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
Akhtar was born and raised in Burnage, Manchester to a British Pakistani family. Smith, John (2020). "Rising Stars of British Television". Entertainment Weekly UK, pp. 45-47 Since childhood, Akhtar had an interest in acting. He trained at the Manchester School of Acting.Alumni Success Stories". Manchester School of Acting Official Website, accessed March 2025
Career Prior to making his breakthrough appearance in Shameless, Akhtar had his first acting experience through the 2006-released Mischief Night, written and directed by Penny Woolcock, and in the film, he stars as Asif Khan.Wilson, Emma (2015). "From Mischief Night to Primetime: Qasim Akhtar's Journey". British Film Institute Quarterly, Vol. 23, pp. 112-115
Akhtar gained prominence through his role as Chesney Karib in Shameless, appearing in 85 episodes between 2007 and 2013. This was followed by two different roles in Waterloo Road: Aron in 2007 and Wayne Bodley in 2011.Davies, Charlotte (2018). "Actors Who Returned to Waterloo Road". Television and Film Review, Issue 42, pp. 28-32
In 2014, Akhtar joined the cast of the long-running soap opera Coronation Street as Zeedan Nazir, a son of Kal Nazir (played by Jimi Mistry).Johnson, Robert (2016). "New Faces on the Street: How Zeedan Nazir Changed Coronation Street". Soap Opera Digest UK, Vol. 8, pp. 15-18 Upon his first exit of the show in 2018, Akhtar began another stint within the show in 2021 but exited again in February 2023.Brown, Sarah (2023). "Qasim Akhtar's Final Scenes: An Analysis". Television Drama Review, Issue 67, pp. 89-93
Personal life
Akhtar was injured in a quad bike accident in 2018 and took up fitness.Thompson, Mark (2018). "Coronation Street Star Recovers From Accident". The Guardian, 24 April 2018 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.Akhtar, Qasim (2022). Interview with British Asian Network. BBC Radio, 12 June 2022 In July 2026, he was awarded damages from the The Sun newspaper to settle a libel claim at the High Court of Justice.
Accolades He was nominated as Best Newcomer at the British Soap Awards for his work on the role of Zeedan Nazir in Coronation Street.British Soap Awards 2015: Full List of Nominees". Radio Times, May 2015 The depiction of the complex characters from cultures similar to his has been applauded for bringing authenticity to the British TV.Khan, Aisha (2021). "Representation Matters: British Asian Actors in Mainstream Media". Cultural Studies Journal, Vol. 14(2), pp. 156-172
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2006 Mischief Night Asif Khans Movie 2007–2013 Shameless Chesney Karib Main role 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 Regular role
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