Meet Himesh Patel, the Indian-origin actor in 'The Odyssey'
What's the story
British-Indian actor Himesh Patel is one of the most talked-about names in Christopher Nolan's upcoming 2026 epic, The Odyssey. Born in Huntingdon to Gujarati parents who emigrated from East Africa, Patel started his career with the BBC's EastEnders in 2007. He reportedly appeared in 566 episodes before finding international success with Danny Boyle's Yesterday (2019), where he played the only person who remembers The Beatles.
Family roots
Early life and education
Patel was born on October 13, 1990, in Sawtry, Cambridgeshire. His parents are both Indian Gujarati Hindus who ran a newsagent's shop in Cambridgeshire.
His mother was born in Zambia while his father was born in Kenya.
The 35-year-old grew up speaking Gujarati and attended Prince William School in Oundle, Northamptonshire.
He showed an early interest in acting by impersonating his favorite TV and film characters as a child.
Career progression
Career beginnings in television and theater
Patel's professional career began at 16 when he was cast as Tamwar Masood in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
He spent nine years on the show (2007-2016), co-writing an episode of its spin-off EastEnders: E20 and starring in the web series Tamwar Tales.
After leaving the soap, Patel expanded into television and theater with roles in Damned, Climaxed, Motherland, and Don Juan in Soho opposite David Tennant.
Hollywood success
Breakthrough with 'Yesterday' and Hollywood success
Patel's global breakthrough came in 2019 when he starred as Jack Malik in Boyle's Yesterday, performing live covers of The Beatles's classics.
This led to high-profile Hollywood projects like HBO Max's Station Eleven and the comedy Avenue 5. He also worked with Nolan as Mahir in Tenet (2020).
In 2021, his role in Netflix's Don't Look Up earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination as part of its ensemble cast.
Character details
Role in 'The Odyssey' and upcoming projects
In The Odyssey, Patel plays Eurylochus, the second-in-command of Odysseus's ship on their journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
The character challenges Odysseus's decisions while remaining crucial to the crew's survival.
Apart from The Odyssey, Patel will also star opposite Danielle Deadwyler in Ryan Coogler's upcoming The X-Files reboot.
His other recent projects include Netflix's Good Grief (2023), sci-fi drama The Assessment (2024) with Elizabeth Olsen, and a leading role in HBO comedy series The Franchise (2024).