RAJIV SHAH

Rajiv Shah brings a thoughtful, grounded approach to his work as an actor, drawing from a rich foundation in theater and a deep appreciation for authentic storytelling. His journey began in the vibrant Bay Area theater community, where he had the privilege of working alongside talented ensembles at Campo Santo, Asian American Theater Company, The Lorraine Hansberry Theater, and San Jose Stage Company.

Shah's theater work culminated in a particularly meaningful experience performing in Terrence McNally's A Perfect Ganesh at the beautiful Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, where he was honored to receive the Outstanding Featured Performance in a Drama award from StageSceneLA. His theater background has profoundly influenced his approach to storytelling that would later inform his screenwriting and filmmaking work.

As a screenwriter, Shah's work has been recognized by multiple industry organizations. His script Run the Tide was a finalist in the 2012 Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest and won the Grand Jury Prize for Project Catalyst at the 2013 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The film was brought to life with a cast including Taylor Lautner (Twilight saga), Constance Zimmer (House of Cards, UnREAL), and Kenny Johnson (The Shield, Sons of Anarchy), produced by 1821 Pictures and distributed worldwide by Orion Pictures and Momentum Pictures. 

Shah next co-write, produced, and directed, "Carry Tiger To Mountain," which premiered at the Motion Picture Television Fund (MPTF), where CEO Bob Beitcher selected it for its powerful exploration of caregiving and aging - themes central to MPTF's century-long mission of supporting entertainment industry members. The film was awarded the Showtime Networks' Tony Cox Screenwriting Award at the Nantucket Film Festival and received a Best Dramatic Short nomination at the USA Film Festival. His writing and film work has been recognized by additional organizations including HBO, The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, Austin Film Festival, ScreenCraft, and The Page Awards.

Shah continues to develop compelling projects, including 808, a Hawaiian street gang film co-written with Jared Asato, with Kenny Johnson (CBS's SWAT) and Rena Owen (Once Were Warriors, Disney's live-action Moana) attached to star. Separately, he co-wrote The Failed Prince with Soham Mehta, a period epic exploring the early life of the Buddha.

After dedicating a decade to writing, filmmaking, and family, Shah recently returned to acting with renewed perspective and gratitude. His recent projects include The Comic Shop (2025), No Address (2025), and the San Francisco crime drama Splash City. He was also cast in the West Coast premiere of Annie Baker's The Antipodes with the Actors' Reading Collective at Marin Shakes and has enjoyed expanding into voice acting through podcast series including Safe Society (2024).

Currently, Shah has the honor of serving as Chair of SAG-AFTRA Northern California Conservatory and as a board member, where he works to support educational opportunities for fellow performers as Chair of the Conservatory. Shah advocates for authentic storytelling and representation in film and television on the national level through his work on SAG-AFTRA Asian Pacific American Media (APAM) Committee. 

Whether on stage, on screen, or behind the camera, Shah approaches each project with curiosity, respect for the craft, and a genuine desire to serve the story and connect with audiences through authentic, emotionally resonant storytelling.