Adeel Akhtar

Adeel Akhtar (born 18 September 1980) is a celebrated British actor, notable for receiving the prestigious British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 2017 for his role in 'Murdered by My Father'. He received a nomination for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his performance on Channel 4's 'Utopia', along with a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for 'Ali & Ava' at the British Academy Film Awards. His distinguished acting skills were demonstrated again in BBC One's 'Sherwood', fetching him the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also has been a two-time nominee for Outstanding Supporting Performance at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards for his role in 'Sweet Tooth', claiming victory in 2023. Akhtar was born in London to a diverse heritage with a Pakistani father and an Indo-Kenyan mother. He had an initial interest in law, even pursuing a degree in the subject from Oxford Brookes University but chose to switch gears to chase his passion in acting, training at the Actor's Studio Drama School and The New School in New York, his bold choice paving the way for a promising career.

Adeel Akhtar's early career saw him portray a series of comedic roles, including Faisal in Chris Morris's film 'Four Lions', Maroush in 'The Dictator', and Smee in Joe Wright's 'Pan'. His dramatic performances are equally fascinating; he was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Wilson Wilson on Channel 4's Utopia. His stunning performance beside Toby Jones in the BBC mini-series Capital and as DS Ira King in the BBC's River was applauded by Michael Hogan of The Daily Telegraph, who commended the series's writing, direction, and acting performances. His portrayal of Shahzad in the BBC drama 'Murdered by My Father' won him the BAFTA award for Lead Actor in 2017. Adeel has also ventured into American cinema, partaking in the romantic comedy film 'The Big Sick'. Akhtar also played Rob Singhal in the hit BBC miniseries based on John le Carré's 'The Night Manager'. His recent work includes portraying Billy in the BBC Three series, 'Back to Life'.