Chris Perfetti Presents Arian Moayed | Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors - video Dailymotion

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00:00Now, while I'm sure he will hate to hear it,

00:03to me, Arianne Moyad is nothing less than a modern marvel.

00:11See what I did there, marvel?

00:13He is a force of fucking nature.

00:17Sorry, Cheryl.

00:20She hates when I curse.

00:22Look, no more jokes.

00:23I want to say I truly believe, fervently,

00:27that a hundred years from now, scientists will study his brain

00:32in an effort to better understand human genius and productivity.

00:37On any given day, at any given moment,

00:39Arianne is simultaneously writing, advocating, producing, teaching,

00:45pitching, promoting, and acting the hell out of everything he touches,

00:50all at the same time.

00:53And as if by some cosmic miracle,

00:56he happens to be one of the most generous, gorgeous,

01:00humane beings I have ever encountered.

01:03He is a truly delightful and compassionate friend,

01:07and leads with more kindness and integrity

01:10than I have ever come to expect from a New Yorker.

01:15It is astounding.

01:18Perhaps most profoundly, he is a glaring reminder

01:22that kindness and care are at the heart of activism.

01:26And that empathy and bravery are an artist's best friend.

01:32His contributions to the arts and social justice

01:35are, in a word, extraordinary.

01:39Take Waterwell, for example,

01:41the non-profit theater company he co-founded.

01:43They are committed to producing theater and film and television

01:46that is, above all else, compelling.

01:49And boy, is it.

01:50But also deeply, deeply rooted in the belief

01:54that art can foster understanding and actually move the needle.

01:59They have worked with countless advocacy organizations,

02:02become a fixture of the New York City Department of Education,

02:06and that doesn't even begin to tell the story of their 20 years,

02:11which is a millennia in theater company terms.

02:16Whether it is addressing issues of race, immigration,

02:19the rights of marginalized communities,

02:21Arian and his team at Waterwell have become a touchstone

02:26of how to use art not just as a form of expression,

02:29but as an actual force of social change.

02:34As a public figure,

02:35Arian has often spoken out about the importance of representation.

02:39Not just in the roles that Middle Eastern and Iranian actors are cast in,

02:43but the ways that those roles are written, directed, and brought to life.

02:48He has been at the forefront of a movement

02:50to reshape how we are represented in the media,

02:53advocating for roles that show the diversity and richness

02:57of Arab, Muslim, Iranian, and Middle Eastern identities.

03:01The same thing that any actor is looking for,

03:09a story that reflects the full scope of human experience.

03:15His performances are seared in my mind.

03:19On stage and screen,

03:22he is a shining example of what acting can be.

03:26A deeply intelligent and generous actor.

03:30My favorite kind.

03:31Tireless, fearless, selfless,

03:35Arian is so deserving of being named a visionary.

03:39Here is a clip to illustrate some of his work.

03:44It's not just my reputation, asshole.

03:48It's my life.

03:49It's my freedom.

03:51You useless, incompetent excuse for a con artist.

03:54I've known a shit ton of fucking criminals in my day,

03:57and you are below fucking average at crime.

03:59So, fuck you.

04:00And fuck your reputation.

04:02And fuck your fake-ass life.

04:03And fuck your freedom.

04:04This is my reputation.

04:07My identity.

04:08My ability to provide a life for my family you're fucking with.

04:12And now, now I look like a fucking hack,

04:14because I can't control my client.

04:16Can't get baby dressed in the morning.

04:18I let you take the stand,

04:21and it's the nail in your coffin and in mine.

04:24You will get the maximum sentence,

04:26and no one will ever hire me again.

04:28As they fucking shouldn't.

04:30And just fuck me.

04:31Fuck you.

04:32Get out.

04:33And my father will find me a lawyer,

04:35who isn't just some long-owned trash sack.

04:37Your father?

04:38Your fucking father?

04:39You're not stupid.

04:41So what is it?

04:42Full-on fucking delusion,

04:44that makes you believe he's coming anywhere near here?

04:49Do you believe your lies?

04:56Hey, hey, look who it is.

04:58Daddy's boy.

05:02I hear your staff are all killing themselves now.

05:04Yeah, at the thought you could be their boss.

