R
eal action heroes are starting to
make a comeback in American
movies. After years of being
subjected to 5’7” Tom Cruise
cast as 6’5” Jack Reacher, or
watching modest-sized Jeremy
Renner or Matthew Damon defy physics
as they manhandled huge opponents,
Hollywood is starting to get a bit more
realistic. Actors like Dwayne Johnson,
Jason Momoa, and Henry Cavill have
the structure and muscle mass to put
some realism into the on-screen beat-
ings they dish out. That means the time
is right for Sam Asghari.
A former starting tight end at Moor-
park College in California, Asghari is 6’2”
and a lean 220 pounds. His transition
from athlete, personal trainer, and model
into an actor is the culmination of years
48 APRIL 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com
of hard work. He moved to the United
States from Tehran, Iran, when he was 13
years old. His journey from immigrant to
actor, built upon a foundation of fitness,
is reminiscent of someone else with a
similar backstory.
“I feel like my whole story, as far as
moving from another country and cul-
ture, is like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and
how he went from fitness into acting,”
Asghari says.
Let’s be clear: Asghari is not com-
paring himself to Arnold. Modest and
self-effacing, he’s the first one to say
he has yet to make his mark. What he
doesn’t need to say is that he seems
perfectly positioned to deliver a huge
impact on the entertainment world.
Asghari recently booked a modeling
campaign for sports apparel giant Under
Armour. Before that, he created a funny
and inspired online commercial short
film for his supplement sponsor, 1st
Phorm. And then late last year the call
came that he was cast as the love inter-
est in a Britney Spears video. The You-
Tube video for “Slumber Party” has been
watched 58 million times and counting.
Ever the gentleman, Asghari demured
from commenting on his current rela-
tionship with the world-famous mega-
star, but a quick look at his Instagram
page shows the couple together on New
Year’s Eve, at the Grammys, and clown-
ing around on Snapchat. In each picture,
Asghari looks remarkably comfortable in
the spotlight.