Himesh Patel: Starring In The Odyssey, Working With Matt Damon, And Life After EastEnders

30:01I think you did yeah yeah yeah listen you were starstruck it's fine and and and then you carried on your set and then at the end as we were walking out you were like I I'm just glad that we're in the same room together so that I can prove to people that we're not the same person so yeah yeah well I mean I don't know people seem to people like to particularly them would like to call me Tamar they'd like to say I'm just like you yeah And now we're in the same room. I think people can see we are, you know. I think it's good for people to see there's a difference there. I think if I was wearing a great pair of specs like you are, I think maybe there'd be a case.

30:40Yeah, sure. Potentially. I think the other difference is that you've achieved excellence and I'm very much a pilot high sell it cheap kind of guy in terms of creatively. Do you know what I mean? Okay, sure. But how did you, the EastEnders, Did you, being a film star, has that, I know you don't like me, but being in movies, let's call it that, being in movies, is there stuff from EastEnders? I mean, you talked about like the run and gun thing and how that's helped because EastEnders, you've got to get through pages quick. Is there other stuff that has helped you, that has stood you in good stead from EastEnders?

31:18I mean to sort of talk about sort of advice I've been given the best bits of advice I've ever been given I had the pleasure of working with so many great actors on EastEnders one of whom was Nittin Ghanatra who played my dad an actor who I loved before I even ended up working with him and I remember there was like you know a scene it was fairly close towards the end of my time there but it was one of those scenes that just is always going to be in a soap that's quite exposition-y quite sort of let's just move the plot along sort of scene and he was like hey i'm struggling with this a bit and he was like can we just talk about like let me just run it a few times and see what happens and it was just sort of an exercise in going this is what it is on the page and you're going to come across these sorts of scenes whatever you do you know where you can't find it or just where it is what it is the function of it is exposition the function of it is you got to get some information across that we just need for the plot and he found a way to make it more interesting just by finding a physicality of like there was a folder or something and he was like let me bring this folder into the scene and so then it becomes a bit about the folder so then you know this sort of if you think about your character's intentions everything that we know going forward you can make this scene more interesting than just the exposition that's being conveyed and it and i remember that just being like a great lesson and there were so many other examples of that sort of thing working with Nitin Nina Wadia playing my mum great actors both of them so many brilliant actors I got to work with who who just taught me something along the way about how they how they sort of work around some of those conventions that the soap is just always going to have that you need to sort of work with um and it it just it it kind of made me realize that whatever's happening on the page there's always a creative solution to making it more interesting for the camera basically did you when you were doing EastEnders did you we because it's like it's so getting into acting is so difficult and making it work is so difficult and then you're on EastEnders and then you're a regular character as well and were you thinking I've done it I've made it or were you always thinking I'm hoping to go somewhere else with this I think eventually I knew that I wanted to go somewhere else and just just try new stuff you know it was less a sense of like having made it or not made it it was just knowing that I wanted to sort of just try different things and see what I was capable of or not capable of um I mean do you care about making it such a shit thing do you know I mean like how much do you what does making it look like to you is it just being able to to act regularly yeah yeah and I guess you know pay the bills now that I've got family and just sort of you know keep things ticking along there um and then of course there's like personal ambition of like wanting to create things write things you know make that sort of thing happen I guess there's still a conversation to be had about if you're in a position of privilege as a person of color or someone of minority can you keep that conversation can you push that further can you create a you know space for you know those sorts of stories to be told more often that sort of thing which a lot of us are trying to do um but you know on a personal level i mean you know it's just these little things like just getting to work with these filmmakers who i never could have dreamed of working with once let alone twice you know um so it's it i just everything sort of is part of the same tapestry do you know i mean it's i would have nothing without eastenders if that hadn't been the start of my career and to have met the people that i worked with on that show and for them to have brought out the best in me you know I mean one thing that I will always appreciate about my experience on that show was that they didn't the show the writers the all the exec producers who came and went during my time they all were they all found ways to challenge me as an actor they never they never sort of pigeonholed me they never went you're just a nerdy kid so we're going to give you that sort of stuff to do like they they gave me a chance to try something more emotional or try something more sort of just different.

