Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey boasts one of the biggest ensembles of 2026, but one actor generating plenty of curiosity is British-Indian star Himesh Patel. After winning audiences over in Yesterday and delivering memorable performances in Tenet and Station Eleven, Patel is reuniting with Nolan for the epic mythological film.In The Odyssey, he plays Eurylochus, Odysseus’ trusted second in command and one of the most important characters in Homer’s epic. So who is Himesh Patel? Here’s a look at his journey from British television to Hollywood.
A Gujarati family, a small town and big dreams
Himesh Patel was born on October 13, 1990, in Sawtry, Cambridgeshire, England. His parents are Gujarati Hindus whose families had moved to the UK from East Africa. His mother was born in Zambia, while his father was born in Kenya. The family ran a local newsagent, and Patel grew up speaking Gujarati at home.His love for acting started early. After impressing teachers in a school play, he joined a local theatre group and later trained with The Young Actors’ Company in Cambridge. He also learned piano and taught himself to play the guitar as a teenager.
EastEnders made him a household name
Patel got his big break when he was just 16. On the same day as his GCSE exams, he found out he had landed the role of Tamwar Masood in the hit BBC soap EastEnders.He stayed on the show for nine years, appearing in 566 episodes. During that time, he also co wrote an episode of the spin off EastEnders E20, starred in the web series Tamwar Tales and won an Inside Soap Award.When he left the soap in 2016, Patel chose to take on different kinds of roles across television, theatre and independent films instead of rushing into another long running series.
Yesterday changed everything
Patel’s career took a huge leap in 2019 with Danny Boyle’s musical comedy Yesterday.He played Jack Malik, a struggling musician who wakes up in a world where nobody remembers The Beatles except him. Patel performed the songs himself, and his warm, relatable performance won praise from both audiences and critics.The film introduced him to international audiences and opened the doors to Hollywood.
Working with Christopher Nolan and Hollywood’s biggest stars
Soon after Yesterday, Patel started landing major projects. He worked with Christopher Nolan for the first time in Tenet before earning an Emmy nomination for HBO’s Station Eleven.He also appeared in Netflix’s Don’t Look Up alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Timothee Chalamet.His recent projects include Enola Holmes 2, where he played Dr John Watson, Good Grief, The Assessment and HBO’s comedy series The Franchise. He is also set to return as Watson in Enola Holmes 3.
What does Himesh Patel do in The Odyssey?
In The Odyssey, Patel plays Eurylochus, the second in command on Odysseus’ ship.In Greek mythology, Eurylochus is one of Odysseus’ closest companions, but he is also known for questioning his leader’s decisions. He plays a key role during the long and dangerous journey home after the Trojan War, making him one of the story’s most important supporting characters.Patel shares screen space with a star packed cast led by Matt Damon, alongside Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyongo, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo and Elliot Page.
What is next for Himesh Patel?
Apart from The Odyssey, Patel is also set to star opposite Danielle Deadwyler in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming reboot of The X Files.From a teenager on EastEnders to starring in some of Hollywood’s biggest films, Himesh Patel has steadily built an impressive career. With The Odyssey set to release on July 17, the British-Indian actor is now stepping onto one of the biggest stages of his career.
