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Sherwood: everything to know about Adeel Akhtar 

Adeel Akhtar plays Andy Fisher in the hit new BBC show 

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Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
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Adeel Akhtar has been widely praised for his portrayal of Andy Fisher in the BBC series Sherwood, but how much do you know about the talented actor in real life? Find out everything you need to know about the star here… 

MORE: The harrowing true story behind the BBC's new drama Sherwood

Adeel Akhtar’s career  

The 41-year-old actor has had a hugely prolific television career, with three BAFTA nominations and one win under his belt for Utopia, Ali and Ava and Murdered By My Father. He won the accolade for Murdered By My Father in 2017, in which he played Shahzad, who kills his child in a 'honour killing'. 

WATCH: Have you started watching Sherwood yet? 

The star has also appeared in popular shows including Unforgotten, Killing Eve, Back to Life and Netflix’s Sweet Tooth, and stars in Enola Holmes as Inspector Lestrade. 

MORE: Sherwood viewers have same complaint about new BBC drama

MORE: Where was new BBC drama Sherwood filmed?

Adeel’s theatre career is also impressive, having starred in Hamlet and Wuthering Heights, but he is predominantly a TV and film actor. 

Where did Adeel Akhtar train? 

The London-born actor originally attended university at Oxford Brookes, where he obtained a law degree. However, after aspiring to become an actor, he switched career paths and trained at the Actors Studio Drama School in New York. 

dragon slayer

He has an impressive filmography

Is Adeel Akhtar married? 

Adeel is indeed married, and the pair share one son, but his family is not in the public eye. Speaking about his other half in an interview with The Guardian back in 2018, he joked: "My wife says she married the tired-looking, older, not very fit version of Riz Ahmed." 

Who does Adeel Akhtar play in Sherwood? 

Adeel has received a huge amount of praise for his role as Andy Fisher, a man who hides in the forest after killing his son’s wife days after their wedding. 

andy fisher

How amazing has he been on the show?

Taking to Twitter to discuss his performance, one person wrote: "It’s a stellar cast but Adeel Akhtar has absolutely stolen the show." Another viewer added: "Adeel Akhtar must be spotted by BAFTA for his performance in Sherwood….I’m as blown away as the first time I saw @StephenGraham73 I can give no greater praise #AdeelAkhtar #Sherwood," while a third wrote: "Adeel Akhtar is a tour de force if anyone in BAFTA is looking for acting genius." 

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