Antonio Aakeel
{{Short description|English actor}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_place = Wolverhampton, England
| image = Antonio Aakeel Actor.jpg
| caption = Antonio Aakeel
| death_date =
| birth_name =
| occupation = Actor
| nationality = British
| website =
| television = Three Girls
Ackley Bridge
Dublin Murders
}}
Antonio Aakeel is an English actor, known for starring in the Apple TV Series Slow Horses and leading the film Eaten by Lions, for which he was named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow by Screen Daily. He also appeared in Tomb Raider and the BAFTA award-winning series Three Girls.{{cite web |title=Stars of Tomorrow |url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/stars-of-tomorrow-2018-antonio-aakeel-actor/5133183.article |website=Screen Daily |accessdate=8 November 2018 |ref=Screen International}}
Early life
Antonio Aakeel was born in Wolverhampton, England, and moved around the West Midlands as a child.{{cite news|title=Wolverhampton actor secures feature-length international film role|url=http://nativemonster.com/film-and-theatre/film/wolverhampton-actor-secures-feature-length-international-film-role|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=NativeMonster|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221021720/http://nativemonster.com/film-and-theatre/film/wolverhampton-actor-secures-feature-length-international-film-role|archive-date=21 December 2016|url-status=dead}} He was inspired to pursue acting after being given a one-line role in a school nativity play and subsequently began acting in local theatre.{{cite news|title=Birmingham actor makes Hollywood Debut|url=http://whatsonlive.co.uk/birmingham/news/birmingham-actor-makes-hollywood-debut/36060|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=What's On Birmingham}} He speaks Punjabi and Hindi.{{cite news|title=Interview with Antonio Aakeel|url=http://scottishasianmagazine.com/interview-antonio-aakeel/|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=Scottish Asian Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825173904/http://scottishasianmagazine.com/interview-antonio-aakeel/|archive-date=25 August 2016|url-status=dead}}
Career
=Film=
Aakeel gained his first leading feature role in the film Eaten by Lions as Omar, a young man in search of his estranged father. The film had a wide cinematic release in April 2019 and also starred comedians Johnny Vegas, Jack Carroll and Asim Chaudhry.{{Cite web|url=https://www.asianexpress.co.uk/2017/04/punjabi-blooded-antonio-aakeel-climbing-the-ladder-as-one-of-britains-rising-young-stars/|title = Asian Express Newspaper - Punjabi-blooded Antonio Aakeel is climbing the ladder as one of Britain's rising young stars|date = 28 April 2017}}
Screen Daily announced Aakeel would be leading Abid Khan's debut feature Granada Nights as Ben, a heartbroken British tourist on a journey of hedonism and discovery in Granada, Spain.{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/antonio-aakeel-wraps-uk-comedy-drama-granada-nights-exclusive/5129277.article|title = Antonio Aakeel wraps UK comedy-drama 'Granada Nights' (Exclusive)}}
He appeared opposite Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander in Warner Bros.' 2018 Tomb Raider reboot, directed by Roar Uthaug.{{cite web|title=Birmingham actor Antonio Aakeel to star with Alicia Vikander in Tomb Raider re-boot|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/tomb-raider-antonio-aakeel-alicia-12848465|website=Birmingham Mail|date=13 June 2017|accessdate=14 June 2017}}
In 2016, Aakeel was cast alongside Riz Ahmed and Billie Piper in the London crime thriller City of Tiny Lights directed by BAFTA winner Pete Travis.{{cite news|title=Meet the young cast of City of Tiny Lights|url=http://screenterrier.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/meet-young-cast-of-city-of-tiny-lights.html|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=ScreenTerrier|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916132515/http://screenterrier.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/meet-young-cast-of-city-of-tiny-lights.html|archive-date=16 September 2016|url-status=dead}} The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2016 and released in UK cinemas April 2017.{{cite news|title=Popular Birmingham actor to make big screen debut|url=https://iambirmingham.co.uk/2016/07/15/birmingham-actor-to-make-big-screen-debut/|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=I Am Birmingham|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809233729/https://iambirmingham.co.uk/2016/07/15/birmingham-actor-to-make-big-screen-debut/|archive-date=9 August 2016|url-status=dead}}
Later that year, Aakeel landed a supporting role in The Hungry, Film London's contemporary feature adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus playing troubled brother to Life of Pi's Suraj Sharma.{{cite news|title=Meet the Birmingham actor who has been cast in an international Shakespeare film|url=http://stylebham.com/life/meet-birmingham-actor-cast-international-shakespeare-film|accessdate=20 Jan 2017|publisher=StyleBham}} The Film premiered under special presentations at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite web|title=The Hungry - TIFF|url=http://www.tiff.net/tiff/the-hungry/|website=tiff.net|accessdate=12 September 2017}}
In 2015, he appeared as Raza in feature film The Contract, written by David Marconi and directed by Nic Auerbach.
