in equal measure. Shabana Azeez appears in two episodes ofWhy Are You Like Thisas Samara, one of the many people who find themselves stuck in the path of Penny and Mia as they attempt to “improve” the world around them. It’s one of Azeez’s first notable roles and an early look at her ability to play comedy and drama within the same scene.
Urvi Went to an All Girls School
Cast
In 2010 Melbourne, 16-year-old Urvi, an awkward and unpopular student at the academically rigorous Grogan Girls High, dreams of becoming a famous actress and catching the attention of “Hot Ryan” from Grogan Boys. Her aspirations are complicated by her conservative Indian parents' expectations for her to pursue a medical career and her younger sister Maya’s accelerated placement, which aligns her with Urvi’s school bullies.
Urvi Went to an All Girls Schoolis a 2024 Australian series set in 2010 Melbourne, making it something of a period piece, and the fashion and attitudes of the characters go a long way to making that true. A bookworm Indian girl named Urvi (Urvi Majumdar) has to deal with the high expectations of her parents and school bullies when she attends Kogan Girls Selective School. Her parents want her to commit to academics, but Urvi wants to act. Making things more difficult, Urvi is struggling with her queerness as well.
Shabana Azeez plays Maya, Urvi’s younger sister, who has managed to jump a grade into Urvi’s, and attends Kogan’s rival school, Heyington Girls Grammar, and Maya is quick to jump on the bullying bandwagon against her sister. The series only lasted for a pilot, but Azeez was certainly not the problem, and plays a much more biting character than usual. This series may not have taken off, but it suggests how showrunners have begun to notice Azeez as someone who can handle a co-starring role.
Nautilusis a British adventure drama released on Amazon Prime Video that is a reimagining ofTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seasby Jules Verne. The series is presented as the origin story of Captain Nemo, played by Shazad Latif. Once an Indian prince, Nemo was imprisoned by the British East India Mercantile Company and forced to build theNautilus, a submersible that the Company intends to launch as a new warship. Nemo and the other prisoners commandeer the ship and set out on a variety of adventures.
Renouka is an original character forNautilusand does not appear in Jules Verne’s story.
Shabana Azeez plays Renouka in three episodes of the series. Renouka is Nemo’s wife back on shore, and while she is left behind while Nemo goes on his adventures,she serves as an important reminder of the captain’s life before his imprisonment and escape. It’s a small role and one that only gives Azeez a few minutes of screen time, but it’s a big, rollicking adventure, and a sign that Azeez was comfortable with these larger productions.
Westerners
"Westerners" is a surrealist comedy-drama that follows three young adults—Jackie, Taz, and Dulla—from Sydney’s Western Suburbs as they move to the Inner West seeking freedom to express their inner realities. Navigating the complexities of their families, personal identities, and societal expectations, they encounter a series of absurd and humorous situations.
Westerners, a 2024 Australian TV show, is a three-episode series that’s backed byAunty Donna, the wild, madcap Australian sketch series. The series blends surreal comedy with some real drama. It follows three second-generation Australians who are navigating the highs and lows of growing up in Western Sydney. It’s a celebration of Australian identity through a millennial lens, andwhile there are plenty of problems with the identity, there are some heart-warming aspects to it as well.
Embarrassed by all parts of her varied identity, Tasneem does not know whether to connect with her Australian side or her Bangladeshi side.
Shabana Azeez appears in episode 2, “Second Hand Lamp”, as Tasneem, a Bangladeshi-Australian fashionista, who is struggling with her Western Sydney roots and trying to succeed in the fashion world. Embarrassed by all parts of her varied identity, Tasneem does not know whether to connect with her Australian side or her Bangladeshi side. It’s a very funny and self-effacing performance by Azeez. She can handle any and all awkwardness and absurdity thrown at her.
In Limbois an Australian comedy drama series, a favorite of Shabana Azeez’s, that follows Charlie (Ryan Corr) and Nate (Bob Morley), two pals who have to deal with mortality and the loss of a friend. As it turns out, Nate is the friend who was lost. He took his own life, but is now back on Earth as a ghost, and the only person who can communicate with him, Charlie, has to help him find out why he’s still there. It’s a satirical look at a dark subject.
