Adeel Akhtar

Acting

Adeel Akhtar

Born

1980-09-18 (46)

Place of birth

London, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

58 titles

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, le…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 15 titles

Murder Mystery 2 poster
6.4

After starting their own detective agency, Nick and Audrey Spitz land a career-making case when their billionaire pal is kidnapped from his wedding.

Murder Mystery 2

2023

Enola Holmes poster
7.2

While searching for her missing mother, intrepid teen Enola Holmes uses her sleuthing skills to outsmart big brother Sherlock and help a runaway lord.

Enola Holmes

2020

Enola Holmes 2 poster
7.4

Enola takes on her first official case as a detective, but to solve the mystery of a missing girl, she'll need help from friends — and brother Sherlock.

Enola Holmes 2

2022

Robin Robin poster
7.0

A bird raised by mice begins to question where she belongs and sets off on a daring journey of self-discovery.

Robin Robin

2021

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain poster
6.9

The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain, whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

2021

The Nest poster
6.1

Rory is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic '80s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family.

The Nest

2020

Elsinore poster
NR

The deeply emotional and inspirational true story of Ian Charleson, a gifted actor whose greatest challenge becomes his greatest triumph. Facing his own mortality with unflinching honesty, wit, and grace, Charleson delivers a courageous performance that becomes a source of healing and inspiration for those around him.

Elsinore

2026

Everybody's Talking About Jamie poster
6.2

Jamie New is 16 and doesn’t quite fit in—instead of pursuing a "real" career he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure: he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mom and his amazing friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie

2021

Ali & Ava poster
6.7

Sparks fly after Ali and Ava meet through their shared affection for Sofia, the child of Ali’s tenants whom Ava teaches. Ali finds comfort in Ava’s warmth and kindness while Ava finds Ali’s complexity and humour irresistible. As the pair begin to form a deep connection they have to find a way to keep their newfound passion from being overshadowed by the stresses and struggles of their separate lives and histories.​

Ali & Ava

2022

National Theatre Live: The Estate poster
NR

The leader of the opposition has been forced to resign in a scandal. Against the odds Angad Singh emerges as the favourite. He could win, he could make history, he could really change things – as long as his sisters keep their mouths shut.

National Theatre Live: The Estate

2025

Save the Cinema poster
6.2

The true story of Liz Evans, a hairdresser and leader of a youth theatre in Carmarthen, Wales, who began a campaign in 1993 to save the Lyric theatre from closure. Alongside then Mayor of Carmarthen Richard Goodridge, they enlisted the help of Steven Spielberg, securing a special premiere of Jurassic Park.

Save the Cinema

2022

Dickens: Phantoms and Fiction poster
10.0

Captivating documentary exploring the haunting world of Charles Dickens' supernatural tales through actor readings, archive footage and immersive visuals

Dickens: Phantoms and Fiction

2023

The Puppet Asylum poster
6.6

Otto Baxter, a filmmaker with Down's Syndrome, directs and stars in this musical horror-comedy short based on his life, set in Victorian London.

The Puppet Asylum

2023

No artwork available
NR

A one-night performance marking the U.K.’s National Youth Theatre organization’s 70th anniversary.

Letters to My Younger Future Self

2026

The Walk poster
5.0

Pilgrimage or purgatory? Every Wednesday Amar endures a 24-mile round trip on foot to the JobCentre and back to sign on.

The Walk

2023

2010s · 18 titles

The Dictator poster
6.3

The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

The Dictator

2012

Murder Mystery poster
6.2

On a long-awaited trip to Europe, a New York City cop and his hairdresser wife scramble to solve a baffling murder aboard a billionaire's yacht.

Murder Mystery

2019

The Big Sick poster
7.3

Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.

The Big Sick

2017

Pan poster
6.0

Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.

Pan

2015

Victoria & Abdul poster
6.9

Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.

Victoria & Abdul

2017

Four Lions poster
7.0

Four Lions tells the story of a group of British jihadists who push their abstract dreams of glory to the breaking point. As the wheels fly off, and their competing ideologies clash, what emerges is an emotionally engaging (and entirely plausible) farce.

Four Lions

2010

Swimming with Men poster
6.1

A man who is suffering a mid-life crisis finds new meaning in his life as part of an all-male, middle-aged, amateur synchronised swimming team.

Swimming with Men

2018

Hampstead poster
6.1

Emily Walters is an American widow living a peaceful, uneventful existence in the idyllic Hampstead Village of London, when she meets local recluse, Donald Horner. For 17 years, Donald has lived—wildly yet peacefully—in a ramshackle hut near the edge of the forest. When Emily learns his home is the target of developers who will stop at nothing to remove him, saving Donald and his property becomes her personal mission. Despite his gruff exterior and polite refusals for help, Emily is drawn to him—as he is to her—and what begins as a charitable cause evolves into a relationship that will grow even as the bulldozers close in.

