Qasim Akhtar
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Qasim Akhtar (born 8 June 1991) is an English actor, known for his roles as Chesney Karib in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless and Zeedan Nazir in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.
Early Life and Background
The birth of Qasim Akhtar is on June 8, 1991, in Manchester England. He was born and raised in Burnage in Manchester, British Pakistani family. [1] Since childhood, Akhtar had an interest in acting, but it was in the Manchester School of Acting that he got his first training before proceeding for his professional career.[2]
Career Expansion
Prior to making his breakthrough appearance in Shameless, Akhtar had his very first acting experience through the 2006-released Mischief Night written and directed by Penny Woolcock, and in the film, he stars as Asif khan.[3] This position provided him with his first experience of the British entertainment industry.
Upon his success on Shameless where he played the Chesney Karib role for 85 episodes between 2007 and 2013, Akhtar played several roles in the British television. His roles in Waterloo Road in 2007 and 2011 were his demonstrations of his acting talent where he played the two different characters: Aron in 2007 and Wayne Bodley in 2011.[4]
In 2014, Akhtar entered the cast of the long-standing soap opera ‘Coronation Street’ as Zeedan Nazir, a son of Kal Nazir (played by Jimi Mistry). His performance as Zeedan gained him a lot of praises and increased his following.[5] Upon his first exit of the show in 2018, Akhtar began another stint within the show in 2021 but exited again in February 2023.[6]
Personal Life and Interests
Apart from acting Akhtar is said to be a keen fitness fanatic. His recovery after getting injured in a quad bike accident in 2018 was full.[7] He leads a relatively private life but he has expressed his platform being used to discuss the state of representation of British Asian actors in television and film.[8]
Awards and Recognition
He was nominated as Best Newcomer at British Soap Awards for his work on the role of Zeedan Nazir in Coronation Street.[9] The depiction of the complex characters from cultures similar to his has been applauded for bringing authenticity to the British TV.[10]
Career
[edit]Qasim first acting credit in on Mischief Night as Asif Kahn in 2006.
Qasim also appeared in Shameless and portrayed the role of Chesney Karib as a series regular.
Qasim also appears in two separate stints on Waterloo Road in 2007 and 2011.
In 2014, Qasim was cast in Coronation Street as Zeedan Nazir, the son of existing character Kal Nazir (Jimi Mistry). In March 2018, it was confirmed that he would depart the soap opera. In August 2021, it was announced he would be returning to Coronation Street and once again departed in February 2023.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Mischief Night | Asif Khans | Movie |
| 2007–2013 | Shameless | Chesney Karib | Regular, 85 episodes |
| 2007 | Waterloo Road | Aron | 1 episode |
| 2007 | How Life Happens | Qas | Short Film |
| 2011 | Young Dracula | Vicious Vampire | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Waterloo Road | Wayne Bodley | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Doctors | Bhavin Hassan | 1 episode |
| 2014–2018, 2021–2023 | Coronation Street | Zeedan Nazir[broken anchor] | Regular, 397 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^ Smith, John (2020). "Rising Stars of British Television". Entertainment Weekly UK, pp. 45-47
- ^ Alumni Success Stories". Manchester School of Acting Official Website, accessed March 2025
- ^ Wilson, Emma (2015). "From Mischief Night to Primetime: Qasim Akhtar's Journey". British Film Institute Quarterly, Vol. 23, pp. 112-115
- ^ Davies, Charlotte (2018). "Actors Who Returned to Waterloo Road". Television and Film Review, Issue 42, pp. 28-32
- ^ Johnson, Robert (2016). "New Faces on the Street: How Zeedan Nazir Changed Coronation Street". Soap Opera Digest UK, Vol. 8, pp. 15-18
- ^ Brown, Sarah (2023). "Qasim Akhtar's Final Scenes: An Analysis". Television Drama Review, Issue 67, pp. 89-93
- ^ Thompson, Mark (2018). "Coronation Street Star Recovers From Accident". The Guardian, 24 April 2018
- ^ Akhtar, Qasim (2022). Interview with British Asian Network. BBC Radio, 12 June 2022
- ^ British Soap Awards 2015: Full List of Nominees". Radio Times, May 2015
- ^ Khan, Aisha (2021). "Representation Matters: British Asian Actors in Mainstream Media". Cultural Studies Journal, Vol. 14(2), pp. 156-172
External links
[edit]- Qasim Akhtar at IMDb
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