Adeel Akhtar

Adeel Akhtar (born 18 September 1980) is a British actor. In 2017, he won a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his role in Murdered by My Father.

Adeel Akhtar
Born (1980-09-18) 18 September 1980
London, England
EducationOxford Brookes University (BA)
New School (MFA)
OccupationActor
Years active2006–present

Early life

Akhtar was born in London, to a Pakistani father and a Kenyan mother. He was educated at Cheltenham College[1] Junior School from 1991 to 1994 and then moved to Cheltenham College in Newick House from 1994 to 1999. He originally completed a degree in law, but decided to follow his passion and change to acting, training at the Actors Studio Drama School, then within The New School, in New York.[2]

Career

Akhtar is known for the bumbling Muslim extremist Faisal in Chris Morris's film Four Lions.[3] Other comedic performances include Gupta in The Angelos Epithemiou Show,[4] Maroush in The Dictator[4] and Smee in Joe Wright 'sPan.[5]

Akhtar has also won acclaim for his dramatic performances: in 2015, he was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his 2014 role as Wilson Wilson on Channel 4's Utopia.[6] He played shopkeeper Ahmed alongside Toby Jones in the BBC mini-series Capital,[7] and DS Ira King in the BBC's River.[8] Reviewing River in The Daily Telegraph, Michael Hogan wrote, "This series was beautifully written by Abi Morgan, stylishly directed, and most of all, superbly acted. The quieter, less showy supporting players also shone. Not just stalwarts [...] but fresher faces: Adeel Akhtar as River's endlessly patient sidekick and Georgina Rich as his psychiatrist".[9]

In 2016 Akhtar appeared as Shahzad in the BBC one-off drama Murdered by My Father. He won the 2017 BAFTA award for Lead Actor for this role,[10] the first non-white actor to do so.[11] He also appeared as Rob Singhal in the acclaimed BBC miniseries based on John le Carré's The Night Manager.[12] His latest role is as Billy in the 2019 critically acclaimed series on BBC Three, Back to Life, written by Daisy Haggard and Laura Salon.

Adeel became a patron of Half Moon Theatre in autumn 2016.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2002Let's Roll: The Story of Flight 93Hijacker Saeed Al Ghamdi
2008TraitorHamzi
2010Four LionsFaisal
2010Stranger ThingsMani
2012The DictatorMaroush
2013JadooVinod
2013ConvenienceShaan
2014War BookMo
2015PanSmee
2017The Big SickNaveed
2017Victoria & AbdulMohammed Bakhsh
2018Swimming with MenKurt
2019Murder MysteryMaharajah Vikram Govindan
2020The NestSteve
2020Enola HolmesInspector Lestrade
2021Everybody's Talking About JamieIman MasoodPost-production
TBALouis WainPost-production

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2006Law & Order: Criminal IntentHazimEpisode: "Dollhouse"
2006ConvictionDr. Darpan BanerjeeEpisode: "Downhill"
2010Angelos Epithemiou's Moving OnGupta
2011Coming UpHasanEpisode: "Hooked"
2013–2014The Job LotGeorge
2013TrolliedRaySeason 3
2013The TunnelAnwar RashidSeason 1, 2 episodes
2013–2014UtopiaWilson WilsonNominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor[13]
2015RiverDetective Sergeant Ira King
2015Capital[14]Ahmed Kamal
2016The Night Manager[15]Rob Singhal
2016Murdered by My FatherShahzadTelevision Movie
Won – British Academy Television Award for Best Actor
2017UnforgottenHassan MahmoudSeries 2
2017Apple Tree YardJaspreetEpisodes 3 and 4
2017–2018GhostedBarryMain cast
2018CounterpartCasper
2018Les MisérablesMonsieur Thénardier
2019Killing EveMartinSeason 2 Episodes 5 and 7
2019Back to LifeBilly

Stage

References
  1. Harris, Andrew (January 2012). "From Terrorist to the Prince of Denmark". Floreat Cheltonia: The Cheltonian Association Magazine (5). p. 35. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  2. Fisher, Alice; John, Emma; Shaitly, Shahesta (11 May 2014). "Dominic West, Adeel Akhtar, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Buchan, Jodie Whittaker, Julie Hesmondhalgh and Simon Bird: Bafta TV awards 2014". The Observer. London. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. Bradshaw, Peter (6 May 2010). "Four Lions". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  4. "Adeel Akhtar". British Film Institute. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  5. Ford, Rebecca (24 April 2014). "Amanda Seyfried Joins Warner Bros.' Peter Pan Adaptation". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  6. "Who should win best supporting actor at the TV Baftas 2015?". Radio Times. London. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. "Capital: Episode 1: Credits". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  8. "River: Episode 1: Credits". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  9. Hogan, Michael (17 November 2015). "River, episode six, review: 'one of the year's best home-grown TV dramas'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  10. "Bafta TV Awards 2017: All the winners and nominees". BBC News. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  11. "Bafta TV awards: Adeel Akhtar is first non-white best actor winner". BBC News. 15 May 2017.
  12. "The Night Manager: Credits". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  13. Alex Ritman (8 April 2015). "BAFTA TV Awards: Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Third Nomination for 'Sherlock'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  14. "BBC One: Capital: Credits". BBC Online. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  15. "Meet the cast of The Night Manager". The Radio Times. Retrieved 28 February 2016.

Further reading
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