A former EastEnders star and Cambridgeshire local has swapped Albert Square for Ancient Greece in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Former EastEnders actor Himesh Patel is now a Hollywood star following his shock exit from the BBC soap 10 years ago.
The 35-year-old was born in Huntingdon before swapping his quiet life in Cambridgeshire to become a movie star.
In Himesh’s latest role, he stars in Sir Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s Ancient Greek epic that was released in cinemas on Friday, July 16.
The movie sees Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek King of Ithaca, during his treacherous decade-long voyage home following the Trojan War, while Himesh portrays Odysseus’ dependable second-in-command, Eurylochus.
Acclaimed actors Zendaya, Tom Holland, and Robert Pattinson also star in the movie, which marks the first feature film ever captured entirely using IMAX cameras, leaving Himesh surprised that Nolan offered him the role.
“It’s not what I was expecting when I got the call”, he admitted to Men’s Health: “They’re offering me a role? I thought I auditioned for Tenet.
“I wasn’t expecting to be in a bracket of actors that he would just offer a role, and it’s a great role! I got to do some really special stuff. And it all came out of nowhere.”
Viewers of The Odyssey have been praising Himesh for his performance in the movie, with one person writing on X: “What an awesome performance from Himesh Patel.”
A second stated: “Not enough people are giving Himesh Patel his praises, he was astounding,” while a third chimed in: “Put Himesh Patel in everything!”
“HIMESH PATEL APPRECIATION!!!!!!! Great work and also he’s in it way way more than I expected him to be,” added another.
Who was Himesh Patel in EastEnders?
Himesh will be a familiar figure to many viewers, having portrayed Tamwar Masood, the somewhat bookish son of the Masood household, on EastEnders from 2007 to 2016.
After a lot of family drama, he eventually departed Walford to explore the globe with Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill), whom he subsequently wed, though the marriage ended in divorce, reports the Mirror.
In 2016, after almost ten years in the role, Himesh chose to leave EastEnders to explore new opportunities in his acting career.
The decision appears to have proved astute, as he has now become a film star with his latest appearance in the blockbuster The Odyssey.
Following his departure from EastEnders, Himesh has secured prominent roles in various major productions, including Danny Boyle’s Beatles-themed picture Yesterday (2019) and Christopher Nolan’s time-bending thriller Tenet.
Additionally, he appeared as the love interest of Jennifer Lawrence’s character in the Netflix apocalyptic drama Don’t Look Up.
The Odyssey is available to watch in various cinemas across the UK
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