About Marissa…
Marissa Ghavami (she/they) is an Iranian-American, queer actor, singer, voice over artist, producer, public speaker and coach based in New York City. She is the Founder of the nonprofit Healing TREE and a Founding Company Member of the theatre and film company Divine Riot.
Recently, Marissa performed Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Creative Center in Green: The Musical and won CreateTheater New Works Festival’s 2025 award for Best Supporting Actress In A Musical. Up next, The Knock Shadow, a short film Marissa acted in and produced alongside Emmy Winner Lea DeLaria (Orange Is The New Black), which was written by Ren Dara Santiago (Showtime’s Let the Right One In), will be in the festival circuit. Marissa is currently developing a full length play, The Big Bad, also written by Santiago, which Divine Riot and Healing TREE are co-producing a workshop of in Spring 2026.
Marissa’s theatre highlights include playing Khalilah opposite Tony Winner KO (Karen Olivo) in a workshop of Siluetas, a new musical, part of 4xLatiné Off-Broadway. She also starred as Irene in the U.S. Debut workshop production of the international hit, two-hander play The Little Pony at Torn Page in NYC.
Click images to enlarge. Photos by Lauren Eliot Photography.
“Marissa Ghavami embodies Irene’s outward practicality and inner turmoil with an aching sadness. Before the play concludes they deliver several sweeping emotional monologues that nearly stop the breath in the room.” - Austin Fimmano, Plays To See (The Little Pony, 2024)
Film and television credits include starring in the feature film The Gift of Christmas, alongside Academy Award Nominee Bruce Davison. She has also had roles in Paramount’s theatrically released feature film Not Fade Away with James Gandolfini and on CBS’s Without A Trace. Singing highlights include performing on NBC’s legendary It’s Showtime at the Apollo and being named their “Star of Tomorrow”. Marissa has also sung at Birdland (alongside Academy Award Winner and Tony Nominee Ariana DeBose), Joe’s Pub (alongside Tony Nominee L Morgan Lee) and 54 Below. Voice over work includes Audible, McDonald’s, Ford and JCPenney. Marissa’s training as an actor includes graduating from the William Esper Studio’s 2-year core program under the renowned, late Bill Esper. She has taken master classes with the acclaimed Larry Moss and Bob Krakower. Her singing training includes studying with the esteemed Seth Riggs and Liz Caplan. Marissa is an Artists Striving To End Poverty (now Arts Ignite) Fellow, having participated in the Artist As Citizen Conference at Juilliard.
Marissa’s producer highlights include co-producing the feature film Mass, written and directed by Fran Kranz, starring Emmy Winners Ann Dowd and Martha Plimpton, Tony Winner Reed Birney and Jason Isaacs. Mass premiered at Sundance, had a theatrical release, won the Robert Altman Award and was a Gotham, Critics Choice and BAFTA nominee. She produced and co-wrote the short film Silk, directed by John Magaro (Past Lives, Carol, The Big Short), an Official Selection at the Academy Award Qualifying Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival.
Marissa is also a public speaker on healing trauma, abuse, resiliency, the nervous system for performers and related topics. Highlights include engagements for NYU Tisch, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Urban Stages, The Mighty, the Amen Clinic and The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Additionally, she is a coach, offering healing-trauma focused coaching for artists, trauma-informed acting, singing and business coaching and trauma consulting for productions and organizations. Marissa is the Founder of the nonprofit Healing TREE (Trauma Resources, Education & Entertainment) and a Founding Company Member of the theatre and film company Divine Riot.
Marissa is especially interested in developing new works, art with social impact and telling Middle Eastern and queer stories. She is enthusiastic about meditation, mindfulness, neuroscience, manifestation and wellness. She is a vegan and a cat parent to Sebastian and Viola. Marissa is always grateful to connect with like-minded creatives. Instagram handles: @marissaghavami @healingtreeorg @adivineriot
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