Pitt Star Says They Shut Down Hollywood’s Push To Change Their Name

Here’s a classic Hollywood tale you’ve probably heard before, but with a refreshingly firm response: Sepideh Moafi, who plays Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on HBO Max’s excellent medical drama The Pitt, just shared that her first agent wanted her to swap her name for something more “marketable.” She absolutely wasn’t having it.

Hollywood Name Games (And One Strong 'No')

For those unfamiliar, Moafi’s been around for a bit now—she graduated from UC Irvine’s MFA program back in 2013, and it was right at the beginning of her career that she ran into this infamous piece of industry advice. Her rep at the time told her it was time for a name change if she wanted to land more gigs.

Her reaction? Let's just say she didn't mince words:

'When I graduated from grad school, my first agent wanted me to change my name, and I immediately said, f--- no.'

(Honestly, good for her. That takes guts when you’re new and everyone’s telling you how it 'really works.')

Why She Stuck With Sepideh

Moafi stressed that saying no to the name-change runway wasn’t about judging anyone else. She’s got friends and colleagues—especially other actors of color—who have felt pressure to do the same, and she’s not slamming that choice. As she put it, it’s 'complicated.' Some folks genuinely feel a new name helps, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for her, sticking to her roots was non-negotiable. She didn’t want to feel like she had to be someone else just to book a role—or as she put it, 'to sell something.'

And the best part? She did it her way and still won roles. In her words, she kept moving forward:

• Landed her first professional acting job after saying no to her agent.
• Then got her second, then her third.
• Built a pretty varied career—all using her real name.

Not a Lecture, Just Her Journey

Moafi made it clear she’s not telling anyone else what the “right” choice is. As she puts it, her hope is that actors—regardless of their background or the pressure put on them—make that call for themselves, not because they think they need to erase who they are for Hollywood.

What’s Next?

On top of her work in The Pitt, Moafi has another project coming up: she’s set to appear in a show called Wild Berries. So, no, standing her ground clearly hasn’t slowed her down.

It’s a story that says a lot about the industry—and maybe even more about how to carve your own path in it, even if you have to throw down a 'f--- no' before you get your first gig.