35:24Because also it was funny characters. Yeah. So I got to do a bit of that. But then quite early on, they could easily have sort of just pigeonholed me as like the comedy relief guy. Yeah. But then they started giving me some really interesting stuff to do on a dramatic level, which I really appreciated. And that was when I really had to sort of go, you know, how do you do this? Like how, you know, and that's where I was really appreciative of working with those actors who really supported me through it and taught me so much. But to have worked on a show like that where they gave me such a breadth of challenges that helped me grow over the nine years that I was there, I couldn't have really asked for a better training ground.

35:57When you think about, because the joke always used to be you're only allowed one brown family on EastEnders. But when you think about, when I think about watching Asians on television, one of the things is there's representation and then there's representation in terms of like what you want to see is representation where your ethnicity or your background is simply part of the tapestry of your character rather than the whole thing's about. How strongly have you felt about that sort of doing what you do? Is that something that's always been part of your thinking? Yeah, and I think I've been lucky to be part of things where that has been the case.

36:44and then I just sort of try and mark whether there's an opportunity to be a bit more specific from time to time like this movie I did The Assessment my character wasn't called Arian to begin with and I kind of said can we just switch that just as a point of interest and everyone was up for that and so it's just nice to sort of have maybe a bit of specificity in that way but then I've played characters called John and stuff like that so like it's it's good to sort of be working in an era where I can do that where I get those sorts of opportunities and those you know getting to do uh you know three maybe now like Victorian period um uh projects which I just never imagined was ever going to come my way like you know because we never saw anyone who looked like us sort of in those sorts of things growing up so that's been great and i think ultimately i would love to see some more specific stuff um but i can't really expect anyone to create that who doesn't fully understand it they might but more likely or not it's going to come from from someone who gets the specificity of that particular culture or that particular kind of story that you want to tell so that's kind of stuff that i'm working on and trying to develop at the moment really um and there'll be some really great stuff that comes out of that, hopefully.

38:07So you did EastEnders, were great in that. How did it all come about? How does it feel, that journey, going from that to where you are now? What was sort of the chronology of that? So I left, yeah, 10 years ago. And in fact, pretty soon after is when Dallas came along. You left EastEnders 10 years ago? Yeah. You've had a hell of a decade, haven't you? It has been, yeah, yeah. Like, that is fucking wild. I can't you think about all the stuff you've done since these days yeah holy congratulations thank you you're killing it thanks you must be aware of that it's difficult I know you've got I know you've got like a little chilled energy but part of you must be going I am killing it this summer I mean yeah it's about you're smashing it yeah it's a really lovely sort of summertime this summer where I'm just sort of going this is actually and I was thinking about that the 10 years thing because it's 10 years since I left but it's also 10 years since I met my partner yeah And so that's been, it's like a real sort of milestone year.

39:07You have to say that as well, don't you? Yeah, yes. I haven't forgotten. If you don't mention that, God, you can't put it going home. Yeah, exactly. That was the one thing that I had to do, actually. So that's tipped that off the boxes. Yeah, and you know, I wrote an essay in a book called The Good Immigrant, and that came out 10 years ago. That was a real sort of moment for me. So it is like a real milestone year, and I am actually taking a second to go, that's it has been an insane decade and so yeah I left 10 years ago and then that was pretty soon after that that Damned came along which thank you for that by the way well let's talk about Damned yeah I was in a pilot of Joe Joe Brown sitcom with Joe and Alan Davis and I was in the pilot of that and then didn't end up doing the series and you did play the same part as me in the so we played the same role which is kind of a funny detail isn't it yeah and look where we've both ended up yeah analogous you know you're a film star and I'm sort of licking your ring on a podcast you know that's that's that's where our careers have taken us do you know what I mean says national treasure Rommash Rangani so yeah no yeah that was yeah so you did Damned we're great in that yeah so that was and I got really lucky really that came along pretty quickly after I lefty-stenders because I was I was sort of told you know be ready for some time you know sort of out in the wilderness in the wilderness basically um were you frightened at that stage I was yeah I'd made the choice to go they hadn't kicked me out no but I just knew that it was it was the right time because otherwise did you feel like that might be you then like if you were there for too much longer potentially yeah yeah um not that that's a bad thing but you know for you personally yeah for me personally I've got pals who are still on the show you know and they're having a great time and you still talk to them and stuff like that and reply to their texts yeah sometimes yeah yeah sometimes no that's a decent thing to do it makes people feel like they're still on a level exactly yeah yeah we all know what the dynamics are I get it

