Arvin Kananian

Actor Arvin Kananian grew up in Stockholm, Sweden and in Yokohama, Japan. In his late teenage years he moved to the UK to study law, but instead found his calling for acting and began studying Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg’s methods at acting schools in London and Stockholm. Kananian quickly made a name for himself in the Swedish film and TV business, starring in numerous hit series and feature films.

2018 saw the premiere of Aniara wherein Kananian played the role of Chefone. Aniara received fantastic reviews and was a great festival success, winning among else ‘Best Direction’ at the Guldbagge Awards and the Cineuropa Award at Les Arcs European Film Festival. In 2020, Kananian starred in the acclaimed and daring TV series Caliphate as chief of police Nadir. Caliphate immediately generated a lot of buzz and was a big hit among critics and viewers alike.

Kananian starred in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness (2022) which was awarded the prestigious Palme d’Or in Cannes. His latest acting projects include Pella Kågerman & Hugo Lilja’s Egghead Republic (2025) and Eddie Åhgren’s Jönssonligan (2024).

Details

Birth: 1988


Language: Swedish, English (American), Farsi


Height: 175 cm


Eyes: Brown


Hair: Black


Contact
Annika Witkowska
annika@salomonssonagency.com

PRINT CV

Filmography

Egghead Republic
(Feature film, Film Stockholm, Film i Dalarna, Film på Gotland)
Dir. Pella Kågerman & Hugo Lilja Post-production
2025
Stolen Girl
(Anjulia Productions)
Dir. James Kent
 (ActionAdventureDrama)
Post-production
2025
Kronprinsen och tyrannens återkomst
(Feature film, Unlimited Stories)
Dir. Tord Danielsson Post-production
2024
Jönssonligan kommer tillbaka
(Feature film, FLX)
Dir. Eddie Åhgren
 (ComedyCrime)
Post-production
2024
Bahman with an H
(Short, Mad Amendments)
Dir. Sam Motazedi
 (DramaShort)
2024
Veronika
(TV Series, SkyShowtime)
Dir. Jonas Alexander Arnby
 (CrimeDramaThriller)
2024
Hålla samman
(TV Series, Anagram)
Dir. Maria Blom
 (ComedyDrama)
2023
Motståndaren Opponent
(Feature film, Tangy)
Dir. Milad Alami
 (Drama)
2023
En dag kommer allt det här bli ditt One Day All of This Will Be Yours
(Feature film, Grand Slam Film Production)
Dir. Andreas Öhman
 (Drama)
2023
Kronprinsen som försvann The Crown Prince Who Disappeared
(TV Series, Baluba Television)
Dir. Tord Danielsson
 (AdventureFamily)
2022
Fiktiv granskning
(Feature film, Wendel & Olsson)
Dir. Jimmy Olsson
 (Comedy)
2022
Triangle of Sadness
(Feature film, Plattform Produktion)
Dir. Ruben Östlund
 (ComedyDrama)
2022
Magisterlekarna The Schoolmaster Games
(Feature film, Northern Fable)
Dir. Ylva Forner
 (Drama)
2022
Grisen The Pig from Turkey
(Short, Madbunny Productions)
Dir. Tuna Özer
 (Drama)
2022
Krabbad #flerochfler
(Short, Zentropa International Sweden)
Dir. Shahab Mehrabi
 (Drama)
2022
Folly
(Short)
Dir. Hugo Lilja
 (Sci-Fi)
2021
Sommaren med släkten
(TV Series, BOB film)
Dir. Mikael Syrén/Staffan Lindberg
 (Comedy)
2020
Cryptid
(TV Series, Dramacorp)
Dir. David Berron
 (DramaHorrorThriller)
2020
Top Dog
(TV Series, Filmlance)
Dir. Molly Hartleb/Alexis Almström
 (CrimeDramaThriller)
2020
Kalifat Caliphate
(TV Series, Filmlance)
Dir. Goran Kapetanovic
 (CrimeDramaThriller)
2020
Playa del Sol
(TV Series, Brain Academy)
Dir. Peter Settman
 (Comedy)
2019
Vår tid är nu The Restaurant
(TV Series, Jarowskij AB)
Dir. Harald Hamrell/Andrea Östlund
 (Drama)
2019
Fartblinda
(TV Series, FLX)
Dir. Jens Jonsson
 (DramaThriller)
2019
En komikers uppväxt
(Feature film, Anagram)
Dir. Rojda Sekersöz
 (Drama)
2019
Bunden
(Feature film, Lycke Film)
Dir. Kristina Lodén Nilsson
 (Drama)
2019
Processen The Process
(Short, B-Reel Films)
Dir. Ruben Sznajderman
 (Sci-Fi)
2019
Sjukt oklar
(TV Series, SVT)
Dir. Christoffer Sandler
 (Comedy)
2018
Springfloden
(TV Series, SVT)
Dir. Niklas Ohlson
 (CrimeDramaMystery)
2016 - 2018
Aniara
(Feature film, Meta Film Stockholm)
Dir. Pella Kagerman & Hugo Lilja
 (DramaSci-Fi)
2018
Den blomstertid nu kommer The Unthinkable
(Feature film, Crazy Pictures)
Dir. Victor Danell
 (ActionRomanceSci-Fi)
2018
Kärlek & Vilja
(Feature film, Mariedamfilm)
Dir. Marcus Carlsson
 (Drama)
2018
Palmegruppen tar långlunch Palmegruppen goes for a very long lunch
(Short, Wendel & Olsson AB)
Dir. Jimmy Olsson
 (Comedy)
2018
Affekt Affect
(Short, Woosha Film)
Dir. Arvin Kananian
 (ComedyDrama)
2017
Gåsmamman
(TV Series, Endemol Shine Nordics)
Dir. Richard Holm
 (CrimeThriller)
2017
Innan vi dör Before We Die
(TV Series, B-Reel Films)
Dir. Simon Kaijser
 (DramaMysteryThriller)
2017
Bonusfamiljen
(TV Series, FLX)
Dir. Felix Herngren/Eddie Åhgren
 (ComedyDrama)
2017
Måste gitt A Hustler's Diary
(Feature film, Indian Summer Film)
Dir. Ivica Zubak
 (ComedyCrimeDrama)
2017
Syrror
(TV Series, BOB Film)
Dir. Lisa Farzaneh/Tord Danielsson
 (Drama)
2016
Väktare Security
(Short, Woosha Film)
Dir. Hugo Lilja
 (DramaThriller)
2015
Beck - Rum 302
(TV Movie, Filmlance)
Dir. Mårten Klingberg
 (CrimeMysteryThriller)
2015
Jag grävde en grop
(Short, Woosha Film)
Dir. Mistre Tesfaye
 (Drama)
2014
Stockholm: City of Love
(Short)
Dir. Niklas Lehman
 (Drama)
2011

