Vachik Mangassarian death: NCIS star dies of Covid complications aged 78

Iran-born Armenian actor also appeared in Marvel’s ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’

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Actor Vachik Mangassarian, known for his roles in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and NCIS

The TV star’s representatives confirmed to Deadline that Mangassarian died of complications stemming from Covid-19, in Burbank, California.

Born in Iran and with Armenian heritage, Mangassarian moved to the US at the age of 23. In 1978, he begun his career in the film and TV industry.

Among his best-known roles were as Qasim Zaghul in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a guest appearance in Larry David’s HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm.

He portrayed two separate characters on the hit police procedural series NCIS: Los Angeles, appearing firstly in 2010 as Sadiki Hassan and then as a fake Iranian President in 2019.

Among his film roles were the as a father in The Stoning of Soraya M, which starred Jim Caviezel.

He was recently filming a supporting role in a film entitled Moving On, opposite Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

Mangassarian also served for a decade as the anchor of his own radio and TV show, The Armenian National Network, on which he discussed film, art and topical issues.