Profile Text
Tesfai in 2019, photo by DFree /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Azieb Goitom Tesfai
Place of Birth: Orange, California, United States
Date of Birth: December 20, 1982
Ethnicity: Tigrinya Eritrean
Azie Tesfai is an American actress, writer, and producer. Her roles include the series Wicked Wicked Games , Melrose Place , Breakout Kings , Franklin & Bash , Jane the Virgin , Powers , NCIS: Los Angeles , The Kominsky Method , Supergirl , and A Million Little Things , the made-for-tv movie Sands of Oblivion , and the film The Wretched . She founded jewelry company Fortuned Culture.
Her parents are from Eritrea. She has stated :
At least once a week I’m asked: “Where are you from?” After responding, “Los Angeles,” I get: “…but, where are you FROM?” “I’m Eritrean,” I say and, after a puzzled look, proceed to explain that it’s a small country just northeast of Ethiopia, and west of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The next line is either, “Ah, I guess you DO look like a mix of African and Arab,” or “So do you speak Arabic?” as they struggle to categorize me into one stereotype or the other.
At least once a week I’m asked: “Where are you from?” After responding, “Los Angeles,” I get: “…but, where are you FROM?” “I’m Eritrean,” I say and, after a puzzled look, proceed to explain that it’s a small country just northeast of Ethiopia, and west of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The next line is either, “Ah, I guess you DO look like a mix of African and Arab,” or “So do you speak Arabic?” as they struggle to categorize me into one stereotype or the other.