Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ariel (pronounced unlike the beloved mermaid) is a multidisciplinary artist whose parents encouraged and inspired his passion for the arts from an early age. His father, Homayoun, is a Persian Jew who came to America following the Iranian revolution. His mother, Clarissa, is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and moved to America from Germany after an anti-semitic incident occurred at her high school in Munich.

Since childhood, performing onstage has been his lifeline, sacred space, and refuge. Following his move to New York, he has had the opportunity to work with celebrated directors including Daniel Sullivan, Kathleen Marshall, Warren Carlyle, Stephen Brackett, and Bill T. Jones. He played a leading role in Lonny Price's remount of the musical “Kismet” for the first American production to authentically cast SWANA/MENA actors. 

His love for theatre and his unique life experience have recently culminated in a new chapter, and he is currently developing his first play. Deeply committed to expanding the breadth of SWANA/MENA stories in theatre, he is an active member of the SWANA Writers' Co-op.