Abdullah Afzal
| Abdullah Afzaluddin | |
|---|---|
| Native name | عبداللہ افضل |
| Born | 8 February 1989 Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England |
| Medium | Television, film, radio, stand-up |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genres | Observational humour |
| Subject(s) | Islamic humour |
| Notable works and roles | Citizen Khan |
Abdullah Afzal (Punjabi: عبداللہ افضل; born 8 February 1989) is a British actor and stand-up comedian.
Early life[edit]
Afzal was born on 8 February 1989 to a Pakistani family in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England. His family originates from Rawalpindi in Pakistan. He has three older brothers, two older sisters and a younger half-brother.[1] He attended Abraham Moss High School in North Manchester.
Afzal trained for three years to be a hafiz.[2][3]
Career[edit]
In 2007, Afzal had his first acting role as a young student in a short film called Raamis (originally called Extraordinary Rendition).[4][5] Between 2008 and 2011, he starred as Asif in two seasons of BBC Three sitcom Lunch Monkeys.[1] Since 2012, he has portrayed the character of Amjad Malik in BBC One's Citizen Khan.[5]
In February 2014, Afzal presented the Christmas comedy specials on BBC Asian Network.[5] In July 2015, he performed stand-up at the Eid Special Comedy Night at The Comedy Store in London.[6][7]
In July 2014, Afzal played two roles in BBC Radio 4's By a Young Officer: Churchill on the North West Frontier.[8]
In 2017, he appeared as Jahid in the romantic comedy film Finding Fatimah.[9]
In 2021, Afzal wrote, starred, and directed Cinder’aliyah, Britain’s first Muslim pantomime.[10][11] The pantomime is due to tour again in 2022.[12]
Personal life[edit]
He works at Manchester Airport and Eden Boys' Leadership academy Manchester to supplement his acting career ,[2][3] and lives in Manchester with his wife Uzma, who he married in 2015.[13]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Raamis | Raamis | Short film |
| 2017 | Finding Fatimah | Jahid | Feature film |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2011 | Lunch Monkeys | Asif Khan | 13 episodes |
| 2012–2016 | Citizen Khan | Amjad Malik | 27 episodes |
| 2017 | Celebrity MasterChef | Himself | eliminated |
Radio[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | By a Young Officer: Churchill on the North West Frontier | Railway Clerk / Sikh Soldier | BBC Radio 4 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Lunch Monkeys: Abdullah Afzal". BBC. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ a b Ali, Umbreen (2 October 2013). "Citizen Khan: 'People call me Amjad in the street'". Lancashire Telegraph. Lancashire. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ a b Ali, Umbreen (2 October 2013). "Citizen Khan: 'People call me Amjad in the street'". Asian News. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Lunch Monkeys: Abdullah Afzal plays Asif Khan". BBC. 10 January 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ a b c "BBC – Asian Network's Big Comedy Night – Performances – Abdullah Afzal". BBC Asian Network. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "HaLOL: can the UK have a laugh about Islam?". New Statesman. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ Rahim, Sameer (21 July 2011). "HaLOL Comedy Night, Comedy Store, review: 'challenging'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "By a Young Officer: Churchill on the North West Frontier". BBC Radio 4. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
- ^ "Finding Fatimah official website". Retrieved 3 February 2017.
- ^ "World's only Muslim Panto opens this Christmas". ITV News. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Poole, Raff (24 January 2022). ""Cinder'aliyah": Britain's first Muslim pantomime from Abdullah Afzal". Hayat Life. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ "The Great Muslim Panto is BACK!". pennyappeal.org. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Heward, Emily (11 December 2014). "Citizen Khan star Abdullah Afzal spills the beans on the long-awaited wedding episode". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
External links[edit]
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- 1989 births
- Living people
- British male actors of Asian descent
- English Muslims
- English people of Pakistani descent
- English people of Punjabi descent
- English male comedians
- English stand-up comedians
- English comedy writers
- Muslim male comedians
- English male television actors
- 21st-century English comedians
- 21st-century English male actors
- Comedians from Manchester
- Male actors from Manchester
- People from Cheetham Hill
- English film actor stubs
- British comedian stubs