Moving all the way from Tehran, Iran, to Powell, Ohio, is not an easy thing to do.

But all 6,474 miles were worth it for one family of three, so long as the daughter got to follow her dreams.

And it was in Ohio that she was able to pursue her passion for acting, falling in love with playwrights like Lorraine Hansberry and Arthur Miller, eventually landing roles both on Broadway and television.

And now, she's nominated for Tony Award.

Actress Talayeh Ashrafi, known professionally as Tala Ashe, known for her roles in Broadway theater and on television shows like "Smash," "As the World Turns" and DC's "Legends of Tomorrow," was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.

Sanaz Toossi's "English" premiered in 2022. The play is set in Karaj, Iran, and follows four adult classmates as they attempt to learn the English language. Cultural assimilation, language and identity are central themes in the play.

"English" was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, making Toossi the first Iranian-American to receive the nomination.

For Ashe, playing Elham — an unapologetically bold character working on her fifth attempt to learn English — was especially meaningful to her own experiences as an Iranian-American and her efforts to land roles that represent diverse voices.

"I'm pulling from my mother and my grandmothers and my ancestors to play her," Ashe said. "It's always a fight for accurate and nuanced representation, so in some ways, getting to 'English' also feels like a full journey of unlocking that door."
Powell actress receives Tony nomination

Being nominated for a Tony Award, after over a decade of playing roles in the entertainment industry, means everything to not just Ashe, but her parents, Shoreh Elhami and Javad Ashrafi, as well.

"This nomination also just represents the culmination of a lot of heartbreak, a lot of hard work, and all my work, in some way, is as much for them as it is for me," Ashe said.

With the support of her parents, Ashe was able to pursue acting, landing key roles on television shows like "Covert Affairs," "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "30 Rock." However, she said theater is her first love.

"I realized that a lot of what I'm seeking is about community, about building art together with people. And often, on television, you don't have the time and circumstances to do that," Ashe said.

Ashe spent five years as Zari on DC's "Legends of Tomorrow" — the show's first Muslim-American superhero — where she did build that sense of community she had been seeking, but making her way back to theater for "English" had been a full-circle moment to not just act, but thoughtfully represent diversity.

"Seeing stories about people that are different than us, especially excellently told stories, expands our minds, our empathy," Ashe said.

"I love being an artist. I love being an actor, and I've realized that it's also important for me to recognize what I represent."

Ashe and her co-star, Marjan Neshat, are the first Middle Eastern actresses nominated for a Tony Award for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play.