Adeel Akhtar
Actor
Film / TV
“THEY BRING ME TO THE EDGE OF MY OWN ABILITIES.”
Adeel Akhtar was doing National Youth Theatre from age 15, performing in summer productions for three years. In 1998, at the age of 19, Adeel signed with McEwan & Penford, beginning his professional career. Urged by his father, Adeel took a hiatus from acting work to complete a law degree, before going to drama school in New York. “Even though I had those years out, at 27 we just picked right up where we left off,” tells Adeel. “When you start out, it’s a slow build of jobs and relationships. McEwan & Penford really know how to evolve actors. Choosing the right roles for someone to develop and lay the foundations of their career and move into other mediums.”
“A little shift started to happen…”
After building his credits, Adeel took on the role of Faisal in Chris Morris’ 2010 film Four Lions. He then went on to play the part of Wilson Wilson in Channel 4’s Utopia, a role that gained Adeel his first BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
“When things started to heat up for me, a little shift started to happen. I was suddenly having meetings with creatives, directors, writers, producers and we would sit down and talk about ideas. What Aileen does really well is rubbing two creative stones together to see if there are any sparks, and that’s how relationships get going. They have a knack for putting people together who they think might work well together and seeing what happens.”
In 2017 Adeel won the BAFTA for Best Lead Actor for his performance in Murdered By My Father, a one-off BBC drama. This was a project Adeel and his agent, Aileen were involved with from the very beginning, initially meeting with the writer and producer. Adeel was recognised for his brilliant, tortured performance in this BBC Three drama and made BAFTA history for being the first non-white Best Actor winner in the awards’ 62 years.
“It makes you feel very present in an environment which could be quite overwhelming.”
“Aileen and the team guide you through projects and jobs with an amazing attention to detail, and I think that’s really important because it gives you a level of confidence. So when you walk into a room with a director or producer, it makes you feel very present in an environment which could be quite overwhelming.”
Adeel continues to work in film and TV with leading roles in Ali & Ava, Murder Mystery 1 & 2, Enola Holmes 1 & 2, Save the Cinema and TV shows such as Sherwood, Back to Life 1 & 2, Killing Eve, Les Misérables and a stand out regular role in Netflix’s hit show Sweet Tooth. In 2021 Adeel won the Best Actor BIFA for his performance as ‘Ali’ in Ali & Ava directed by Clio Barnard.
“I think it all comes from them just listening really well to what I’ve wanted at the time,” says Adeel. “I also know with these guys behind me, I can push myself a little further. They bring me to the edge of my own abilities.”
