Minerva Khodabande
Minerva is a bilingual (Farsi/English) actor, commanding vocalist, and musician. Born and raised in Iran, her earliest memories are steeped in music, poetry, and tradition. Her artistic spark was ignited by her grandfather’s devotion to Persian classical singing and mastery of Iranian instruments – a legacy that led her to study cello at the renowned Pars Music Institute in Tehran and later perform with the Sydney Youth Orchestra.
At the age of nine, Minerva immigrated to Australia with her mother. Navigating a new language and culture, she found solace in film and television, discovering the transformative power of storytelling. In high school, she poured herself into the arts – acting in school productions and beatboxing her heart out in the TarAcapella group.
Minerva holds a BA in Theatre and Psychology from UNSW, a Diploma of Musical Theatre from NIDA, and is currently in her final year of the BFA (Acting): Singer/Actor program at NIDA. She is driven by a deep curiosity about the human condition and is drawn to characters that challenge her worldview and expand her emotional range. With each role, Minerva seeks to awaken something true—whether it’s a flicker of joy, a pang of recognition, or the comfort of shared experience. As her artistic journey unfolds, she looks forward to broadening her practice into writing and directing.