Sacha Dhawan


Sacha Dhawan is an English stage, screen and voice actor from Greater Manchester. He is best known for playing Akthar in the play The History Boys and its film adaptation, Paul Jatri in the BBC One comedy-drama Last Tango in Halifax, Waris Hussein in the BBC Two docudrama film An Adventure in Space and Time, Manish Prasad in the crime thriller Line of Duty, Davos in Marvel's Iron Fist and the current incarnation of the Master in the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Early life

Dhawan was born in Bramhall, Stockport, to Indian parents.
Dhawan trained at the Laine-Johnson Theatre School in Manchester, and started acting at the age of twelve. He attended Aquinas College in Stockport.

Career

Television and film

Dhawan has appeared in a number of television shows in the United Kingdom. He had recurring roles in Weirdsister College, in which he played Azmat Madaridi, and series two and three of the children's TV series Out of Sight. He appeared in the mini series The Last Train, and has guest starred in episodes on EastEnders, Altogether Now, and City Central. He also appeared in 2008 ITV drama, Wired, as Ben Chandrakar, alongside Jodie Whittaker and Laurence Fox. He was part of an ensemble cast on the NBC sitcom Outsourced, which aired during the 2010–11 season. In November 2013, Dhawan portrayed director Waris Hussein in An Adventure in Space and Time, a BBC Two biographical television film on the creation of the popular science fiction television series Doctor Who as part of its 50th Anniversary celebration. He also appeared as Paul Jatri, a 22-year-old man involved with a woman twice his age, in the first series of BBC One's Last Tango in Halifax. He plays the part of Davos in the Netflix series Iron Fist in both the seasons. He starred as Sathnam Sanghera in the critically acclaimed The Boy with the Topknot, shown on BBC 2 in 2017. He appeared in four episodes of the twelfth series of Doctor Who as the latest incarnation of the renegade Time Lord known as the Master.

Theatre

Dhawan originated the role of Akthar in Alan Bennett's play The History Boys. After playing Akthar in the original stage production he reprised the role in the Broadway, Sydney, Wellington and Hong Kong productions, and radio and film versions of the play.
For his performance in Bradford Riots he won the 2007 Royal Television Society Award for On-Screen Breakthrough.
In July 2018 Dhawan reunited with History Boys playwright Alan Bennett and co-star Samuel Barnett for Bennett's new play Allelujah! at the Bridge Theatre.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Radio and theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1998ChockyMatthew GoreRadio play, BBC Radio 4
2001East is EastSajidLive theatre, Haymarket Theatre, Leicester
2002The WitchesBoyLive theatre, Haymarket Theatre, Leicester
2004–2006The History BoysAktharLive theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London
2004–2006The History BoysAktharLive theatre, Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
2004–2006The History BoysAktharLive theatre, Sydney Theatre, Sydney
2004–2006The History BoysAktharLive theatre, St. James Theatre, Wellington
2004–2006The History BoysAktharLive theatre, Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong
2007The ProspectHanifRadio play, BBC Radio 4
2007Pretend You Have Big BuildingsDannyLive theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
2007Borstal BoyLive theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2008PornographyLive theatre, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
2018Allelujah! by Alan BennettDr. ValentineLive theatre, Bridge Theatre