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Iris Bahr
Israeli-American actress and author

Iris Bahr is an American actress, comedian, director, writer, author, producer public speaking, and performance coach. She is best known for her recurring role as Rachel Heineman on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Perla on Hacks, her solo show DAI (enough), and her TV series Svetlana, which she wrote, directed, starred in and produced with Mark Cuban. She is the author of three published books, Dork Whore, Machu my Picchu and Book of Leon which she co-wrote with J. B. Smoove.

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Early life

Bahr was born in the Bronx, New York. At around twelve years old, her parents divorced and she moved to Israel with her mother. She served in the IDF for two years and held the rank of sergeant. 1 As a young woman, she traveled throughout Southeast Asia and South America.2 She chronicles her adventures in her two memoirs, Dork Whore and Machu My Picchu. Both have been translated into several languages. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Brown University, where she studied neuropsychology and religious studies.3 Bahr performed neuroscientific and cancer research at Stanford University and Tel Aviv University.4 5

Career

Bahr guest starred on a variety of television shows, including guest appearances on Hacks, The Conners, Good Girls, Losing Alice, 9-1-1 (TV series), Strong Medicine, The Drew Carey Show, Friends, and The King of Queens, as well as recurring character Rachel Heineman on Curb Your Enthusiasm, appearing in four episodes, including the finale.

In 2006, Bahr appeared in her first movie lead role in playing Amy Butlin in Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector alongside Larry the Cable Guy. In May 2006 she had a supporting role as Leonard Hofstadter's co worker in the unaired pilot of The Big Bang Theory.

In November 2006, she opened her one woman show Dai (Enough) at the Culture Project in New York City.6 Bahr received the 2008 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Solo Performance for Dai, which also earned 2 Drama Desk Award nominations for Best Solo show and Best Sound Design. She also received a UK Stage Award Nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance. Bahr was invited to perform Dai at the United Nations for over 100 ambassadors and delegates. She premiered her third solo show, I Lost You There at the Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC in 2017. Her fourth solo show, a sequel to DAI, entitled DAI 2.0, was slated to open in NYC in April 2020 but was canceled due to Covid. She reimagined the show for streaming and premiered the show to a live audience online in December 2020. Her fifth solo show, "See You Tomorrow" was nominated for the 2024 Helen Hayes Award and premiered in Washington DC. It was slated to run in Toronto in July 2024. Her sixth solo show, "Stories from the Brink" premiered in Montreal in June 2024 and won the Frankie Storytelling Award.

In 2007, Bahr was a part of the film Poughkeepsie Tapes. In this she plays an interviewed news broadcaster.7

She moved to Los Angeles after a city truck injured her when it collided with her bicycle on Great Jones Street in New York.8

Bahr's memoir entitled Dork Whore was published in 2007, and was translated into German, Italian and Portuguese. It became a bestseller in Germany. The sequel, Macchu My Picchu chronicles her travels through South America. She co-wrote Book of Leon, which came out in 2018, with comic JB Smoove.

Bahr did voice acting work for the Star Trek computer games Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force, Star Trek: Elite Force II and Star Trek: Away Team, released in 2000, 2003 and 2001 respectively. She followed this up with an appearance on the last episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "Endgame" in 2001. She also voiced the character of Madeline Taylor in Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix (2002).

Bahr also had a weekly commentary on NPR's Los Angeles affiliate KCRW entitled "Social Studies",9 featuring one of her characters - Svetlana, Russian lady of the night and proprietor of the "St. Petersburg House of Discreet Pleasure."1011 Svetlana was also a recurring guest on The Marc Maron Show, and has done regular pieces for Kurt Andersen's show on WNYC's Studio 360.12 She is the host of the X-RAE podcast as her alter ego Rae Lynn Caspar White, a "Southern Intellectual, professional baby surrogate and sexpert". Her guests have included Lawrence O'Donnell, Doug Liman, author Roddy Doyle, Andie MacDowell, neuroscientists, academics and various comedians and artists. In 2023 she launched "The Near Death" podcast sharing both her own near death experiences and her guests.