Hampstead

2017

The Last Dragonslayer poster
5.9

In a fantasy world where magic is being superceded by technology, an orphaned teen discovers her destiny to become a dragonslayer.

The Last Dragonslayer

2016

Convenience poster
5.7

Two friends attempt to rob a petrol station but are so useless that they end up working there all night.

Convenience

2015

Jadoo poster
5.7

This comedy revolves around two brothers, both wonderful chefs, who fall out catastrophically. At the climax of their dispute they rip the family recipe book in half - one brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses. They set up rival restaurants, across the road from each other, and spend the next twenty years trying to out-do each other. Neither brother will admit it but they both know they are not entirely successful in the 'other half' of the menu. It takes a daughter - a successful corporate lawyer marrying a man from a very different background - to reunite them. She is planning her marriage and is determined that they will both cook the wedding banquet.

Jadoo

2013

War Book poster
5.1

Government officials practice their response and decisions in a simulated escalation of nuclear threat.

War Book

2015

Murdered by My Father poster
5.9

Every parent wants the best for their kids, and Shahzad is no exception. Ever since his wife died, he's been trying to keep his two kids Salma and Hassan on track. Salma is growing up quickly, and Shahzad wants to make sure she's set up with the right guy to settle down with It's a promise he made his wife, and part of what he considers his duty as a dad. But what does Salma want? Unbeknown to Shahzad, she's caught up in a whirlwind romance with charismatic charmer Imi. Salma knows Imi is not what her dad is expecting, but can she find a way to make everyone happy? A hard-hitting drama with a devastating finale, Murdered by My Father is a story about the power and the limits of love in communities where 'honour' means everything.

Murdered by My Father

2016

Keeping Up with the Joneses poster
5.9

MP's wife Celia discovers her husband's true colours when she is taken hostage by his criminal business associates.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

2013

No artwork available
NR

Sometimes the drama backstage is better than anything on it... Sometimes the drama backstage threatens to destroy everything on it.

The Show

2019

The Circuit poster
6.8

Newly arrived in town Nat and Gabe accept a dinner invitation from the volatile Hungarian Helene and her boorish husband Sasha. Whilst the other guests, ex-Bananarama member Marty, Angie, who 'makes bullets' and the supposedly suicidal Danny are affable enough, Nat and Gabe are shocked by their hosts' very public rows and Gabe's attempt at peace-making is awkwardly received. Nat is taken aback when virtual stranger Helene confides in her about Sasha's suspected infidelity and Gabe is rudely rebuffed when he tries to have a heart to heart with Sasha. After Helene physically attacks her husband the newcomers are desperate to leave but when Danny drops a bombshell Gabe is torn between responsibility and the easy way out.

The Circuit

2016

Stranger Things poster
8.4

Oona, a recent graduate in anthropology, has returned to her dead mother’s seaside cottage in southern England to prepare it for sale. Her arrival disturbs Mani, a wary vagrant who has been squatting on the property.

Stranger Things

2013

Raagni - The Movie poster
NR

RAAAGNI THE MOVIE - is a British bilingual film for cinema release, dialogues (English /Urdu, though mainly in English). The film is set in London and is based on the struggles of an unknown aspiring musician.

Raagni - The Movie

2019

Series credits

Law & Order: Criminal Intent poster
7.6

The third installment of the “Law & Order” franchise takes viewers deep into the minds of its criminals while following the intense psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve its crimes.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

2001

Sweet Tooth poster
7.7

On an epic adventure across a postapocalyptic world, a lovable boy who's part human and part deer searches for family and home with a gruff protector.

Sweet Tooth

2021

Killing Eve poster
7.9

A security consultant hunts for a ruthless assassin. Equally obsessed with each other, they go head to head in an epic game of cat-and-mouse.

Killing Eve

2018

The Night Manager poster
7.7

Former British soldier Jonathan Pine navigates the shadowy recesses of Whitehall and Washington where an unholy alliance operates between the intelligence community and the secret arms trade. To infiltrate the inner circle of lethal arms dealer Richard Onslow Roper, Pine must himself become a criminal.

The Night Manager

2016

Who Do You Think You Are? poster
7.0

A British genealogy documentary series in which celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past.

Who Do You Think You Are?

2004

Fool Me Once poster
7.2

When ex-soldier Maya sees her murdered husband on a secret nanny cam, she uncovers a deadly conspiracy that stretches deep into the past.

Fool Me Once

2024

Counterpart poster
7.5

Howard Silk is a lowly cog in a bureaucratic UN agency who is turning the last corner of a life filled with regret when he discovers the agency he works for is guarding a secret: a crossing to a parallel dimension.