41:14yeah yeah it's nice to keep them you know yeah they feel like you haven't lost touch but you'd Yeah. I might change my number soon. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Yeah, and so, you know, I was quite lucky that Dan came along quite quickly soon after. And then I did like a play in the West End and then a play in New York. And then that was when I got the tape for yesterday. It was at the end of 2018. So had Danny Boyle seen you? 2017, sorry. Had he seen you in the play? No. He'd seen me. So I did a short film in 2014. So it was the only other thing I did in the nine years I was on EastEnders. I did a short film called Two Dosers.

42:00And it was written by Nick Eshukla, who's a really great friend of mine now. And he put together The Good Immigrant, this book that I wrote an essay in a couple of years later. But he'd written this short film. And it turns out that him and his mum, who's now passed away, he used to watch EastEnders with his mum. And she used to be like, that kid is you. Like that kid is like, there's something about this kid. He's just like, he's not on the show. He's like commenting on the show whilst within the show, you know, sort of thing. And then it turns out that he wrote this short film called Two Doses.

42:34And he immediately said like, I think it should be him playing this role of this like hapless brown guy on a date. And so they approached me and God bless EastEnders, they let me go for about four days over a bank holiday to shoot this short film. that ended up doing really well, did a few film festivals, and it won an award at a film festival that Danny Boyle was judging. Right. And so I think he sort of just marked me as a sort of person to potentially, you know, audition for something. And yeah, lo and behold, I did, in the end, tape for it. You're great in that film. It's a great film. Can I just say, on a personal level, very exciting to see a brown lead in a romantic.

43:16yeah I mean it kind of came full circle because that was one of the things that Nikesh wanted when he wrote Two Doses he was like I wanted to see a brown guy in a rom-com so I wrote a rom-com short and for that to then lead to yesterday it was like a really you know a beautiful moment and you know I would love to see more of it I think there's been you know a couple here and there since but it kind of we lend ourselves to that a lot of us just sort of like confused hapless first generation like children of immigrants just wondering what the hell is going on it's a comfortable area it is yeah yeah it is yeah when you were doing yesterday that must have felt even more surreal I imagine even more surreal than now when you're doing the Odyssey because you're sort of you're seasoned by that stage but in yesterday it must have felt first of all the fact that Danny Ball had earmarked you must have felt wild yeah yeah and to even you know I did a tape while I was in New York and then I flew back home and auditioned in front of Danny and Richard Curtis.

44:18So, you know, going into that audition, I was just like, I'm probably not going to get this role, but the fact that I even get to audition in a room with these two legends of British cinema is a win for me. So I'm just going to go and have some fun. And for it to then end up being that I got the part and got to go on this insane journey. Like, it was just absurd, really. I mean, it was my first movie. Yeah. So, you know, and I was less than two years out of EastEnders when we shot it. Danny Ball, Richard Curtis. Yeah, it's mad. It's mad. And the whole experience of just doing the Beatles songs, like acting with Ed Sheeran.

44:51Yeah. You know, just sort of like, it was just like the weirdest time of my life. And amazing. That scene where Ed Sheeran sort of challenges you to, your character to an immediate songwriting thing. Yeah. Yeah. It's such, I don't know what it is about, there's certain scenes that are like fantasy fulfillment, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'd never thought that I'd want something like that to happen to me. But when you watch it, it's so funny to think, imagine what that'd be like. Ed Sheeran goes, let's go and write a song, and you've got the Beatles back as long. It was one of those moments that, as a comedic beat, didn't really hit me until I saw it for the first time with an audience.

