Himesh Patel has been cast in new BBC Two period drama ‘The Luminaries’.
The former ‘EastEnders’ actor – known for his role as hapless market inspector Tamwar Masood – will appear alongside Ewen Leslie, Eve Hewson, and Eva Green in the six-part series, which has started filming in New Zealand.
The series is described as a 19th century story of adventure and mystery set on the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island in the boom years of the 1860s gold rush.
Eve will play Anna Wetherell, who has sailed from Britain to New Zealand to begin a new life, where she meets Emery Staines – portrayed by Ewen – and their meeting leads to a strange kind of magic that neither can explain.
Since departing ‘EastEnders’ in 2016 – after nine years on the soap – Himesh landed the role of Nitin in Channel 4 sitcom ‘Damned’ alongside Alan Davies and Jo Brand.
And while he was "sad" to leave Walford, he recently admitted it was the "right time" for him to make the move.
He said: "It was definitely the right time to leave.
"So it wasn’t like I was being pulled away from something that I was holding onto for dear life.
"But it was sad to leave people behind that I really loved, and had spent a lot of time with, and it was scary, because I’d been there since I was 16.
"So it was very scary to leave and venture forth, with no idea of what would come my way."
The 28-year-old star also admitted he enjoyed improvising now and again while filming ‘Damned’.
He added: "I was more comfortable with the improvisation in this second series of ‘Damned’, I think.
"There’s no room for improvisation on ‘EastEnders’. You don’t have time – there’s 20 scenes to do in a day, so you’ve got to keep moving."
Himesh Patel joins The Luminaries