Filmography

Film

List of performances in film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2002Reality SchoolStudentShort film
2004Exit 4ASibelShort film
2005The Unchosen OnesFiona, Rivka, Avivit and Aunt RivkaShort film
2006Larry the Cable Guy: Health InspectorAmy Butlin
2006MimesisGodShort film
2007Speed DatingLynnShort film
2007The Poughkeepsie TapesPsychiatrist
2010Fair GameCPD Agent
2010The Last ExorcismIris Reisen
20139 Full MoonsKeren
2015How to Grow Your OwnNina
2016JustificationStrangerShort film

Television

List of performances on television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2001Star Trek: VoyagerFemale CadetEpisode: "Endgame"
2002The Rerun ShowMarcy D'arcyEpisode: "Married... with Children: Weenie Tot Lovers & Others Strangers/Bewitched: A Bunny for Tabitha"
2002Strong MedicineRonnie VongoliaEpisode: "The Philadelphia Chromosome"
2003CouplingAliceEpisode: "A Foreign Affair"
2003ColumboPolice OfficerEpisode: "Columbo Likes the Nightlife"
2003The AgencySara Shamir1 episode
2003DragnetBeckyEpisode: "The Cutting of the Swath"
2003The Drew Carey ShowMindyEpisode: "Drew Answers the Belle"
2003FriendsGlendaEpisode: "The One with Ross's Tan"
2004Significant OthersDave's WifeEpisode: "A Date, Fate and Jail Bait"
2005; 2024Curb Your EnthusiasmRachel Heineman4 episodes
2006E-RingRosaEpisode: "Hard Cell"
2006The Big Bang TheoryGildaUncreditedEpisode: "Unaired Pilot"
2006Commander in ChiefTuba OzelEpisode: "Happy Birthday, Madam President"
2007Shorty McShorts' ShortsVoice roleEpisode: "Too Many Robots"
2007State of MindElizabeth EllisEpisode: "Helpy Helperpants"
2009DollhouseDetective DonovanEpisode: "Instinct"
2010–2011SvetlanaSvetlanaLead role; 23 episodes
2011EagleheartTiffanyEpisode: "Death Punch"
2015RevengeDetective AdamsEpisode: "Epitaph"
2015The BrinkTalia Levy3 episodes
2015Blunt TalkDoctor2 episodes
2017ElementaryEmily GrayEpisode: "The Ballad of Lady Frances"
20209-1-1Arlene BransonEpisode: "Pinned"
2020Good GirlsClinic DoctorEpisode: "Egg Roll"
2021HacksPerlaEpisode: "New Eyes"
2022–2024Monster HighMs. ZizVoice

Video games

List of voice performances in video gaming
YearTitleRoleNotes
2000Star Trek: Voyager – Elite ForceTelsia Murphy
2001Star Trek: Away TeamSira D'Qua
2001Star Trek: Armada II
2002Soldier of Fortune II: Double HelixMadeline Taylor
2003Star Trek: Elite Force IIEnsign Telsia Murphy
2017PreySarah Elazar

Bibliography

References

  1. Interview With Iris Bahr - Anne Sebba. (2011, August 8). Anne Sebba. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from https://annesebba.com/journalism/interview-with-iris-bahr// https://annesebba.com/journalism/interview-with-iris-bahr//

  2. "Who's News by Lorrie Lynch". USA Today. 2006-05-21. Retrieved 2006-11-30. [dead link] http://www.usaweekend.com/06_issues/060521/060521whosnews.html

  3. "Who's News by Lorrie Lynch". USA Today. 2006-05-21. Retrieved 2006-11-30. [dead link] http://www.usaweekend.com/06_issues/060521/060521whosnews.html

  4. "Iris Bahr". Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale. May 29, 2008. GALE|H1000179084. Retrieved 2012-05-10 – via Fairfax County Public Library. Gale Biography In Context. (subscription required) http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=BIC1&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CH1000179084&mode=view&userGroupName=fairfax_main&jsid=91184681d93be86b877bc149d894e032

  5. Iris Bahr. (2007, October 1). KCRW. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from https://www.kcrw.com/people/iris-bahr https://www.kcrw.com/people/iris-bahr

  6. Hernandez, Ernio (2006-11-14). "Culture Project Opens Iris Bahr Solo Dai (enough) Nov. 14". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2006-11-30. https://archive.today/20130201215835/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/103518.html

  7. "Shaw Theatre". Shaw Theatre. Retrieved 2012-05-10. http://www.theshawtheatre.com/index.php?showid=390

  8. Robertson, Campbell (January 5, 2007). "So Many Different People to Be, Onstage and Off, if She Can Dodge the Trucks". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-12. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/05/theater/05bahr.html

  9. "Social Studies". KCRW. Retrieved 2012-05-10. http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ss

  10. Roderick, Kevin (June 18, 2007). "Morning Buzz: Monday 6.18.07". LA Observed. Retrieved 2012-05-10. http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/06/morning_buzz_monday_61807.php

  11. "Knocked Up on Darfur - Social Studies on KCRW". Kcrw.com. Retrieved 2012-05-10. http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/ss/ss070618knocked_up_on_darfur

  12. "Getty Fabulous: Live in L.A." Studio 360. 2007-07-06. Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2012-05-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20101201082805/http://studio360.org/episodes/2007/07/06