Related news

Cast released for ‘Jönssonligan’

A new Jönssonligan film is currently shooting and FLX and SF Studios can now reveal the star-studded cast.

This Jönssonligan reboot is going to take us back to the soul of the classic film series whilst being placed in a contemporary context. Eddie Åhgren directs from a script written by Per Gavatin. In the beginning of the film, we meet Sickan who has been on the run for a year. He reunites with Vanheden, Harry and Doris for another coup.

Robert Gustafsson plays Charles-Ingvar “Sickan” Jönsson, and Jonas Karlsson, Jennie Silfverhjelm and Anders Jansson will portray Vanheden, Doris and Dynamit-Harry. The cast also includes Arvin Kananian, Lotta Tejle, Thomas Bo Larsen, Johan Rabaeus, David Batra, Felicia Danielsson, Alfred Svensson and David Ritschard.

Jönssonligan will premiere in Swedish theatres Christmas 2024.

‘Opponent’ is Sweden’s Academy Award submission

Milad Alami’s film Opponent is selected as Sweden’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Academy Award.

Opponent – which had its world premiere at the Berlinale earlier this year, and has been screened at more than 30 festivals – stars Payman Maadi, Ardalan Esmaili, Björn Elgerd and Arvin Kananian.

‘One Day All This Will Be Yours’ to premiere in Swedish theatres

Andreas Öhman’s anticipated feature film One Day All This Will Be Yours, which had its world premiere at Göteborg Film Festival, is released in theatres in Sweden today February 3.

The cartoonist Lisa and her siblings meet at the family’s farm in northern Sweden after the parents called for a meeting. They announce that only one of the children will inherit the forest, which the family has owned for generations. But are any of them willing to move home again? The visit rips open past traumas in Lisa, who is wildly confused and going through something of a crisis, and who manages to both mess things up with her father’s closest friend and agitate the whole community during her mother’s birthday party.

One Day All This Will Be Yours stars Karin Franz Körlof, Peter Haber, Suzanne Reuter, Liv Mjönes and Arvin Kananian.

‘Opponent’ receives its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival

The Berlin Film Festival has unveiled the first titles for its Panorama section, and among the selected films is Milad Alami’s Opponent.

Opponent stars Payman Maadi, Arvin Kananian, Marell Nasiri, Björn Elgerd and Ardalan Esmaili.

The film follows Iman and his family who have been forced to flee Iran in the aftermath of a devastating rumor. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in Northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumours start to resurface, Iman’s fear and desperation begin to take a hold.

The Berlin Film Festival will take place February 16-26, and Opponent will premiere in Swedish theaters March 31.

Trailer release for SVT’s Christmas Calendar

SVT’s Christmas Calendar, an annual TV series for children and families, has been broadcasted since 1960 and is still today an essential part of the contemporary Swedish Christmas tradition.

This year’s Christmas Calendar is called The Crown Prince Who Disappeared and revolves around the young Crown Prince Carl Vilhelm Gyllencrona who is accused of having kidnapped his own mother, Queen Lovisa. He is forced to flee the castle and meets the poor girl Hilda, who helps him hide under a false identity. The Crown Prince is being hunted, someone is after the throne and the kingdom’s treasury. The Crown Prince must fight to prove his innocence and save the queen.

The cast features Xavier Canca-Englund as the Crown Prince, and his best friend Hilda is played by Kerstin Linden. Also starring are Arvin Kananian, Maria Lundqvist and Sissela Kyle.