Zehra Fazal

Zehra Fazal is an American voice actress, known for voicing Nadia Rizavi in Voltron: Legendary Defender and Halo and Bluebird in Young Justice: Outsiders.[1][2][3] Greg Weisman, the co-creator of Young Justice: Outsiders said "I wrote the role with her in mind. She plays Halo, but she also plays about a dozen other characters."[4]

Zehra Fazal
NationalityAmerican
OccupationVoice actress
Years active2004–present

Career

Prior to her voice acting career, Fazal, who is Muslim-American and of South Asian descent, was known for her irreverent comedy often poking fun at Muslim identity.[5] Her one-woman musical comedy show Headscarf and the Angry Bitch which she described as partly fictional and partly autobiographical, created Muslim parodies of holiday comedy songs The Ramadan Song instead of The Hanukkah Song and discussed living in America with a "hyphenated identity."[6][7] Fazal, who self describes as "the Muslim Weird Al", explains that the show explores the fact that "the definition of what it is to be Muslim is expanding and it's okay to be vocal about it."[8][9] She created the show's character, Zed Headscarf, as "her tougher, bolder, prouder side" partly in response to post-9/11 Islamaphobia she encountered.[10] Her performance won the "best solo performance award" at the Capital Fringe Festival in 2009 and was sold out throughout its New York International Fringe Festival run in 2010.[11][12]

Fazal has also portrayed Adolf Hitler in an adaptation of Yukio Mishima’s play, My Friend Hitler.[13] She studied with Japan’s Takarazuka Revue Company as a research intern in 2004. On her return to the U.S., she translated and staged Takarazuka Revue's The Rose of Versailles at Wellesley College where she was a student.[14] Fazal explains "I have a knack for taking something that already exists and making it fit into a new mold."[14] Fazal also portrayed doctor Amanda Jain in the video comedy series F#@K I Love U.

Personal life

Fazal has a B.A. from Wellesley College.[15] She speaks Japanese, French and Urdu.[16] Fazal is a passionate supporter of Paani Project, a nonprofit that works with community partners and institutions in the United States and Pakistan to help alleviate clean water inaccessibility, advocate for gender equity, and address a variety of pressing health disparities in rural South Asian communities.[17]

As a child, she was a fan of the Disney animated show Darkwing Duck; she drew on inspiration on the titular character for her performance as General Yunan on Disney's Amphibia.[18]

Filmography

Animation

List of voice performances in animation
YearTitleRoleNotesSource
2018Voltron: Legendary DefenderNadia Rizavi, Hunk’s Mother[1][19]
2018–presentCraig of the CreekFaraday, Shannon, Aggie (The Squashinator)[20][21]
2019–2022Young JusticeHalo, Cassandra Savage, Harper Row, Hawkwoman, Lian Nguyen-Harper, Windfall, Trajectory, Antonia "Big Words" Rodriguez, Madia Daou, Evelyn Fox[22][23][24][25]
2019Trolls: The Beat Goes On!Celine Starburst, Timpani[22][16]
2019Pinky MalinkyAishaEpisode: "Advanced"[22][26]
2019–20She-Ra and the Princesses of PowerMara4 episodes[27]
2019–21Big Hero 6: The SeriesBasemax, Officer Flynn[22][28]
2019Bojack HorsemanDemi, Ilana and IlanaEpisode: “Surprise!”[29][30][31]
2020Glitch TechsZahra, Sabrina[32]
2020Where’s Waldo?Film DirectorEpisode: “Mumbai Dance Party”[33]
2020–2022AmphibiaGeneral Yunan[34]
2020VampirinaDr. Millweed[35]
2022Wolfboy and the Everything FactoryProfessor PigmentEpisode: The Colors Faded
2022Dragon Age: AbsolutionTassiaMain role[36]
2023My Adventures with SupermanLivewire, Additional voices2 episodes
2023The Bad Guys: A Very Bad HolidayTiffany FluffitChristmas TV special[37]

Web series

List of appearances in web shows and series
YearTitleRoleNotesSource
2018–2019KurobaMari (voice)Animation; 1st Voice[38]
2023Candela ObscuraDr. Jinnah BasarActual play; 3 episodes[39][40]

Film

List of voice performances in film
YearTitleRoleNotesSource
2018The Laws of the Universe Part IZamzaEnglish dub[41]
2020Batman: Death in the FamilyTalia al GhulDirect-to-video[42]
2022Catwoman: HuntedTalia al Ghul, Nosferata
Beavis and Butt-Head Do the UniverseButt-Head Fantasy Woman #1
2023Mortal Kombat Legends: Cage MatchJataakaDirect-to-video[43]
Urkel Saves Santa: the MovieSuli
Godzilla Minus OneSumiko ŌtaEnglish dub
Craig Before the CreekGala, Shannon the Scout, Tattoo

Video games

List of voice performances in video games
YearTitleRoleNotesSource
2016Blade & SoulSoha, Jinsoyung, SunyungEnglish dub[16]
2016Uncharted 4: A Thief's EndFrench Auction Guest, Additional voices[22][16]
2016Titanfall 2Lifeboat & Systems AI[22][2]
2017Final Fantasy XVTownspeopleEnglish dub[16]
2019Apex LegendsAI announcer, Narrator[22][44]
2019Crackdown 3Additional voices[45]
2019League of LegendsKayle[46]
2019Fallout 76: Wild AppalachiaARIC-4, Nia[47]
2019ElizaRae[48][49]
2019Until You FallRunesmith[50]
2019Borderlands 3Amara[22][51]
2019Rage 2: Rise of the GhostsEden HQ AI, Metro Station Guard, Metro Station Civilian[52][53]
2019Destiny 2: Shadowkeep[54]
2019IndivisibleThorani[22][55][56]
2019Call of Duty: Modern WarfareOusa[22]
2019Shenmue IIILi Feng, Niao SunEnglish dub[22][57]
2020ManeaterFemale NPCs[22]
2020Destiny 2: Beyond LightGuardian: Exo Female[58]
2021Legends of RuneterraTaliyah[59]
2021Shin Megami Tensei VCleopatra[60]
2022Marvel's AvengersJane Foster / The Mighty Thor[61]
2022Gotham KnightsNoor Rashid
2024Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice LeagueWonder Woman[62]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardsCategoryNominated forResultRef.
2019Voice Arts AwardsOutstanding Promo Campaign - TV or Web, Best VoiceoverFox Sports FIFA Women's World Cup 2019Nominated
Outstanding Animation Character - TV or Web, Best VoiceoverYoung Justice Outsiders - HaloWon
Outstanding Body of Work, Best Voice ActorWon

References