Sam Asghari Says He Wants to Use Platform to Help People in Iran

Sam Asghari says he's not looking for personal glory in his acting career ... he's more interested in using his celebrity to push for the good of mankind ... namely, human rights in Iran.

The model and actor joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to discuss his new movie "The Gentleman Thief" starring John Travolta, and he dove into a relatively new subject ... politics -- specifically, the ongoing situation in his home country.

If you don't know ... Sam was born in Tehran and moved to the United States in the mid 2000s when he was 12 -- and he says seeing the oppression in the country has made him more politically aware.

Sam says he's not focused on the politics inside the country as much as the humanitarian issues at play ... calling out the Iranian regime for cracking down on its own citizens -- and for denying key rights to women.

He says he wants to use his art to inspire others and to give a voice to the voiceless ... because he knows he's lucky to be in America -- likening his freedoms here to "winning the lottery."

Sam also downloaded us on his new flick ... and told us what Travolta movie helped him learn English when he first moved to the States.