Hormoz Hedayat is an Iranian actor, theatre director, writer, designer, and educator, born on 1 July 1945 (10 Tir 1324) in Isfahan, Iran. His professional involvement in the performing arts began in the mid-1960s and has encompassed theatre, television, and cinema.

In 1966, Hedayat co-founded the Pouya Theatre Group, and in 1967 made one of his earliest professional stage appearances in Shah Abbas and the Old Cobbler, working alongside leading figures such as Ali Nassirian and Ezzatollah Entezami.

A major turning point in his early career came with his 1971 production of Jean-Paul Sartre’s The Respectful Prostitute, which he directed at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, with a cast that included Susan Taslimi. The production attracted considerable attention and helped establish Hedayat as a promising theatre director.

Education
Hedayat entered the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran in 1969 and graduated in 1973. During his university years, he studied with prominent Iranian artists and academics including Hamid Samandarian, Parviz Mamnoon, Morteza Momayez, and Hormoz Farhat.

He subsequently continued his studies at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, where he was also involved in theatrical productions. Hedayat holds a First-Class Certificate in Directing from Iran’s Artistic Evaluation Center, described in his English biographical information as an Equivalent PhD in Directing.

Activities and Works
Hedayat’s theatrical career encompasses acting, directing, writing, and stage design. As an actor, he appeared in productions including The Inspector General, Decline, The Braggart Soldier, Tanbur Navaz, and Kaboudan and Esfandiar.

His directing credits include The Respectful Prostitute, Eye for an Eye, The Soldiers, The Matchmaker, Mrs Warren’s Profession, That Time Will Come, The Fairy Garden Teahouse, and Haft Kerdar (Seven Deeds). The latter, written and directed by Hedayat and staged at the main hall of Tehran’s City Theatre in 2001, was among his major later stage productions.

Hedayat also developed an extensive career in Iranian television as an actor, writer, designer, and director. His television work includes Shahr-e Karestan, Zang-e Bidari, Stories of the Golden Box, Under the Blue Dome, Panchari, A Leaf from Life, and The Twins. He also provided the voice of Hapookomar in the celebrated children’s puppet series Khuneh-ye Madarbozorgeh (Grandmother’s House).

As a television actor, he appeared in productions such as Forbidden Fruit, A Fistful of Eagle Feathers, Searching in the City, and Shab Cheragh, as well as numerous television plays. His film appearances include Crossing the Dust directed by Pouran Derakhshandeh, The Statue directed by Ebrahim Vahid-Zadeh, Travellers directed by Bahram Beyzaie, and The Invisible Man directed by Ferial Behzad.

Achievements and Awards
Over several decades, Hormoz Hedayat has worked across the three principal domains of Iranian dramatic arts: theatre, television, and cinema. His career is distinguished by the breadth of his practice, encompassing acting, directing, writing, design, teaching, and adjudication.

His university production of The Respectful Prostitute became one of the formative successes of his career and was later described by Hedayat himself as a significant professional turning point. He has also received a First-Class Directing Certificate through Iran’s artistic evaluation system, regarded in his biographical materials as equivalent to a doctorate-level qualification in directing. The provided sources do not identify any other specific competitive awards.