Badiyi was born April 17, 1930, in Arak, Iran. His parents were from Isfahan, Iran. He graduated from the Academy of Drama in Iran. He worked with the Audio Visual Department in Tehran,, and completed 24 documentary films, prior to leaving the country. Badiyi moved to the United States in 1955, in order to continue his film studies at Syracuse University. He was invited by the United States Department of State to continue his studies in America after winning an international film award for Flood in Khuzestan. He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in filmmaking.
Career
Badiyi often worked with Robert Altman. Badiyi was assistant director on the low-budget 1957 film The Delinquents, which marked Altman's feature film debut as a director and the cult classic horror film Carnival of Souls, made in 1962. Early in his career, he directed episodes of Get Smart, ', Hawaii Five-O, The Incredible Hulk, Mannix, The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files and Police Squad!. He also directed the definitive "fashion show" sequence of the third season of the popular Doris Day Show. There were lowlights, as well, including directing the unsold pilot for Inside O.U.T., starring up-and-coming actress Farrah Fawcett and a chimp for Screen Gems in 1971. In the 1980s and 1990s, he directed episodes of Falcon Crest, Cagney and Lacey, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, ', Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Le Femme Nikita, Sliders and Baywatch.
Filmography
Director
This is list showing a selection of entertainment directed by Reza Badiyi, in order by start date. He directed more than 430 television episodes from 1963 onward.
In the mid-1970s he received the Golden Ribbon of Art award from the reigning Shah of Iran. He later won various awards, including the Humanitas Prize for an episode of Cagney and Lacey. He was honored by the Directors Guild of America for directing over 400 hours of television. On May 2010, Badiyi was honored at UCLA for his 80th birthday and his 60th year in the entertainment industry. In 2009, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Noor Iranian Film Festival in Los Angeles, and after his passing in 2011, the festival made the award his namesake.
Personal life
Badiyi's third and last marriage was to actress Tania Harley from 1987 until his death in 2011, with whom he had two daughters, Alexis Badiyi and Natasha Badiyi. His second marriage was to actress and writer Barbara Turner; he had a daughter, Mina Badiyi, with Turner. By this marriage he was the stepfather of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh and her sister Carrie Morrow. His first marriage was to Gwendolyn Davis. He is the father of Steve Badiyi and Mimi Badiyi, and the stepfather to Clifford Davis.
Death
Badiyi died in Los Angeles, California on August 20, 2011 at the age of 81, having struggled with various health issues.
