Arian Moayed

Stewy Hosseini sniffs lavender during a confrontation in Succession (2018–2023), a detail Arian Moayed improvised. We laughed at that small distraction: the opportunist has found something else to occupy him while the confrontation carries on. Moayed makes Stewy memorable without needing much screen time in Jesse Armstrong’s series. Stewy feels like someone who has habits beyond whatever the scene needs him to say.

On stage, his parts include Musa opposite Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (2011). The ensemble of The Humans (2016) made use of his ability to work within a company, while Torvald in A Doll’s House (2023) put him opposite Jessica Chastain. Television guest appearances preceded the wider recognition of Stewy, with Todd Spodek in Inventing Anna (2022) another substantial supporting role. Stewy and Torvald suggest why he works: he can find human qualities in controlling men without needing to soften them.

Wonder Man (2026) offers a welcome setting for an ensemble actor: a warm, funny showbusiness comedy that gives its performers room to make us care. Moayed appears as Agent Cleary, continuing the part from Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Ms. Marvel (2022). Our recommendation comes with a specific caveat about the industry satire, which could be sharper. The chief pleasure is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley’s rapport, so we would not send anyone to it expecting a Moayed vehicle. It belongs on the watchlist for the company he keeps.

The limitation is how often he is asked to play an outsider, with ethnicity sometimes doing too much of the work of characterisation. His eye for a behavioural detail helps, but a thin part still needs writing. We would like to see him cast more often without outsider status being the first thing the audience is asked to notice. For a recurring character given enough room to become a person, start with Succession.