Reza Farahan is opening up about his life in his brand new memoir, with the release coming out as he’s set to make his return to Bravo. The Valley: Persian Style cast member has tried on so many different jobs over the years (more on that down below), but his newest career move is the most telling yet.
Reza’s memoir, Memoirs of a Gay Shah: My Story of Family, Fame, and Becoming a King, will be released on April 7, 2026. The Shahs of Sunset alum took to his Instagram account in November, where he opened up about the book.
“Memoirs of a Gay Shah was truly a labor of love,” he wrote in the caption of the post. “I let you into my world in a very deep and personal way, sharing some of my most intimate moments. It’s my story of feeling like an outsider, feeling different, but managing to find my lane and rising above to reach my dreams. I’ve never been more excited to share anything before.”
According to the publisher, Memoirs of a Gay Shah will tell the story of how “one outcast boy grew into a confident man by reclaiming every part of himself — his culture, his identity, his queerness — and decided to live not just authentically, but extravagantly.”
Read on to learn more about Reza’s career as a real estate agent, comedian, and entrepreneur.
Details on Reza Farahan’s real estate career
Reza got his start in his career as a real estate agent. In 2016, he spoke with The Daily Dish, where he opened up about his love of buying and selling homes, which dates back to his childhood.
“Everything about it [appeals to me]. When I was a kid, I literally would get the Sunday paper, and I would find the houses I wanted to see [and] as an 11, 12, 13-year-old, I would take my parents to open houses and be like, ‘It’s time to upgrade. We need a bigger, better, more expensive house. Like, get to work,'” he explained at the time. “Not only that, but I actually have all of those [clippings] saved from my childhood, all of the Sunday home sections are sealed in an airtight container in a storage room.”
Reza continued to open up about his real estate career during Shahs of Sunset Season 9, Episode 6. “Real estate is my…thing,” he said during a confessional. “The real estate business is still thriving. I just keep my s—t on the DL, and I keep chugging along.”
Reza Farahan opens up about stand-up comedy and acting roles
Reza is also a very creative person. Although real estate was his first passion, Reza has also tried his hand at stand-up comedy and acting, which he opened up about to The Daily Dish in 2016.
“It’s completely different,” he said. “It’s very, very difficult. I used to have mad respect for comedians like Mike Epps and Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, but now it’s next level because you’re standing in front of a room and all eyes are on you. And basically, everyone’s going, ‘You better make me laugh, funny man.’ So, it’s hard. You have to literally give energy to every single person in the room and make them laugh, it’s really hard.”
RELATED: MJ, GG, and Reza Are Making Their Return to Bravo in a New Show: Get ALL the Details
Reza has several acting credits to his name, according to his IMDb page, which includes roles in Comedy Bang! Bang!, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, and Yours, Mine, and Ours. Reza reflected on his time on set while filming Sharknado 3 in a 2015 interview with The Daily Dish.
“Sharknado was amazing,” he said. “[The experience] couldn’t have gone any better. The camera crew, lighting, set — everyone was super gracious and welcoming. In my scene, I was a secret service person guarding the White House — this Middle Eastern queen with a mustache guarding the White House! — which was amazing to me.”
Details on Reza Farahan’s haircare line, Reza Be Obsessed
Reza started his haircare line, Reza Be Obsessed, in 2018. The line includes a gold-infused shampoo, conditioner, in addition to styling products like oil, wax, and hairspray.Â
In 2022, Reza took to Instagram, where he opened up about his intention behind starting the line. “The reason why I wanted to start my own business was a passion for having a product that was just as good as the really expensive products my fans couldn’t afford, but they really deserved that luxury,” he explained.
Reza Farahan reflects on his time on The Traitors Season 1
In addition to Shahs of Sunset and The Valley: Persian Style, Reza appeared on Season 1 of the Peacock reality competition series, The Traitors. Spoiler alert: his time on the show was short-lived when he was murdered by the traitors in Season 1, Episode 2.
Although Reza admitted on a February 2025 podcast episode that there is “no way” he would compete on The Traitors (now in its fourth season) again, he did have some fun on the show. He spoke with Metro UK in January 2023, where he revealed that he was trying to have some fun behind the scenes.
“I did try to sneak out of my room to leave notes…I was trying to have fun in the moments where you weren’t supposed to have fun,” he admitted. “I would leave notes under people’s castle doors that said, ‘I know what you did last summer. Signed, The Traitors.’ I was having fun with it.”
Reza Farahan opens up about his time on Shahs of Sunset
Reza was a cast member on Shahs of Sunset starting in Season 1, which first aired on Bravo in 2012. Reza opened up about his reasons behind joining Shahs during a panel at BravoCon 2025, even though he experienced some pushback from his family.
RELATED: Reza Farahan Shares Major Updates on Marriage to Husband Adam Neely: “Big Life Lesson…”
“My mom was like, ‘Why would you put yourself in the line of fire?’ Like, your friends love you, your family loves you. Like, why would you, as a gay Middle Eastern man, want to go on a platform where people are going to have access to you, hurt your feelings, and say things to you that are really harsh,” he said. “And, for a minute, I was like, I didn’t know Shahs would be a huge success and we’d have nine seasons, I thought the most we’d have, like, 15 minutes. And to me, I was thinking, ‘You know what, if I could help one person who’s struggling with their sexuality,’ because I came up with people that ended their own lives because their families didn’t accept them, and they were struggling. I was like, ‘Let me just do this and show people, like, in the Middle Eastern community, you can be out, and your friends can love you, your family can support you, and it’s OK.’ Like, I never, ever thought I’d be sitting here with you nine seasons deep, and a new show coming out.”
Reza remained on the cast of Shahs of Sunset through Season 9, which aired in 2021 on Bravo.
Reza Farahan returns to Bravo on The Valley: Persian Style Season 1
Now, Reza is continuing to show more of his life on The Valley: Persian Style Season 1, which premieres on Bravo on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. In the trailer for the new season, Reza can be seen talking about how much his life has changed since being on Shahs of Sunset. “Since Shahs ended, we’ve all become, like, grown as f—k,” he explained in the trailer.
Reza can also be seen opening up about his marriage to his husband, Adam Farahan, in the trailer. “I need Adam to be more affectionate,” he told his friends.
He continued to open up about how much his life has changed since Shahs during an appearance on the Andddd We’re Back panel at BravoCon 2025. “We’re in a different place in our lives, we’re further along, a lot of things that so many of you are going to be able to relate to, and they’re nuts,” he said. “The drama is on fleek. It’s out of control. I was there for it, and I cannot wait to watch this show.”
Learn more about the cast of The Valley: Persian Style Season 1 ahead of the premiere.
