If you were a fan of American westerns in the 1960s through the 1990s (or had spent time around someone who was), you might be familiar with the Hollywood hunks and heroes who contributed to making the genre so popular. 

Some of the better-known faces of the western film era included John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Burt Lancaster, Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, and (last but not least) Clint Eastwood! Some of the above starred as the "badass" cowboys in the great western classic film "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), while others made names for themselves in classic westerns that followed.

(How did I become so familiar with these faces and names, you ask, when I never once sat through a single western? That's easy: I grew up with a father who was a diehard western fan!)

Little did I know that when I was grown, I would marry into a family with four brothers—each one an expert herder, hunter, and horseman in his own right. So much so that among themselves and other family members, they were affectionately known as "The Magnificent Four" (complete with real cowboy gear!). Not only that—over time, each brother also came to be tagged as one of four Hollywood cowboy heroes whose names are still well recognized today: (1) Yul Brynner, (2) Kevin Costner, (3) Robert Duvall, and (4) Clint Eastwood. (And if the truth be told, I ended up participating in the “name-each-brother-after-a-movie-star-challenge” myself!

(How did the family know or even care enough, you ask, to reference the names of American western classics and the Hollywood stars who played in them? Actually, while in the 60s and 70s US Americans were watching these western classics on the States, Mahmoud, his father [“Baba”], and his three other brothers were viewing the same popular westerns from their Iranian TV sets on the other side of the world!)

aka "The Magnificent Four”)!

So, finally, let me formally introduce you to the four Ahmadi brothers (pictured with their parents, just below)! As you look at each adult brother in the photo, would you like to play along and (based on the celebrity-related clues provided) figure out which brother is which --by trying to match each brother’s name (and accompanying actor nickname) with the right face?

• Ali is the one we called Kevin Costner, for his boyish good looks and playful charm (especially in the 70s and early 80s).  He’s also the one who, after passing you the water you requested, would give you the warning, “Be careful with this—it’s wet, you know!”
  
  He could also gallop thunderously across a plain riding bareback—one hand holding the bridle, and if needed, the other one toting something else (I saw that one time for myself).

 

• Jamshid, the oldest brother with the roundest face and the first to go bald, is the one we named Yul Brynner. Sturdily built and a gifted wrestler, he had a quietness about him that spoke to both his private nature and inner complexity.

 

• Ahmad, the one we named after Robert Duvall, had deep-set eyes similar to the actor’s--projecting intensity, intelligence, and stoic determination. He harbored a tender heart beneath a tough exterior and would go to great lengths to help a person in need. (I know, because I happened to be one of those people--more than once!)

 

• And last but not least, Mahmoud—with his chiseled face, textured hair, and natural squint that [spoiler alert!]  looked sexy to me (I know, I know: a “natural squint” may not sound all that appealing, but trust me; it was!)—was given the alternate name of Clint Eastwood.

When you have finished guessing which brother is which in the photo, scroll further down the page and check your responses against the ones in the Answer Key.

ANSWER KEY:

• Ali (a. k. a. “Kevin Costner”) is the second person from the left
• Jamshid (a. k. a.  ”Yul Brynner”) is the fourth person from the left
• Ahmad” (a. k. a. “Robert Duvall”) is the fifth person from the left, AND (last but not least) …
• Mahmoud (a. k. a. “Clint Eastwood”) Is the first person from the left

How did things go?
 
There are other things to discover about each of the brothers (especially the one with the “squinty eyes” and textured hair!) I hope you’ll choose to find out when my debut memoir, The Road Between Hearts: A Memoir of a Black American Woman Discovering Iran is released on June 24, 2025!
 
​Please stand by for more details in my next blogpost!

This is Leslie Powell Ahmadi: a Black American Christian woman who met and married a man from a Muslim family and lived several years with him and our two young children in Iran.
Every month or so, I enjoy bringing you information, an experience, an encounter, and/or a perspective related to Iran and its people. Something that may catch your attention. 

You may or may not know that I have also written a soon-to-be released memoir about my life and discoveries in Iran, called The Road Between Hearts: A Memoir of a Black American Woman Discovering Iran. Some of you will notice that the title has changed slightly since I last mentioned it … but more about that later. For now, let me share another preview of one of my earliest discoveries (since my last blogpost):                
 
MEET THE AHMADI SISTERS!
 
In the summer of 1989, Mahmoud—my husband of just one year at the time—took a break from his research at Ohio State to visit his parents, siblings, and the rest of his abundant family back in Iran after twelve long years of living in America!
 
Here is a photo of Mahmoud and his five sisters, shortly after they first laid eyes on each other:

When Mahmoud returned to Columbus two weeks later and showed me the photo, the joy that emanated from it was so sweet and palpable, I could almost eat it with a spoon! In order of their position from left to right, he pointed out each one to me proudly. (And one year later, when I went to Iran for my first-time visit, I would come to discover and love each sister and personality in her own right!)
   

• Zahra, the baby sister, exuded kindness and a glamor mystique while somehow managing to make mischief whenever the opportunity presented itself!

 
            (Later, she would paint a stunning replica of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous  
            painting, “The Last Supper,” and hung it as a centerpiece on her wall. Why?
            Because she loved da Vinci’s painting!
        

• Ozra, the eldest sister, tempered her no-nonsense demeanor and efficiency to match with a penchant for fun—and a hearty laugh!

 
(Later, she’s the one who would sometimes walk in and offer to scrub my back down while I was in the shower. And even though I’d politely decline, I appreciated the intention behind it … she knew how to get things done!)
 

•  Nadereh, the most lighthearted and energetic, had a heart for young children, baby animals, and sparkly trinkets she loved to collect!

 
(Later, she would ask me all kinds of questions about Mahmoud’s and my life in America and our early days of knowing each other. She also taught me how to frame my face fashionably with a scarf and drape it around my neck just so!)
 

• Badri, the second-born sister and the same age as me, was the most down to earth—a calm and comforting presence with a radiant smile.

 
(She’s the one who would later bring me sweetened mint tea she had brewed for me herself if she noticed me showing even the slightest signs of stomach pangs. She also sewed me a stunning crimson blouse of silk that I wore and wore till I wore it out!)
 

•  And Parvin—independent, free-spoken, and generous of heart—loved communing with nature and its magnificent treasures.

 
(One November, she would take it upon herself to cook a delicious turkey dinner with a “Persian touch” and invite me and all the families, after she learned about an American holiday known as “Thanksgiving.”)
                                                              ***
As you may have picked up from my various blogposts, my road to Iran began with Mahmoud, continued with his family, and extended beyond that!
 
That’s why the first part of my memoir’s title has changed from Road Between Two Hearts to The Road Between Hearts: a lot of hearts ended up on this road besides Mahmoud’s and mine! I hope you will join me in my next blogpost—when the day of the book’s release and other details will finally be announced! (By that time, I might also be able to invite you to explore my newly-designed website!)