Bio
Necar Zadegan is a German-born American actress and model best known for her recurring role as Dahlia Hassan in the final season of the television action series 24, in 2010.
She also had a starring role as the tough-as-nails world-famous cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Gina Bandari, the doctor who both inspires and intimidates all the interns, in the medical drama television series Emily Owens, M.D., from 2012-2013.
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, and raised in San Francisco, California, Zadegan began working in theatre at age 16 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
She later attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, on a performance scholarship, and graduated with degrees in literature and writing. She has since stayed close to the theatre while splitting her time between film and television.
Zadegan's career took off in 2010, when she joined the cast of 24 in their farewell season, appearing on 20 episodes in the role of Dalia Hassan, the first lady and wife of Middle Eastern President Omar Kassan (Anil Kapoor). Zadegan went on to join the cast of The Event as resident villainess Isabelle.
In spring 2011, Zadegan headed to New York, where she returned to the stage in her Broadway debut opposite Robin Williams, as part of the original cast of the Tony-Award winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated play The Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (directed by Tony Award nominee Moises Kaufman).
Some of Zadegan's other television credits include CSI: Miami, The Unit, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, Nip/Tuck, The Shield, Harry's Law, Undercovers, Outlaw and Major Crimes.
In addition to television, Zadegan has also made her mark in film, appearing in studio features You Don't Mess with the Zohan, with Adam Sandler, and Unthinkable, starring alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Sheen.
In 2011, Zadegan's critically acclaimed indie film Elena Undone, in which she plays the title role of Elena Winters. She also played a lead role in the FilmMcQueen production of Meth Head.
She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she splits her time between television, film, and stage work. She speaks four languages, (French, German, Farsi, and English) and also serves as a cultural ambassador for the Levantine Center Organization.
When not working, Zadegan is an avid reader of books and loves to be athletic by regularly jogging, doing yoga, and hitting the surf when it is warm and the skis when there is snow. Her favorite hobby is music, and she loves to play the guitar.