Deana Taheri is an actor, writer, director, and producer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a British-Iranian woman who spent her upbringing moving around the world, before finding her home in New York. 

She continues to pursue projects in both the US and the UK and has worked on several short films, voice-acting projects, and webseries.

She is currently in the primary stages of the festival circuit with her short film Bill, which she wrote, produced, and starred in; and is also in post-production for her directorial debut A Boy Like Me. She can be heard narrating a number of New York Times bestsellers on Audible and other audiobook platforms, and works closely with Space Fish Productions, producing a large number of their music video content.

​Bill, about a woman who kills her sexist husband and transforms his corpse into a puppet of her perfect man, is written, produced, and starring Deana Taheri, premiered at Academy Award Qualifying film festival HollyShorts in August 2024, and took home the award for Best Horror. It also won awards at Austin After Dark Film Festival, and was selected to screen at HorrOriginsin Arizona, the inaugural Oscar and BAFTA qualifying HollyShorts London, and Dances With Films.

Ella Valentine: Hi Deana, it’s great to have you here! What keeps you busy these days?

Deana Taheri: Hi Ella, thank you so much for having me! Between laundry and doing the dishes, I am currently in the final stages of post-production for my upcoming short and directorial debut “A Boy Like Me”, written and starring Yianni Sines, which follows Ben in his discovery that he is a clone of his father, and has inherited his father’s memories. I also produced a short titled “Monkeyshine!”, written and directed by Jared Youmans, which is a cartoonish comedy reckoning with explaining racism to children, which is in the editing room. With “Bill” in its final stages of the festival circuit, and a few other things simmering in my head, I am a busy bee these days!

Ella Valentine: Congratulations on the success you’ve had with your short horror/comedy, “Bill”! It was a real treat! Tell us more about the inspiration behind it!

Deana Taheri: Thank you so much for the kind words! “Bill”, and the concept of a woman puppeteering the corpse of a man, was a thought that seemed to just come to me; however, as a woman in a world that favours men, it is clearly a concept that appealed to me. How far does a woman have to go to achieve the same as a man? Does she have to become one? Does that trap her further? All of this, and the absurdity of existence as a woman, lead me into the exploring this world when conceptualizing the script, building the characters, and eventually making it happen.

Ella Valentine: Can you share more about the creative decision behind your character’s lack of dialogue? It definitely accentuates the dominance of Bill. 

Deana Taheri: I was highly inspired by the art of clowning. The clown as a character was originally created to entertain others while forsaking themselves, and this is what my protagonist was built for in this universe. Using clowning and my theatrical background, I knew that the voice of the character was not going to come from her. The music would be her voice. Just as in classic silent film, the music would work to articulate Lilith’s thoughts, discoveries, feelings, and movements to create a full character who still remains silent.

Ella Valentine: The film touches on an important topic that unfortunately many women struggle with today – a sexist partner. What can we do as women to support each other without judgement in such circumstances and how can we as society educate men to do better?

Deana Taheri: It is just so important to empower one another. Being open enough to reach out to friends about your personal life is the only real way to gauge the normalcy of your experience, in my opinion. And, of course, the media has a huge part to play in helping women feel secure and educating men. We are in an era where the media, and those it zooms in on, is the most convenient form of education for many. Therefore, if the media being publicised is sensationalist propaganda supporting a world where there is an ideal standard for women and that men, in order to be considered “alpha”, must dominate them, then we have a lost cause on our hands. However, with the film industry evolving to triumph women, particularly in the body horror genre, I have hope that there will be mutual understanding, sensitivity, and support between all gender identities. 

Ella Valentine: It’s really crushing given the amount of progress women have had in society to be constantly pulled back to a patriarchal world, one way or another. I think that women today don’t want to play the victim so we push through, and that is also evident in “Bill”. Your character ends up taking control. But it’s important to talk about this more, was this part of your message?

Deana Taheri: It was most definitely part of my message, compounded with the reality that her efforts are unreasonable and unsustainable. I wanted to push the audience to the point where they could no longer believe this would be possible and allow them to reflect on how far they think a woman has to go in order to feel freedom. Lilith does take control; but, in reality, she has further trapped herself under the corpse of her husband, forsaking her own identity in favour of his. 

Ella Valentine: In terms of your role as an actor in the short, what part did you find the most challenging during the shoot? And on the contrary, the most fun to do?

Deana Taheri: Since the shoot took place in my family home (thank you Mum), I did initially have trouble not worrying about the house and what on Earth that big crash was upstairs. Luckily, I had the most incredible team, namely Zac Branciforte who ensured me that he would take care of everything house related so I could focus on my job. Once I let go of those worries, I was in. I think the most fun moment had to be the moment of the murder. Shooting it and feeling this moment come to life, with the support and expertise of the amazing crew, I felt so connected and it was such a thrilling moment for me.

Ella Valentine: What are your favourite horror/comedies and why do you think those two genres blend so well together?

Deana Taheri: I simply will not stop raving about “The Substance” which came out in 2024 and is nominated for a variety of Oscars this year. The film, like “Bill”, analyses the female condition and the societal expectations thrust onto them, while also pushing the audience into the world of camp absurdity to truly highlight the absurdity of patrolling women’s bodies. I have always been drawn to comedies that are dramatic, and dramas that are comedic, because there really is no light without the dark. I think that the best horrors are the ones that leave you laughing in disbelief.

Ella Valentine: Is that the lane you see yourself predominantly working in from now on? And do you already have another writing project on the pipeline?

Deana Taheri: I will always have a soft spot for dark comedy, so I anticipate a lot more material like that from me. Horror is a realm that I very much look forward to exploring further, particularly expanding the story of “Bill” into a longer, more horror driven piece. I am currently in the process of writing another short which is more rooted in absurdist comedy, so watch this space!

Ella Valentine: Should we expect to see you acting more in the future too?

Deana Taheri: Absolutely! The short that I am currently writing is one I intend to act in. And, I am very lucky to be involved in multiple projects that will get me acting in the months to come.

Ella Valentine: We look forward to seeing what you do next! Where can we follow your journey?

Deana Taheri: Thank you so much for having me! You can follow me @deanataheri on Instagram, @bill.movie for specifics on “Bill”, @aboylikeme.film for updates on “A Boy Like Me”, and @monkeyshine.film for updates on “Monkeyshine!”.