In Limbohandles male depression and suicide with grace, but isn’t afraid to poke fun where need be. Azeez appears in every episode of the one-season series as Jay, a friend of Nate’s still dealing with his passing. Azeez plays the character as appropriately distraught, but she also doesn’t forget to give the character her own personality, not entirely dependent on Nate’s. It’s a small performance, but one that Azeez puts a lot of effort into all season long.
Metro Sexualis not to be confused withMetrosexuality, a British comedy drama that aired on Channel 4 in 2001.Metro Sexualis an Australian comedy series that premiered in 2019 which gives a peek behind the curtain of an Australian sexual health clinic and the oddball group of doctors who work there. A goofy comedy in line with something likeScrubsor evenReno: 911,Metro Sexualcombines the awkwardness of sexual health and doctor’s appointments with a charming and sensitive look at the industry and LGBTQ+ issues.
Shabana Azeez is a recurring character;Yasmin Dagher, one of the employees at the clinic who often plays the straight woman to the rest of the zaniness that goes on there. She’s smart and capable, and rarely shaken by the absurd situations she finds herself in, either laughing or grimacing and moving on. It’s a funny performance from Azeez and an early look at her in a hospital-related role.
Lesbian Space Princess
Lesbian Space Princess, released in 2024, follows a space princess who embarks on a galactic quest to rescue her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from the clutches of the Straight White Maliens, challenging her sheltered existence and testing her resolve.
Shabana Azeez stars inLesbian Space Princess, voicing the eponymous LGBTQ+, extraterrestrial member of royalty who goes by the name Saira. Saira is anxious and introverted and has not done much with her life. However, when her ex-girlfriend Kiki, a bounty hunter, is captured by the villainous “Straight White Maliens”, Saira sets off across space to rescue her love. It’s a candy-colored comedy adventure from Australia with its tongue firmly in its cheek.
It’s a bit likeRick and MortymeetsSteven Universe, and there is as much blood and sex as there is commentary on cultural and social issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community.
It’s a bit likeRick and MortymeetsSteven Universe, and there is as much blood and sex as there is commentary on cultural and social issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Azeez brings a lot of emotion to her character. Saira is pathetic in the early part of the film, but as she slowly gains confidence, Azeez adds more notes of courage and strength to her princess.
Birdeaterwas Shabana Azeez’s true breakout role, even beforeThe Pitt. This 2023 Australian drama film stars Mackenzie Fearnley as Louis, a soon-to-be-wed young man who invites his cadre of privileged young, male friends to a remote location for a one-night bachelor party. He also invites his fiancée, Irene (Azeez), along for the night. She’s joined by Louis' friend Charlie’s (Jack Bannister) fiancée, Grace (Clementine Anderson). That night, Irene and Louis learn they’re not quite as compatible as they may have thought.
Irene seems uncommonly loyal to Louis, more so out of self-preservation than anything, and it’s disturbing to watch how she’s willing to overlook some of his obvious faults for the chance to settle down.Azeez brings an uneasy attitude to the film, and even though it’s made clear Louis has wronged her multiple times, there’s something surreal and unnerving about her performance that makes the audience just as fearful for Louis.
Shabana Azeez co-stars inThe Pittas Dr. Victoria Javadi, a 20-year-old medical student who often finds herself being overlooked because of her youth. The daughter of a talented medical professional who also works at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, Victoria is working both to prove herself as a capable doctor and a separate individual from her mother.She often tries to go above and beyond to prove that she didn’t get her position because of her privileged upbringing, which can get on some other doctors' nerves.
Despite having one embarrassing moment where she fainted during a bone-setting procedure, Victoria has consistently proven she’s capable of being on the floor of the ER during a chaotic shift. She has a gentle nature, which helps to calm herself and others down during the waning hours of the shift, andShabana Azeezbrings a uniquely charming but intense energy to the role, making Victoria one of thebetter TV doctors to come around in recent years.
