Faran Haroon Tahir (born 16 February 1963; age 61) is an actor who portrayed Richard Robau in Star Trek. The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals used a picture of him for card #75, Captain R. Robau.
Early life
Tahir was born in Los Angeles, California, where his parents had been studying acting and directing at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Growing up in Pakistan, Tahir returned to Los Angeles in 1980. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in Theater before acquiring a graduate degree from Harvard University's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training.
Career
Film work
He made his film debut playing Nathoo in The Jungle Book (1994). He has since appeared in such films as Picture Perfect (1997, with Ivar Brogger and Anne Twomey), Anywhere but Here (1999, starring Susan Sarandon, featuring John Carroll Lynch and Stephanie Niznik), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007, featuring Cyia Batten and Star Trek co-star Rachel Nichols). He also played the male lead in the 1999 independent film ABCD.
In addition to his part in Star Trek, Tahir appeared in Paramount Pictures' Iron Man (2008). Jon Braver, who was Tahir's stunt double on Star Trek, was also his stunt double in this film. Bill Smitrovich had a role in Iron Man, as well; Jamie Kelman was among the make-up artists working on the film.
Tahir starred with Christopher Lloyd and Tony Todd in Super Athlete. He also appeared in Elysium and Escape Plan, both 2013.
Television work
Tahir first worked with Star Trek director/producer J.J. Abrams and writers/executive producers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman in the fourth episode of Abrams' Alias. He later appeared on Abrams' and Damon Lindelof's Lost, starring Daniel Dae Kim and Terry O'Quinn (in an episode with Sam Anderson and Alan Dale).
In the early 2000s, Tahir guest-starred on such television shows as
- The Practice (in an episode with Robert Curtis Brown and George D. Wallace)
- Family Law (with Michael Reilly Burke, Rosalind Chao, Denise Crosby, Christopher McDonald, and Julie Warner)
- The Agency (with Ed Begley, Jr., Daniel Benzali, David Clennon, Ronny Cox, Lawrence Pressman, and Dwight Schultz)
- NYPD Blue (with Gordon Clapp, Juliana Donald, and James MacDonald)
- 7th Heaven (starring Stephen Collins and Catherine Hicks)
- The West Wing (starring Martin Sheen, with John Cothran, Jr. and Thomas Kopache)
- JAG (with Alan Dale, Scott Lawrence, Richard McGonagle, Zoe McLellan, and Barry Wiggins)
- Judging Amy (in an episode directed by Andrew Robinson)
- The D.A. (with Steven Weber, Jonathan Del Arco, John Prosky, and Sara Mornell).
In addition, Tahir appeared in two episodes of 24, as well the prequel episode to the show's fourth season. His co-stars on this series included fellow Star Trek alumni Alexander Siddig, Michelle C. Bonilla, Jude Ciccolella, Roger Cross, Steven Culp, Daniel Dae Kim, Michelle Forbes, Penny Johnson, and Harris Yulin. In 2005, Tahir co-starred with Robert Beltran and Chase Masterson in Syfy's Manticore.
Tahir also appeared on such shows as Monk (featuring Stanley Kamel), Justice (with Jeffrey Nordling), Cold Case (in an episode with Paula Malcomson and Holmes R. Osborne), Chuck (with Bonita Friedericy and Clyde Kusatsu and produced by Robert Duncan McNeill), Childrens Hospital (with Matt Winston), Blue Bloods (starring Len Cariou), and Supernatural (with Jim Beaver). He has also played the recurring roles of "Smiling" Frank Ashkani on Dallas and Adwin Kosan on Syfy's Warehouse 13 (starring Saul Rubinek).