First British-Pakistani wins best actor BAFTA
May 17, 2017
British Pakistani actor Adeel Akhtar created history by becoming the first non-white male to win the best actor British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award.
The actor was recognised for his powerful depiction of a father, Shahzad, who murders his daughter in a so-called honour killing in BBC Three drama Murdered By My Father.
The moment was savoured by the show’s screenwriter Vinay Patel, who shared a picture with Akhtar and wrote “"First non-white fella to win a #Bafta TV award for best actor? This guy. (Not me, obvs)."
First non-white fella to win a #BAFTA TV award for Best Actor? This guy. (Not me, obvs) pic.twitter.com/KeaKahaufG
— Vinay Patel (@VinayPatel) May 14, 2017
Born to a Pakistani father and Kenyan mother, Akhtar was born and brought up in London. The actor initially completed a degree in law, but decided to pursue his passion for acting and trained at a drama school in New York.
Last year, Akhtar was nominated in the BAFTA’s Best Supporting Actor for his role as Wilson Wilson in Utopia.
He has also appeared in other series such as John Le Carre’s The Night Manager, Trollied and Apple Tree Yard.