45:34And Ed plays his song, and then it cuts to Jack at the piano, and it's like silence, and then he just starts singing The Long and Winding Road. and everyone just pissed themselves laughing. And I was like, oh yeah, that is, when you cut it together like that, it's absolutely hilarious. And then what was that like when it came out? What was that whole thing? You're then in the movie circuit then, what was that like? Yeah, it was, you know, again, a really surreal summer because I knew that was coming out and earlier that year I'd auditioned for Tenet. So by the time yesterday, I was doing the premiere for yesterday and going to the US and doing press and all this sort of stuff, in the back of my mind I was going I'm about to do a Christopher Nolan movie I can't tell anyone and so I was just having this most absurd like July August of my life why did I leave EastEnders?

46:25shit I don't know if this was worth it guys yeah so it was like a really wonderful time and obviously the whole yesterday experience and you know like I say when you when you finally share something with the world it's really special but that was obviously like i was the lead of the movie and it was my first movie and to share that with my loved ones and my family like they were all there on the red carpet like it was just like a really or the yellow carpet and um and it was just like a really special moment in in my life is it is it was it because you know your your family is it right ran two newsagents one of them still still yeah they still run yeah yeah um and so like the and i've read about you know your dad sort of not been able to speak any English when he first arrived?

47:10Pretty much, yeah. Yeah, he couldn't. And he was 16 when he came to the country. And they'd moved to this little town in Cambridgeshire. And they, it was just, it was a couple of his brothers who were older than him who were already here working. And him and his younger sister, they moved here when he was 16. And most of the schools that they went around, they were like, just send him to work like he's 16. We don't have space for him. especially because he doesn't really speak English. And there's one school, this one headmaster who went, actually, we'll take them in. We'll give them extracurricular English lessons and they can be part of the school.

47:47And he caught up and he got any guys, you know, he ended up going to college and studying. And I just like, I find that really moving because it's just like, it's the kindness of one person. Yeah. And maybe the lack of racism of one person. It's good. You can often find one, can't you? Sometimes there are people who aren't racist, actually. It's great. I've been with two in the same room yeah it happens not in this room but it was he managed to sort of get to do that which you know I'm really thankful of actually because it gave him like he's obviously just by dint of being here for so long but also because he was here at such a sort of formative time he's just like a lot more English than he is Indian in many ways.

48:36And so he was introducing me to a lot of comedy and music and all this sort of stuff in a way that because he was just, he kind of grew up here, really. And then was it amazing, because my mum sometimes says to me, came out from Sri Lanka and then now I'm on television doing whatever I'm doing. She finds it, you know, she finds it amazing. She can't quite believe it. It must have been like that. So, so much for your family, right? I think it is. but I very rarely hear it from them. That's cool. It's like when the Yesterday trailer came out, my sister goes, Dad just came over and he was watching the Yesterday trailer and he was like, oh my God, I'm so proud of him and I can't wait for everyone to see it.

49:17And I'm like, does he want to tell me that? But it's just not their way, is it? They're never going to say to you face to face. But they do. I know they're proud. They just went to see The Odyssey the other day and then we had dinner afterwards and I could tell they really enjoyed it and they were really proud of it and proud of me And, you know, it's a funny thing with sort of immigrants who have children and they hope for the best for them. And then if like, if your kids end up sort of living their dreams, which I'd say more or less me and my sister are, you know, you kind of, we're sitting here going, you did it.

49:55Yeah. This is great. You did it. And they're still like, yeah, but are we going to be okay? Yeah. it's really hard for them to get out of that mindset. Are we going to be okay? You know, because like they just had to give like fight tooth and nail for everything they had. So it's, um, you know, I'm coming to understand that a bit. And cause obviously that, that part of you wants that acceptance and that sort of, you know, um, you want them to tell you that they're proud of you, all this sort of stuff, but you kind of have to come to understand that they are just who they are. And that because of what the journey they've been on and what they had to go through, it's very hard for them to sort of just appreciate what they've done.

50:29Yeah. without worrying about what's sort of, you know. Worrying about it going away. Exactly. Everything's precarious. This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace, and there it was, the bike you'd been searching for. You sent a message, and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew. Well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer, find more on Facebook. Now, speaking of parents, my mum has got a question for you.

