Qasim Akhtar

English actor Qasim Akhtar (born 1991), known for Chesney Karib in Shameless and Zeedan Nazir in Coronation Street; a career overview, early life, major roles and significance in British television.

Overview

Qasim Akhtar (born 8 June 1991) is an English actor best known for long-running television roles in two popular British series. He first came to wider attention in the Channel 4 comedy‑drama Shameless, and later played a regular character on the ITV soap Coronation Street.

Early life and background

Akhtar was born and raised in Burnage and grew up in the city of Manchester, within North West England. The local area and regional production culture of Manchester have been influential in the formation of many British television talents. Details of his early education and training are not widely published, but he began working on television while still a teenager.

Television career

Akhtar’s first widely recognised role was Chesney Karib in the Channel 4 series Channel 4's Shameless, a show that mixed comedy and drama and ran through the late 2000s and early 2010s. That part established him as a familiar face on British screens. He later joined ITV's long‑running soap Coronation Street as Zeedan Nazir, appearing for several years before leaving and subsequently returning to the role.

Notable roles and reception

Chesney Karib — a recurring, coming‑of‑age character in Shameless, which helped Akhtar reach a national audience.
Zeedan Nazir — a prominent role on Coronation Street, a programme with a long history on ITV.

Significance and later work

Akhtar is an example of a young actor whose early television work translated into sustained roles in mainstream British drama and soap opera. His career illustrates how series produced in and around Manchester can provide stepping stones for actors working in national television. Beyond the two headline parts, his continued presence on screen has kept him visible to audiences who follow British serial drama.