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Atossa Leoni (born October 1977) is an actress who has worked internationally in film, television, and theater since childhood.
Her mother is of Iranian descent, and her father was born in Afghanistan and raised in Germany by his adoptive mother. Atossa was born in Berlin, Germany, and has lived in Rome, Italy, and received her education in the United States. She is fluent in five languages and currently resides in New York City.[citation needed]
Atossa made her American screen debut starring as Soraya, the female lead in the film adaptation of The Kite Runner. The film is based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel, which remained on The New York Times best-seller list for over 124 weeks. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Marc Forster, the film has received praise from critics and fans and is considered a major awards contender.
She was also seen in the critically praised America So Beautiful. The film, which also starred Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, follows a group of immigrants in Los Angeles during the unfolding of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. America So Beautiful was recognized at the Marrakech International Film Festival in 2002 and competed in the Panorama Section of the 2002 Berlin Film Festival.
Atossa lent her voice to narrate the audiobook versions of Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns and Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea, as well as his follow-up Stones into Schools, all of which are best-selling books around the world.