Himesh Patel got his big break early on when he landed a role on the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders at the age of 16. Since then he’s appeared in films including Yesterday, The Aeronauts, Tenet, and Don’t Look Up, as well as the sci-fi comedy series Avenue 5 and the dystopian miniseries Station Eleven, for which he received an Emmy nomination for lead actor. His latest role is playing assistant director Daniel on HBO’s The Franchise, a satire on superhero blockbusters. He tells us about working with his comedy hero and what he thinks about Hollywood blockbusters.
This essay was told to Theo Bosanquet and has been edited for clarity and brevity.
On the value of playing behind the scenes
I’ve spent half my life working on sets, so in a sense, The Franchise felt like home. But what was exciting was getting to see it from a different perspective, as my character is the first AD. It gave me a whole new level of appreciation and respect for that job, and for many others like it. More often than not the crew put in longer days than the actors, and they do so much hard work that goes underappreciated. So it feels good to be shining a spotlight on them.
The set was a really supportive and collegiate atmosphere. We were able to go emotionally and comedically to places you can only go when you trust each other. And in so doing, it meant I was learning from all these wonderful people around me, seeing how they elevate what’s in the script. An example is a scene in Episode 3 where Billy Magnussen’s character [Adam] thinks he’s turning into a sheep because of all the steroids he’s been taking. On the page it seemed absurd and hilarious, which it was, but Billy also found an emotional truth in it that I just hadn’t known was there. It’s easy with comedy to lean into the “wink, wink” of it all, but I think it’s always funnier if you play the truth of it.
Comedy was huge for me growing up. I’ve always gravitated toward it. Armando Iannucci’s work – The Thick of It, in particular – was really influential on me, so I’m pinching myself to be working with him now. Another show I go back to a lot is Arrested Development. The way they layer jokes throughout an episode or a series was just genius. Jason Bateman is one of the funniest straight men I’ve ever seen.
On the power of artists in Hollywood
The Franchise is a satire on the superhero genre, so I’ve thought a lot about the themes it explores. I think the way that Hollywood works is that the best films are always risks, to some degree. Things like Barbie, Christopher Nolan’s Batman films, or Iron Man, always feel like a breath of fresh air. But then what tends to happen is the industry tries to repeat the trick, rather than trying to find the next risk. The more you can allow artists and storytellers to express themselves, the more you will find successful and original takes.
On building a successful career
EastEnders was the perfect training ground. It was very hard work, with long hours and lots of scenes, but I was lucky to work with some really wonderful actors who really guided me. Looking back, it could’ve been a car crash to get into a situation like that at such a young age, but I’m incredibly grateful to the people there for shielding me from all that and enabling me to concentrate on the craft.
When I think about the lead characters I’ve been privileged enough to play, I realise they’re all flawed in some way. I think that’s always far more compelling to watch, rather than someone who never makes mistakes. People who are corruptible and vulnerable – they’re the ones who interest me.
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