Shpend Xani is a New York City-based Albanian American actor and dialect coach whose work spans classical theatre and contemporary screen performance. Born and raised in Kosovo during the war, he later resettled in the United States as a refugee, bringing an international perspective and classical rigor to his craft.

His stage work includes Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, King John at Folger Theatre, Coriolanus and A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Academy's Shakespeare Theatre, and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible at Olney Theatre. He has also originated roles in world premieres with SOCIETY Theatre Company, Mosaic Theater Company, NYU Skirball, and Longacre Lea.

On screen, he has appeared in The Blacklist, FBI: Most Wanted, and New Amsterdam, in addition to the European feature Hana and other independent and international films.

Alongside his acting career, Xani works as a dialect coach and translator, specializing in foreign language coaching. He speaks four languages and is a founding member of the NYC ensemble theatre company SOCIETY.

He holds BFAs in Acting from the University of Prishtina and Millikin University and an MFA in Classical Acting from Shakespeare Theatre’s Academy at The George Washington University.