Oct. 13, 2026

Necar Zadegan | From “The Rookie” to CBS’s “CIA” | A Journey Without a Formula

Actor Necar Zadegan from “The Rookie” and CBS’s “CIA” joins us on Story & Craft to talk about her career and personal stories.

Show Notes

Actor Necar Zadegan from “The Rookie” and CBS’s “CIA” joins us on Story & Craft to talk about her career and personal stories.

She talks about the Taylor Sheridan phone call that shaped her ”Mayor of Kingstown" role, working with Nathan Fillion on “The Rookie,” and her Broadway debut alongside Robin Williams. Necar also shares how her Iranian family moved back to the United States from Germany after the 1979 revolution, and how she made her professional debut at 16 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Landing her first series regular role, the First Lady on “24,” came while she was performing “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” every night, before she ignored advice to skip Broadway.

A guest spot on “Law & Order” in New York led to CBS’s “CIA,” and she explains why a show about hiding in plain sight appealed to her. She describes shooting “NCIS: New Orleans” during COVID, wrapping the final season of “Mayor of Kingstown,” and her character’s high school history with Jeremy Renner’s character. Necar also previews the Chris Rock-directed film “Misty Green” and Amazon’s “Joseph of Egypt,” before sharing why her go-to pizza order is a margherita with a side of anchovies.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Necar Zadegan joins Story & Craft

07:35 Born in Germany, raised in California after Iran’s 1979 revolution

12:52 Landing the First Lady on “24” opposite Anil Kapoor and Cherry Jones

17:12 Flying to Hawaii for her one-episode role on “Lost”

18:18 Her professional debut at 16 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

19:46 Broadway with Robin Williams in “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo”

22:55 The press day when Robin Williams turned it on

25:18 Shooting “24” by day and ignoring advice to skip Broadway

30:48 Working with Nathan Fillion on “The Rookie”

31:58 Shooting “NCIS: New Orleans” during COVID

34:20 How “Law & Order” led to CBS’s “CIA”