Counterpart

2017

Black Doves poster
7.0

When a spy posing as a politician's wife learns her lover has been murdered, an old assassin friend joins her on a quest for truth — and vengeance.

Black Doves

2024

Down Cemetery Road poster
6.8

When a child goes missing in the aftermath of a house explosion, a concerned neighbor teams up with a private investigator to find them. As secrets unravel and a military conspiracy emerges, all hell is unleashed on South Oxford's sleepy suburbs.

Down Cemetery Road

2025

Conviction poster
6.0

A fast-paced character-oriented story, focuses on the lives and loves of the young assistant district attorneys in New York, following their career paths as these passionate but naive ADAs are confronted with tough, emotional cases that challenge their limited experience – and force them to mature quickly or be overwhelmed.

Conviction

2006

Utopia poster
7.9

The Utopia Experiments is a legendary graphic novel shrouded in mystery. When a group of strangers find themselves in possession of an original manuscript, their lives suddenly and brutally implode.

Utopia

2013

Les Misérables poster
7.3

France, 1815. Jean Valjean, a common thief, is released from prison after having lived a hell in life for 19 years, but a small mistake puts the law again on his trail. Ruthless Inspector Javert pursues him thorough years, driven by a twisted sense of justice, while Valjean reforms himself, thrives and dedicates his life to good deeds. In 1832, while the revolution ravages the streets of Paris, Valjean and Javert cross their paths for the last time.

Les Misérables

2018

Ghosted poster
6.4

A skeptic is forced to work with a firm believer of the paranormal on unexplained occurrences in Los Angeles.

Ghosted

2017

Sherwood poster
6.9

Old grudges, new rivalries. A tangled web of murder and revenge spirals in a fractured Nottinghamshire mining community. Powerful drama with Lesley Manville and David Morrissey.

Sherwood

2022

Showtrial poster
6.9

An anthology series of hotly contested criminal trials that divides the nation and take place in the full glare of the media spotlight.

Showtrial

2021

Coming Up poster
5.7

Coming Up is a British Channel 4 television series of films made for television by new directors and writers. The first series was in 2006, and each year's series comprises seven or eight films. Series 6 was shown from July to September 2011. A reviewer in The Independent wrote: "Thank goodness for Coming Up ... it's a genuinely interesting display of possibilities".

Coming Up

2003

Coming Up poster
5.7

Coming Up is a British Channel 4 television series of films made for television by new directors and writers. The first series was in 2006, and each year's series comprises seven or eight films. Series 6 was shown from July to September 2011. A reviewer in The Independent wrote: "Thank goodness for Coming Up ... it's a genuinely interesting display of possibilities".

Coming Up

2003

River poster
7.4

Respected police officer John River, a gifted cop with a troubled mind, struggles to come to terms with the recent loss of a colleague, and chases a suspect across London - with tragic consequences. Now at odds with the authorities, River ends up in a precarious position as he seeks to bring closure to the mother of murdered teenager, who blames him for failing to keep his promise.

River

2015

Back to Life poster
7.4

When Miri Matteson returns home after eighteen years, can she integrate back into her old life? With a terrible event from her past hanging over her, it won’t be easy.

Back to Life

2019

The Job Lot poster
7.3

The daily troubles of the people who work in a busy West Midlands Job Centre, and the people who don’t work there, or anywhere else for that matter.

The Job Lot

2013

Capital poster
7.1

Set on a single street in South London, Capital is a portrait of a road transformed by soaring property prices: what was once the home of modest lower-middle class families, Pepys Road has been continuously gentrified into a street of multimillion pound houses. On one day, the people of this South London street all receive an anonymous postcard with the simple message 'we want what you have'. Its unsettling ripples affect every corner of the community.

Capital

2015

Flowers poster
7.4

Dark comedy about the eccentric members of the Flowers family. Maurice and Deborah are barely together but yet to divorce. They live with Maurice's batty mother and their maladjusted twin children.

Flowers

2016

No artwork available
NR

The Ministry of Time, a newly established government department, is gathering ‘expats’ from across history in an experiment to test the viability of time-travel. Commander Graham Gore (an officer on Sir John Franklin's doomed 1845 Arctic expedition) is one such figure rescued from certain death – alongside an army captain from the fields of the Somme, a plague victim from the 1600s, a widow from revolutionary France, and a soldier from the seventeenth century.

The Ministry of Time

—

The Angelos Epithemiou Show poster
7.5

Angelos Epithemiou presents his own six-part studio entertainment show with best mate and sidekick Gupta, while love interest Gabby Logan appears throughout the series and the guests have to earn the right to be on the show by facing some crazy challenges...

The Angelos Epithemiou Show

2012