51:08I've got no idea what the question is. So let's see. Okay. She often doesn't clear her throat. Hi, Himeesh. Oh, she has done. This is Omish's mum Shanti. What a beautiful name. Your name or my name? I heard you are working with Idris Elba on a new film. Yes. It's a blessing, I think. I have had a bit of a misunderstanding, but it's all sorted out. Thank God. Have you ever introduced Idris Elba to your mum? Oh, my God. Just a curiosity. I'd love to meet him one day. You have a wonderful day. This is Shanti. Take care, darling. Bye-bye. Sorry, there's so much wrong with that question. First of all, she's asking...

51:56I'm so sorry about that. Please don't be. It sounds like she's complimenting her own name. Yeah. At the beginning of that. So she should. It's a wonderful name, Shanti. It's a great name. She had a bit of a misunderstanding with Idris Elba. Okay. What happened? Well, we were at the BAFTAs. She wanted to meet him. I told her that I couldn't introduce him because I'd had a chat with him earlier and he was busy. She took that to mean that she'd been blanked by Idris Elba. So on this podcast, she said that she hates him and that whenever he appears on screen, she changes the channel. Wow. And she thinks he's a rude bugger.

52:32And for some reason, in response to that, Idris sent in a hamper of apology. I've got no idea. A hamper of apology? A hamper of apology. And what was in the hamper? It was sparkling wine, some chocolates. Wow. And just a little note saying, I'm sorry that I'm in your bad book, Sian. He had no reason to send that because my mum had been so out of order. Yeah. And then my mum was going, I think you should come on the podcast. I was like, why would he? You shat on him. I mean, he is going to do it eventually. He's going to come on your podcast and it's going to be amazing. Yeah, but my mum can't be here.

53:03And she'll just be there in the corner. It all worked out. The long game blurred out exactly as I thought. Yeah. Wow. I mean, yeah, I've actually not worked with him in the room. It's an animated movie. Yeah, so what is this film you're doing? It's called High in the Clouds. It's an animated movie that was created by Paul McCartney. And I think Linda might have been one of the originators of the story way back when. But either way, they've been trying to make this movie for years and we've finally done it. So I've done all my sort of vocal work for it, including some songs, some original songs by Paul McCartney.

53:44And I don't know exactly. I think the plan is like either next year or the year after. But as with animation, it takes a minute. it but yeah idris is uh is also in it um and so i've met i met him once very recently within the last year and he he just sort of was up for a real laugh it was at these one of these like bafta parties yeah you know these like film events where you're like you go and you just like they do a screening of a movie and then there's like a you know people trying to get awards basically yeah and uh a bit of networking and then he was like oh nice to meet him on my way out but before i go and then he just told me like a vaguely inappropriate joke and then was really proud of himself and just and and walked on so that's all i can tell you about edris elba yeah you know he's got some some some kind of funny jokes yeah that probably i can't you can't i'm not gonna repeat them on this podcast i think that's but yeah i don't want another thing exactly yeah but maybe see if you can get get it out of him when when he comes on the podcast.

54:46Yeah, if and when he does. I can't imagine he'd want to, but if he does. Have you ever included your family in any of your stuff? No. And would you? No, probably not. I'm quite protective of them, yeah. How is it with you and your mum? I mean, it seems like it's sometimes a bit of a nightmare for you. Yeah. I would say that often what she reveals about our background on the podcast is a surprise to me as much as it is to the audience. Whose idea was it? Did she at some point go, hey, I want in? No. We, I thought it'd be funny to, we thought it'd be funny to have her as part of Asian Provocateur when I went to Sri Lanka and brought her along.

55:31Or, you know, she was sort of designing the trip. And then she became this breakout star and then it became successful and then, you know, we'd created a monster. What can, you know, what can you do? And now... And now she's like, why does Idris Elba not want to talk to me? Yeah, I mean, that is, yeah. That's how far her ego has gone. I kind of respect it. Yeah. I kind of respect it, yeah. But it's difficult. It is tricky. Yeah. But we really... You're kind of her manager now. Well, actually, she's now managed by my management. Yes. Eventually, you had to be like, please take over. Yeah, yeah.

