Former EastEnders actor Himesh Patel lands leading role in The X Files reboot alongside BAFTA-nominated actress – 10 years after quitting Albert Square

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Former EastEnders actor Himesh Patel has landed a leading role in the reboot of The X Files.

The 35-year-old actor first became well-known as a teenager when he landed a role on the BBC soap opera, playing the character Tamwar Masood in Albert Square.

Interestingly, this new role is a significant departure for the actor, as he’s been cast in Ryan Coogler’s reimagining of The X-Files.

The project was picked up by US streaming giant Hulu last month.

Himesh will act with Danielle Deadwyler, who has been nominated for a BAFTA Award. They will both play FBI agents with very different personalities and approaches.

Variety has obtained a description of the new series: two accomplished, yet very different, FBI agents (Deadwyler and Patel) will team up when they’re assigned to a previously closed-down unit that investigates strange and unexplainable events, forming an unexpected partnership.

The report indicates the actors will portray completely original characters, and won’t be revisiting their roles as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

DavidĀ Duchovny and Gillian Anderson played the fan-favourite roles across 11 series.Ā Ā 

Danielle, age 43, has received several important award nominations, notably for her portrayal of Mamie Till-Mobley in the movie Till.

She was nominated for Best Actress at the 2023 BAFTA Film and TV Awards.

Himesh and Danielle has previously worked together, starring in miniseriesĀ Station Eleven in 2021.

In 2022, Himesh received an Emmy nomination for his performance as Jeevan Chaudhary, a dedicated doctor and family man.

He left EastEnders in 2016 when his character ran off with then girlfriend Nancy Carter.

Two years after that, he became famous around the world when he landed the main role in the movie that launched his career, Yesterday.

Himesh recently shared that dealing with acne as a teen while filming EastEnders felt devastating at the time.

In a recent interview with British GQ Hype, the actor discussed his successful career, starting with his early days on EastEnders.

He shared with the magazine that he’s been dealing with this issue since he was sixteen. He explained that when you’re a teenager with acne, it feels like the end of the world.

Dealing with acne is tough enough, but it’s especially difficult when you’re on a popular TV show like EastEnders and have millions of viewers every week.

It was a really tough experience. Being around so many talented actors made me feel insecure, like I didn’t quite measure up. Everyone handles rejection, but I really felt the stress of it all.

EastEnders viewers were surprised to see Himesh Patel appearing in the movie Don’t Look Up with big names like Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep, back in 2019.

In Netflix’s comedic take on a global disaster, astronomers Dr. Randall Mindy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Dibiasky, played by Jennifer Lawrence, try to warn the world about a comet heading straight for Earth. They embark on a media tour hoping to get people to take the threat seriously.

The film boasts a stellar cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett, Kid Cudi, Tyler Perry, Ariana Grande, and TimothƩe Chalamet.

Okay, so I was watching this sci-fi movie, and I nearly lost it! I swear, I recognized someone from EastEnders in the cast! It was SO weird seeing one of our Albert Square regulars popping up in a totally different world. I couldn’t believe my eyes ā€“ I had to rewind it like three times to make sure it wasn’t a dream! It was such a surprise!

Himesh played a minor part in the hit movie as Phillip, a journalist who was Kate’s boyfriend.

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2026-03-28 14:19