05:07Which you never will be.

05:08No, sure, because of all the acquisitions you guys are making,

05:11like really bloating yourselves up, huh?

05:13There's a $75 Cobb salad here.

05:15Dude, you should buy that, use that as a defense.

05:17Yeah, yeah, maybe.

05:19Either the Cobb salad or something else tasty.

05:23Oh, ooh, that's scary.

05:26What could that be?

05:27Is it a hamburger?

05:28Is it calamari?

05:29Is it fucking...

05:31Dude, is it Napster?

05:33Look, I'm just going to say, honestly,

05:36we have something coming in,

05:37and it's going to make your deal untenable.

05:39So, I thought as a friend I should mention.

05:42Well, that's kind.

05:44It's like BFF shit right there.

05:45Look, I'm not fucking with you, Sue.

05:47I swear on my children's lives

05:49that right now we have a deal in the bag so big

05:51that it's going to kill your approach, okay?

05:54And I feel a certain level of regret

05:57about how things have panned out between us.

06:00The thing is, Ken, and due respect,

06:04I really don't trust you.

06:09Please welcome the man I want to be when I grow up,

06:11Arian Moyad.

06:27Wow.

06:30First of all, thank you so, so much to Chris,

06:34who I've known for a long time,

06:36and Chris is, you know, man,

06:38you really are just a genuine, amazing human being,

06:41but what people also don't know is that

06:43you are like one of the great actors.

06:46You really are. It's so true.

06:49One of the great actors.

06:51Are you recording this?

06:52One of the great actors, Chris Perfetti.

06:57Thank you to Variety.

06:59Thank you to The Coalition.

07:02I've said this story to a few people before.

07:05Some of you might have read it.

07:06I think it bears repeating.

07:08My mother was born and was married at an ungodly age,

07:14and my father was ungodly young,

07:17and they had kids by the age of 18.

07:21They had three.

07:22And by the middle of the revolution

07:27that happened in 1979 in Iran,

07:29one of my brothers was in Chicago

07:32dealing with the ramifications

07:34of what was happening in Iran and in the States.

07:38My sister was on the streets fighting for justice.

07:42My other brother was fighting in the Iran-Iraq War.

07:47And in the midst of all that,

07:48my father was forced into retirement

07:51because the crazy fanatics wanted to take over the banks,

07:56so my dad had no job.

07:58And in the midst of all that,

08:01I was born as this little accident.

08:06And I have to say,

08:09that experience into itself,

08:11to this moment, defines who I am.

08:15We then came to the States after a little stint in Dubai.

08:19We came to the States and moved to Chicago

08:21because that's where my brother was at.

08:22And we had the typical immigrant life

08:25with very little means, very little English,

08:29very little opportunities.

08:31No one else to guide us or help us.

08:34In the midst of a time and period

08:36where Iranians were demonized,

08:38not that it's gotten any better,

08:41but demonized.

08:43And I say all that to say,

08:45I am standing here because of faith

08:49and something bigger than myself.

08:52There's no reason I should be here.

08:54It's a miracle that I'm standing in front of any of you right now.

08:58And so this opportunity to be here,

09:01I'm so honored that my artistry

09:04and the people at Waterwell

09:06and the table here of Motherland

09:09are all here because we're trying to use art

09:13to move the needle forward to better lives.

09:16That's the only mission that we're here to do.

09:19This is all amazing.

09:20I love all the accolades

09:23and all the stuff we all do.

09:26But none of this matters

09:27unless we as artists try to move forward

09:32the progress that we need to do.

09:34I always end with these two things.

09:38I was told once there's two things that remain on earth.

09:42The wars that we fight

09:45and the art that we make.

09:49And why wouldn't we use that art

09:52to battle those wars?

09:55And the last thing is very name-dropping,

09:57but may he rest in peace.

09:59I had the honor of being on Broadway with Robin Williams.

10:03And he was a real inspiration and a real mentor to me.

10:07He would be so honored.

10:09And he said to me,

10:12the difference between an A-plus actor

10:15and a B-plus actor is not talent.

10:18It's how you treat people.

10:21And I take that every day.

10:23Thank you so much for this, honestly.

Chris Perfetti Presents Arian Moayed | Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors

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