Salme Geransar Gets Comedic in New Film IZZY GETS THE F*CK OUT OF TOWN

By: Caryn Robbins Jun. 12, 2017

For Salme Geransar, portraying a quirky gypsy in the new indie comedy IZZY GETS THE F*CK OUT OF TOWN, is another way to channel her comedic side. "I love doing comedy and portraying unusual characters," said the Australian actress. "When I auditioned for the role, I wasn't sure I was right for it since I'm always doing drama. But they loved my interpretation of the character and told me to wear the same clothes I wore to the audition for the shoot. I had this big oversized sweater five sizes too big, so I looked pretty disheveled."

"Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town," tellsthe story of a woman (Mackenzie Davis) at rock bottom who must find her way across Los Angeles in order to crash her ex-boyfriend's engagement party. The film, which also stars Carrie Coon ("The Leftovers") and Haley Joel Osment ("The Sixth Sense"), will be premiering at the L.A. Film Festival this month. Headlining both the L.A. Times and Variety and deemed the hottest ticket at the festival, the film has sold out in just five minutes.

Geransar's turn as a gypsy gave the young star her first comedic role after a long string of dramatic parts that had her portraying a refugee, or women in peril or overcoming challenges.

"That is the strangest character I've ever played. I loved that I was able to play around with an accent and have fun with this role," she said. "This disheveled outfit made me look pretty raggedy. I usually shy away from comedy as I don't think I'm very funny, but grounding the character made her so bizarre, and that's what made it work."

Director Christian Papierniak agreed, saying: ""Her interpretation of the role, and strong choice of dialect made her character even more strange and comedic than we ever expected possible."

Working with Papierniak and Mackenzie Davis ("Halt and Catch Fire") who produced the film together, is the newest step for the actress who is making a name for herself after working on Australian TV shows such as "Winners & Losers" and "Rush."

Born in Iran then moving to Australia as a young child, Geransar grew up in a small town near Sydney. With an extended family that was generally made up of doctors and lawyers, the youngster always felt compelled to follow the academic path. But when she saw an ad for movie extras, she was drawn to the world of acting. Soon, thanks to her skills and exotic looks, she began appearing in commercials and TV shows. But after a few years, it was clear that her future lay in the U.S. where her abilities could flourish.

Upon arriving, it wasn't long before she landed "Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town," featuring an accomplished cast and a young director helming his first feature film.

"I had an audition the very first week I arrived," she recalled. "In Australia, things move a lot slower. They take a lot more time in auditions with adjustments for actors but everything here moves so much more quickly and there's more opportunity."

Already, the actress has been featured in the drama "Before you Can Blink," appeared in the comedy "American Snapper," and earned best supporting actress for the 2016 comedic short "The Short Short" at the Toscars Awards which parody THE ACADEMY AWARDS Oscars ceremony.

For more, visit http://salme.geransar.com and @salmegeransar on Instagram.