Acting · London, England, UK · Born September 18, 1980
Akhtar is known for the bumbling Muslim extremist Faisal in Chris Morris's film Four Lions. Other comedic performances include Gupta in The Angelos Epithemiou Show, Maroush in The Dictator and Smee in Joe Wright and Pan. 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. He played shopkeeper Ahmed alongside Toby Jones in the BBC mini-series Capital, and DS Ira King in the BBC's River. 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". 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, the first non-white actor to do so. He also appeared as Rob Singhal in the acclaimed BBC miniseries based on John le Carré's The Night Manager. Adeel became a patron of Half Moon Theatre in autumn 2016.
Letters to My Younger Future Self
2026
MovieNational Theatre Live: The Estate
2025
as Angad Singh
TVDown Cemetery Road
2025
as Hamza Malik
TVBlack Doves
2024
as Prime Minister Eaves
TVFool Me Once
2024
as Sami Kierce
MovieDickens: Phantoms and Fiction
2023
as Readings
MovieThe Walk
2023
as Amar
MovieThe Puppet Asylum
2023
as The Narrator
MovieMurder Mystery 2
2023
as The Maharajah
MovieEnola Holmes 2
2022
as Lestrade
TVSherwood
2022
as Andy Fisher
MovieAli & Ava
2022
as Ali
MovieSave the Cinema
2022
as Tom
TVShowtrial
2021
as Sam Malik
MovieThe Electrical Life of Louis Wain
2021
as Dan Rider
MovieRobin Robin
2021
as Dad Mouse (voice)
MovieEverybody's Talking About Jamie
2021
as Iman Masood
TVSweet Tooth
2021
as Dr. Aditya Singh
MovieEnola Holmes
2020
as Lestrade
MovieThe Nest
2020
as Steve
MovieRaagni - The Movie
2019
as Maulana Wahdi
The Show
2019
as Carpenter
MovieMurder Mystery
2019
as The Maharajah
TVBack to Life
2019
as Billy
TVLes Misérables
2018
as Thénardier
MovieSwimming with Men
2018
as Kurt
TVKilling Eve
2018
as Martin
TVCounterpart
2017
as Casper
TVGhosted
2017
as Dr. Barry Shaw
MovieVictoria & Abdul
2017
as Mohammed
MovieHampstead
2017
as Donald's Lawyer
MovieThe Big Sick
2017
as Naveed Nanjiani
MovieThe Last Dragonslayer
2016
as Mr. Brittles
MovieThe Circuit
2016
as Gabe
TVFlowers
2016
as Doctor
MovieMurdered by My Father
2016
as Shahzad
TVThe Night Manager
2016
as Rob Singhal
TVCapital
2015
as Ahmed
TVRiver
2015
as Ira King
MovieConvenience
2015
as Shaan
MoviePan
2015
as Sam "Smee" Smiegel
MovieWar Book
2015
as Mo
MovieKeeping Up with the Joneses
2013
as Jerry
MovieJadoo
2013
as Vinod
TVThe Job Lot
2013
as George Dhot
MovieStranger Things
2013
as Mani
MovieUtopia
2013
as Wilson Wilson
TVUtopia
2013
as Wilson Wilson
TVUtopia
2013
as Wilson Wilson
TVThe Angelos Epithemiou Show
2012
as Gupta
MovieThe Dictator
2012
as Maroush
MovieFour Lions
2010
as Faisal
MovieTraitor
2008
as Hamzi
TVConviction
2006
as Darpan Banerjee
TVWho Do You Think You Are?
2004
as Self
TVLaw & Order: Criminal Intent
2001
as Hazim
MovieElsinore
