As the disaster of X3 stops impending and starts just plain old happening, the final roles are being cast. I can’t believe that there are more characters in this film, and more than that, I can’t believe they’re still filling roles with people of whom I’ve heard. Whatever else happens with this movie, it will have some very recognizable people coming in and delivering two lines of dialogue.
One of them is an Oscar nominee. I guess if an Oscar victory gets you the mostly background – but main – role of Storm, then being just a nom gets Shohreh Aghdashloo – whose name means "unpronouncable" in Iranian. Or Persian, whatever they speak in Iran – the supporting part of Dr. Rao.
No, it’s not a reference to Superman’s God (seriously. Not only is Rao a damn fine Italian place and sauce brand, it’s the God of Krypton), but it may well be a Joss Whedon character. Joss has done a twelve issue (so far – he’s extended for another year) on the new book Astonishing X-Men, and in his first arc a character named Dr. Rao invented a cure for mutants.
She ended up being backed by Ord of Breakworld – whose name means "what a stupid name" in Persian – which I doubt will be a key plot point in X3.
Aghdashloo was nominated for her role in House of Sand and Fog, where she played the wife of Sir Ben Kingsley, who made her turn that opportunity YES!