ELNAAZ NOROUZI ON SHARING THE SCREEN WITH LIAM NEESON AND WHY HE INSPIRED HER

Elnaaz Norouzi doesn't want predictability to define her career. With credits spanning Sacred Games, Made in Heaven, Tehran, and Kandahar, the actress has already cultivated a body of work across different languages and genres.

Though she seamlessly moves between Bollywood and Hollywood, Norouzi is currently fixated on The Fix, her latest release, starring Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi. Directed by Guy Moshe, the action thriller sees Norouzi, 34, step into the role of Zara in a story of former CIA operatives embarking on a high-stakes mission in Tehran.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Star, the actress divulged how preparing for the role of Zara was "intense on her mind." She revealed that she had many discussions and readings with the director and even read multiple books to better understand Zara's psyche. This comes after the Liam Neeson action thriller movie's release date was announced.

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"I also spoke to someone who thinks the same way Zara does, just so I can understand the character better," she added, noting that just the preparation phase took several months.

But sharing the screen with Hollywood heavyweights Liam Neeson and Zachary Levi was an education in itself and even changed her perspective on longevity in the entertainment industry.

"I think just being around these legendary actors who have done so much, there is so much you learn," she said, adding that it felt like being mentored without them mentoring her directly.

Looking at Neeson's prolific career also helped her recalibrate her goals. "The other day I was thinking, 'Oh my God, I have at least another 30 years.' Not everybody is a Liam Neeson and can have a long career like that. But you can strive to and hope to and work toward it," she said.

The actress went on to recall her most cherished memory while shooting, which entailed the cast, including herself, Neeson, and Levi, coming back to the hotel and playing poker together after a hard day of work.

"We would just shoot this really tough film and be super exhausted," she said. "But we would all come back to the hotel, and we knew we were going down to the lobby, sitting at the table, and playing poker together. That was our way to unwind," she said.

"That was just something we would do every evening after wrapping up shoot. We would go down, play poker, eat together, go to bed and start the next day. That's something that stayed with me, and was a great memory," she shared.

The road ahead, as she sees it, doesn't require her to choose between Bollywood and Hollywood. The ambition has always been to make room for both.

"They're two different worlds," she said, however adding that she doesn't intend to pick between them.

"I really want to be flying to India, making a film there and be like,'Hey, listen. I gotta go. I'm making a film in Hollywood now.' I would love to keep that balance," she added.

Though Zara from The Fix feels fundamentally different from who she is, the enduring lesson that came from the character was clear.

"I learned that there are so many people in this world who are not bad people, but they just have a different kind of conditioning," she said. "And we have to learn and understand those people because if we don't understand them, we won't be able to help them change for the better."

The Fix is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 11, 2026.

2026-09-12T10:00:40Z