Shabana Azeez
Australian actress (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shabana Azeez (born 9 March 1997)[1] is an Australian actress and voice actor. She has starred in many Australian films and TV series including the 2023 film Birdeater, and became known internationally for her role as medical student Victoria Javadi on the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt (2025–present).
Shabana Azeez | |
|---|---|
Azeez in 2026 | |
| Born | 9 March 1997 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Education | University of Adelaide (BA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Known for | |
Early life and education
Shabana Azeez was born in Adelaide, South Australia to Indo-Fijian parents.[2] She has a younger brother.[3] She was educated at St Aloysius College, an all-girls Catholic school in Adelaide, from 2002 until 2014. She was a member of the senior debating team and the choir.[4]
Azeez was raised in a household that emphasised the importance of academics.[3] At the end of Year 12, she gained her parents' permission to audition for one drama school; she crashed her car on the way to the audition, which was not successful.[5]
She undertook a Bachelor of Arts and Media double degree at the University of Adelaide.[4]
Career
While working in an administrative position at Mercury CX, her boss secured her an audition for a short film, which she successfully booked.[6][3] During this time, she met Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs, who she would go on to collaborate with repeatedly.[7] Azeez also appeared in a comedy band with Varghese.[8] Between acting jobs, Azeez worked as a standardised patient.[9]
Azeez's breakout role was in the 2023 film Birdeater.[10] She played Irene, who goes on a disastrous bachelor party weekend with her fiancé.[7] She researched testimonies of emotional abuse and coercive control in advance of filming.[11][7] Critics praised Azeez for her performance and her on-screen chemistry with co-star Mackenzie Fearnley.[12][13][14] Azeez secured her management after Birdeater was shown at South by Southwest in Texas.[15]
In July 2024, it was announced that Azeez had joined the cast of the upcoming HBO Max medical drama The Pitt.[16] Azeez auditioned for The Pitt with a self-tape auditon and then a nine-minute-long Zoom call. Initially, she did not think she had secured the role. Azeez's character Victoria Javadi (an intelligent young medical student who struggles socially) was not originally written as South Asian, and Azeez also thought her race would negatively impact her success of booking the role. "I remember thinking that it would never happen because they already had a 'brown girl'," she stated, referring to Supriya Ganesh, who played Dr. Samira Mohan. Azeez and Ganesh later became close friends when Azeez moved to Los Angeles for the job.[3]
Azeez prepared for the role of Victoria Javadi by watching American teen dramas and reading romance novels (including those by Emily Henry) and studies about loneliness.[3][17] She also learned about gun violence in advance of the first season's mass shooting subplot.[18] She participated in a "two-week boot camp" where she learned how to perform medical procedures.[10] Before filming season two, she researched post-traumatic stress disorder and toured hospitals and medical schools where she interviewed medical students.[9]
Azeez provided the voice of Princess Saira in the critically acclaimed comedy Lesbian Space Princess.[6][19] She had previously auditioned for the role of Willow.[6] Writing for The Guardian, Cassie Tongue described Azeez as "the perfect lead" for the film, while Stephen A Russel for ScreenHub said she was "instantly endearing" in the role".[20][21]
Azeez stars alongside Hugo Weaving in the upcoming SBS series The Airport Chaplain. She plays a single mother named Carmen who works in a management role in an airport.[22]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Aquaphobe | Miriam | Short film |
| The Normals | Beth-Anne | ||
| 2021 | Weather Girl | Molly | |
| 2022 | Illustrating Sam Newton | Charlie | |
| 2023 | Run Rabbit Run | Nowa | |
| Birdeater | Irene | ||
| 2025 | I'm the Most Racist Person I Know | Lali | Short film |
| Lesbian Space Princess | Saira | Voice role |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | F Off We're Full | Fatima | TV movie |
| 2019 | The Letdown | Hipster Waitress | Episode: "Heavy Heart" |
| The Hunting | Jaspreet | Episode: "sluts" | |
| 2020 | Love, Guns & Level Ups | Steph | Mini series; 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Why Are You Like This | Samara | 2 episodes |
| Metro Sexual | Yasmin Dagher | 6 episodes | |
| 2023 | Utopia | Carla | Episode: "Tunnel Vision" |
| In Limbo | Jay | 6 episodes | |
| 2024 | Nautilus | Renouka | 3 episodes |
| Triple Oh! | Brooklyn | Episode: "Car Crash" | |
| Urvi Went to an All Girls School | Maya | Episode: "Urvi Went to an All Girls School" | |
| Westerners | Tasneem | Episode: "Second Hand Lamp" | |
| 2025–present | The Pitt | Victoria Javadi | 30 episodes |
| 2025 | Apple Cider Vinegar | Evie | Episode: "Tapeworm" |
| 2026 | The Airport Chaplain | Mira | 8 episodes[23] |
| Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee (AU) | Herself | Season 3, episode 2 |
Awards and honors
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Actor Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Pitt | Won | [24] |