Christopher NolanThe Odyssey has one of the biggest ensembles of 2026, but one actor who is generating a lot of curiosity is the British-Indian star. Himesh Patel. After winning over audiences in Yesterday and delivering memorable performances in Tenet and Station Eleven, Patel reunites with Nolan for the mythological epic.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 TV to Hollywood.
A Gujarati family, a small town and big dreams
Himesh Patel was born on 13 October 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 kiosk 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 theater group and later trained with The Young Actors’ Company in Cambridge. He also learned piano and taught himself to play guitar as a teenager.
EastEnders made him a household name
Patel got his big break when he was just 16 years old. 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 remained on the show for nine years, appearing in 566 episodes. During this time, he also co-wrote an episode of the EastEnders E20 spin-off, starred in the web series Tamwar Tales and won an Inside Soap Award.When she left the soap in 2016, Patel chose to take on different types of roles in television, theater and independent films rather than rush into another long-running series.
Yesterday everything changed
Patel’s career took a big leap in 2019 with Danny Boyle’s musical comedy Yesterday.He played Jack Malik, a struggling musician who wakes up in a world where no one remembers the Beatles except him. Patel performed the songs himself, and his warm and personable performance won praise from audiences and critics alike.The film introduced him to international audiences and opened the doors to Hollywood.
Working with Christopher Nolan and Hollywood’s biggest stars
Shortly after yesterday, Patel started landing big projects. He first worked with Christopher Nolan on 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 the HBO comedy series The Franchise. He is also slated to return as Watson in Enola Holmes 3.
What is Himesh Patel doing in The Odyssey?
In The Odyssey, Patel plays Eurylochus, the second in command of 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 most important supporting characters in the story.Patel shares space with a star-studded cast led by Matt Damon, along with Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Lupita Nyongo, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo and Elliot Page.
What’s next for Himesh Patel?
Aside from The Odyssey, Patel will also star alongside Danielle Deadwyler in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming reboot of The X Files.From a teenager in EastEnders to starring in some of Hollywood’s biggest films, Himesh Patel has steadily built an impressive career. With The Odyssey releasing on July 17, the British-Indian actor now enters one of the biggest stages of his career.