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Sarah Shahi says she never has had a master plan for her acting career. "I have no idea what is in store," she said. "I just hope that, whatever it is, I keep surprising people in a good way. I know that I've been attracted to the roles before the money, and I hope that that attitude will take me to where the two will combine nicely."

Shahi, born Aahoo Jahansouz Shahi and a great-great-granddaughter of a 19th-century Iranian ruler, Fath Ali Shah Qajar, grew up speaking Persian as well as English at her father's insistence. She said she never had much contact with the extended families of her immigrant parents, but "I like to celebrate where I come from and where my heritage lies," she said.

If other Iranian Americans make up a large portion of Shahi's fan base, she said she's not aware of it. But she said she has not paid much attention to the fame she has acquired. "I'm still surprised by the fact that I even have fans," she said.