Former EastEnders star Hamish Patel has embarked on a remarkable journey from the familiar streets of Walford to sharing the screen with some of Hollywood 's elite. Originally from Cambridgeshire, Patel cut his acting teeth in school plays, leading his teachers to encourage him to join a local theatre group. On a pivotal day when he was just 16 and receiving his GCSE results, Patel got a call that would change his life: he had an audition for a new role on EastEnders .
He landed the role and began portraying Tamwar Masood in October 2007, a character known for his scholarly pursuits but who struggled with academic disappointments, managing the family business, navigating marriage with Afia, and enduring the meddling of his domineering mother Zainab (played by Nina Wadia). Tamwar's nuptials were so popular they won the best wedding accolade at the 2011 Inside Soap Awards. In 2016, Patel decided to bid farewell to Albert Square, sensing the lure of more significant opportunities.
Reflecting on his time on the BBC soap, he opened up about his struggles with self-image during his formative years, reports the Daily Star . In an interview with GQ magazine, he shared: "When you're a teenager and you have acne, it's the worst thing in the world. But then when you've got acne in front of millions of people every week in EastEnders , it's a whole other thing.
" "It was rough. You just kind of feel defective because you're surrounded by actors. Everyone gets spots, but I just felt the pr.