Himesh Patel on Greedy People: 'Playing a police officer in a small American town was unfamiliar territory'

After finishing his last exam at 16 Himesh Patel was taken by his parents for an audition He subsequently made his debut as Tamwar Masood in EastEnders Reflecting on his first break the British actor of Indian origin says he never expected his acting career to unfold in this way Patel is now starring as a police officer in Lionsgate Playrsquos Greedy People alongside Lily James and Joseph GordonLevitt In a conversation with midday he discusses reuniting with James after Yesterday 2019 and fulfilling his dream of working with Christopher Nolan in Tenet 2020Edited excerpts of the interviewWhat prompted you to take up Greedy PeopleI really enjoyed the script Thatrsquos always the starting point for me If I sit down with something to read and connect with it Irsquom excited to dive into that world Thatrsquos a big draw And of course knowing Lily James was attached to the project made it even better Wersquod worked together before in Yesterday 2019 She was fantastic and I was keen to work with her on something completely different Irsquom also a big fan of Joseph GordonLevitt so working closely with him was another huge incentiveFrom left Himesh Patel and Joseph GordonLevitt in Greedy PeopleHave you seen any of director Potsy Poncirolirsquos work beforeYes I really enjoyed his debut film Old Henry 2021 Working with Potsy Ponciroli felt like a great opportunity Several factors attracted me to this film When I take on projects I look for ones that push me to try different things and this script did thatWhat was your reaction when you read the script and your partI thought it was brilliant I love films with surprising moments but here those twists were layered into the story logically Each mistake led to the next and Will Shelley his character finds himself cornered with no way out His and Pagersquos Lily Jamesrsquo character decisions pile up leading to a truly shocking climax After that all bets are off It makes for a thrilling endingWhat do you think you had to do differently in this filmI felt I was stepping into an entirely new world Playing a police officer in a small American town was unfamiliar territory The mishaps that draw him into the story strike a balance between drama and comedy a tone I hadnrsquot tackled before That challenge excited me I also had to master a specific Southern American accentWhat was peoplersquos reaction to the filmIrsquove heard a lot of people say they didnrsquot know what to expect next They were kept on the edge by the unexpected twists and the suspense It kept audiences engaged and guessingIs there anything yoursquore particularly greedy about in real lifeI have a really bad sweet tooth I love sugary treats far too much Irsquom trying to improve and resist indulging constantlyLooking back do you feel yoursquove come a long way compared to others in this industryI try not to compare myself to others but I certainly feel my journey has been enriching Itrsquos been five years since Yesterday came out which was a major turning point for me Irsquom proud of my career and how itrsquos evolved from my EastEnders days I think itrsquos still rare for someone to transition from a long stint in a UK soap opera to a completely different acting field Irsquod love to see more of thatmdashmore actors starting in soaps and making a career leap People like Nathalie Emmanuel who began in Hollyoaks have done the same Itrsquos a viable path and I hope the British industry sees this as breeding grounds for talentWhat has been the high point of your careerI feel incredibly fortunate Working with Christopher Nolan on Tenet 2020 was a huge highlight Irsquom a massive fan of his films so being part of his team and doing all the exciting things in that movie was unforgettable