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

Adeel Akhtar (born 18 September 1980) is a British actor. In 2017, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his role in Murdered by My Father. He was also nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role on Channel 4's Utopia, as well as a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ali & Ava. Akhtar received critical acclaim for his performance in BBC One's Sherwood, receiving the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is a two-time nominee for Outstanding Supporting Performance at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards for his role in Sweet Tooth, winning in 2023.

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 from Oxford Brookes University in 2002, 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's first major role was as 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 's Pan.[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. In 2017 he also took part in the American romantic comedy film The Big Sick, playing the role of the protagonist's brother, Naveed.[11] He appeared as Rob Singhal in the acclaimed BBC miniseries based on John le Carré's The Night Manager.[12] In 2019, Akhtar appeared as Billy in the BBC Three series, Back to Life, written by Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon, returning in 2021 for the second series.[13]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released

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
2021Ali & AvaAliNominated - British Academy Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
2021Everybody's Talking About JamieIman Masood
2021The Electrical Life of Louis WainDan Rider
2022Save the CinemaMayor Tom
2022Enola Holmes 2Inspector Lestrade
2023Murder Mystery 2The Maharajah[14]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2006Law & Order: Criminal IntentHazimEpisode: "Dollhouse"
2006ConvictionDarpan BanerjeeEpisode: "Downhill"
2010Angelos Epithemiou's Moving OnGupta
2011Coming UpHasanEpisode: "Hooked"
2013–2014The Job LotGeorge
2013TrolliedRaySeries 3
2013The TunnelAnwar RashidSeries 1, 2 episodes
2013–2014UtopiaWilson WilsonNominated – British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor[15]
2015RiverDetective Sergeant Ira King
2015Capital[7]Ahmed Kamal
2016The Night Manager[16]Rob Singhal
2016Murdered by My FatherShahzadTelevision film
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 and Season 4
2019Back to LifeBilly
2021Sweet ToothAditya SinghMain role
Nominated – Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance
2022SherwoodAndy FisherBBC miniseries - main cast
Won – British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor
2024Fool Me OnceDS Sami KierceNetflix series - main cast[17]

Stage

Accolades

Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ref.
British Academy Television Awards 2017 Best Actor Murdered by My Father Won [18]
Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Supporting Performance Sweet Tooth Nominated [19]
British Academy Television Awards 2023 Best Supporting Actor Sherwood Won [20]
Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2023 Outstanding Supporting Performance Sweet Tooth Won [21]

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Andrew (January 2012). "From Terrorist to the Prince of Denmark". Floreat Cheltonia (5): 35. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  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. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  3. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (6 May 2010). "Review: Four Lions". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Adeel Akhtar". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  5. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (24 April 2014). "Amanda Seyfried Joins Warner Bros.' Peter Pan Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  6. ↑ "Who should win best supporting actor at the TV Baftas 2015?". Radio Times. 6 May 2015. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Capital | Episode 1". BBC iPlayer. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "River | Episode 1". BBC iPlayer. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  9. ↑ Hogan, Michael (17 November 2015). "River, episode six, review: 'one of the year's best home-grown TV dramas'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 June 2022.(subscription required)
  10. ↑ "Bafta TV Awards 2017: All the winners and nominees". BBC News. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  11. ↑ "Bafta TV awards: Adeel Akhtar is first non-white best actor winner". BBC News. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "The Night Manager". BBC iPlayer. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  13. ↑ Morris, Lauren (1 September 2021). "Back to Life season 3: Release date rumours, cast, plot and news around BBC Three comedy-drama's return". Radio Times. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  14. ↑ Galuppo, Mia (24 January 2022). "Jodie Turner-Smith, Mark Strong Join Netflix's 'Murder Mystery 2'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  15. ↑ Ritman, Alex (8 April 2015). "BAFTA TV Awards: Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Third Nomination for 'Sherlock'". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Gill, James (18 May 2017). "Meet the cast of The Night Manager". The Radio Times. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  17. ↑ "Netflix Adapting Harlan Coben's 'Fool Me Once' With Star Michelle Keegan". The Wrap. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "Bafta TV awards 2017: Full list of winners". The Guardian. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  19. ↑ Matt Webb, Mitovich (1 November 2022). "Emmys: Mysterious Benedict Society, Sneakerella, Heartstopper, Sweet Tooth Lead Children's & Family Nominees". TVLine. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  20. ↑ TV, Guardian (14 May 2023). "Bafta TV awards 2023: the full list of winners". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  21. ↑ Coates, Tyler. "Children's & Family Emmy Awards: Disney Dominates Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 November 2023.

Further reading

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