Aakeel starred as Nasir Baloch in the political short film The Line of Freedom, directed by David Whitney. The film depicts the true story of a murdered student rights activist and premiered at the Dubai International Film Festival.{{cite news|title=The Line of Freedom Premiere|url=https://dubaifilmfest.com/en/films/23961/the_line_of_freedom.html|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=Dubai Film Festival}} Upon its release, the film immediately met with controversy and was subsequently prohibited in Pakistan.{{cite news|title=The Line of Freedom and the brief IMDb ban in Pakistan|url=https://globalvoices.org/2013/12/01/the-line-of-freedom-and-the-brief-imdb-ban-in-pakistan/|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=Global Voices}}
=Television=
Aakeel gained his first television role in the E4 series Skins.{{cite web|title=Antonio Aakeel - NewUrban|url=http://www.new-urban.co/antonio-aakeel/|publisher=NUBI|accessdate=31 October 2016}} He then led an episode of BBC One's Moving On playing Mati, a young refugee whose leave to remain is revoked on his eighteenth birthday. Directed by Reece Dinsdale, the episode won 'Best Daytime Programme' at the Royal Television Society Awards in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2018-partnership-audio-network|title = RTS Programme Awards 2018 in partnership with Audio Network|date = 13 October 2017}}
In May 2017, he appeared in BBC One's three-part BAFTA winning drama Three Girls directed by Philippa Lowthorpe.{{cite web|title=Antonio Aakeel set to appear in BBC drama|url=http://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/14841782.Antonio_Aakeel_set_to_appear_in_BBC_drama__Moving_On_/|website=Asian Image|date=3 November 2016 |accessdate=3 Nov 2016}} In 2019, Aakeel appeared in two episodes of the Channel 4 drama series Ackley Bridge as Anwar Wazir.{{cite web|url=https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/antonio-aakeel/cv|website=Curtis Brown|title=Antonio Aakeel - CV|access-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503163914/https://www.curtisbrown.co.uk/client/antonio-aakeel/cv|archive-date=3 May 2019|url-status=unfit}} Later that year, Aakeel began portraying the recurring role of Rafael Hyland in the BBC One thriller series Dublin Murders.{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/stars-of-tomorrow-2018-antonio-aakeel-actor/5133183.article|title=Stars of Tomorrow 2018: Antonio Aakeel (Actor)}}
=Video game=
Aakeel gained his first video game role in the Immortals of Aveum as Devyn.
=Theatre=
Aakeel was cast in the title role in the stage adaptation of Guantanamo Boy. The play ran at the Half Moon Theatre and toured nationally at Middle Temple Hall, Almeida Theatre, The Hat Factory, Mercury Theatre, Burnley Youth Theatre and The Drum Theatre.{{cite news|title=Review: Guantanamo Boy|url=https://www.halfmoon.org.uk/review-guantanamo-boy-childrens-theatre-reviews/|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=Children's Theatre Reviews}} The Stage's Susan Elkin wrote Aakeel "is great as the distraught, anguished, terrified Khalid. The downhill spiral followed by the final return of a damaged-for-life boy to Rochdale is well handled too. He has a very expressive face."{{cite news|title=Guantanamo Boy Theatre Review - WhatsonStage Susan Elkin|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/reviews/11-2013/guantanamo-boy_32626.html|accessdate=23 August 2016|publisher=WhatsonStage.com}}
In 2015, he played the lead role of Artie in Waiting for Garbo at the Crescent Theatre as part of the Birmingham Theatre Festival. Love Midlands Theatre reviewed the performance, commenting his "portrayal of a brash New Yorker falling apart is utterly convincing."{{cite news|title=Waiting For Garbo Theatre Review|url=http://www.lovemidlandstheatre.co.uk/reviews/a-play-that-leaves-you-thinking|accessdate=23 August 2016|publisher=Love Midlands Theatre}}
Antonio has also performed locally with Midlands based theatre company Round Midnight.{{cite news|title=Follow me theatre play a success|url=http://redditchstandard.co.uk/news/round-midnights-follow-success-redditch/|accessdate=15 September 2016|publisher=The Redditch Standard}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable"
|+Key | style="background:#FFFFCC;" | {{dagger|alt=Projects that have not yet been released}} |Denotes projects that have not yet been released |
=Film=
=Television=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|3379444}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aakeel, Antonio}}
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:English male film actors
Category:English male stage actors
Category:English male television actors
Category:English people of Indian descent