56:04And then they sort of make a joke about it. It's our favourite. You're our second favourite Ranganathan. It's really funny. Yeah, it's great. What can you tell me about the X-Files reboot? it's not a reboot is it is it a reboot it's ish but it's yeah there's not a whole lot I can tell you really we shot the pilot earlier this year written and directed by Ryan Coogler who is just like the greatest I mean so just really good people want to work with you that's exciting yeah I am kind of trying to figure out what's going on there I it I've it's been just an insane year working with Chris and then working literally the next job I did was with Ryan Coogler counting my lucky stars You didn't even audition did you?

56:49No He met up with you and you thought you were going to then audition That's what I thought because I was like well this has got to be one of the hottest properties around and it's like literally the hottest director in the world right now who's written and directed is going to direct this thing so we just met for breakfast when he was in town for the BAFTAs and it soon became clear that he was like so do you want to do it or? And I was like, let me think about it, actually. Yeah, you've got to play it cool, right? Yeah, I've just got to figure some stuff out, Ryan. Don't be too thirsty, Ryan.

57:23Yeah, yeah. Sinners was fine, okay? Yeah, yeah. Oh, vampires. Yeah, but obviously I was like, this is unbelievably exciting. And so I was all in. and so we've shot the pilot. We have no guarantee of a series order. That's kind of where we're at right now. It's just the way that there's the process for anything, no matter who you are. So we await news of that. But I had a great time making it. I mean, it's everything you love about the X-Files. I mean, he grew up watching it with his mum, so he's got a real love for the show. And so it's not like someone taking the reins and just going, scrap all that.

58:05We're going to do something completely different. It honors the show that we know. but it's also you know looking ahead to to what what we know prestige tv to be now you know like it's so the cinematic potential of it is is is endless it's very exciting i mean tv's yeah stepped up this game hugely and so i think he wants the show to be a part of that that sort of landscape and yeah i had a great time and it was it was myself and danielle deadwiler who are the leads and and um playing completely new characters and um and danielle's an incredible actress we and we were we were on the same tv show we're on station 11 uh together but we never crossed paths um but we hung out a bit so we knew each other already so to then go into something like this kind of hit the ground running with with your co-star it's it was just a great experience and so let's see what happens i hope you will get to see it eventually yeah fingers crossed but if not just send me a bootleg yeah yeah okay we're gonna play a little game misquoted okay here we go

59:07It's misquoted. So I'm going to tell you five things that you may or may not have said. And you've just got to tell me if you did or you didn't. And some of them, I do have to put this in. Some of them adapted for something you might have said. Because I don't want people to feel cheated when they play this game. I made that really serious. Anyway, good luck. There are no stakes. doesn't sound like it here's your first one good luck in Hollywood I think being happy with your own face is a vice did you or did you not say that being happy with your own face is a vice I don't think I said that did I no you didn't well done you said something I don't even know what that means you said but what you did say is in Hollywood I think bread is a vice yes it does seem it does yeah yeah yeah how how um like do you have you allowed do you allow carbs into your life uh sadly yes i do um not sadly carbs are great um i think that's what i mean i think we're sort of there's body expectation and um i guess sometimes you just need to manage it a bit better have you allowed any of that to creep in uh yeah frankly yes i mean for example for example like shooting the odyssey yeah you know um it's when you've got like a 54 year old matt damon just looking ripped to shit yeah and like sprinting past you yeah you're like i should cut down on that probably yeah because that's what he did he got rid of gluten from his diet as part of a number of things he was doing obviously but like um he he cut out gluten but you so you must have the inside track now in a way that you didn't before to like what are the what are these people up to right yeah they're doing some secret shit right to get super rich i don't know if matt's doing any secret shit i think he's just um i just imagine there's some like smoothie that they have that just fucking do you know what i mean like space jam

1:01:17yeah yeah it's they're on that thing from Space Jam yeah yeah okay good to know good to get that out there okay here's your next one we were shooting in a cash and carry yesterday I'd had a false beard on and they were using coconut oil to take it off I was like oh I'd love a bounty yeah that's true that is true evening standard 2019 yeah what happened was then I literally all I said was oh it reminds me of Bounty now I feel like I want a Bounty Next thing I know, they brought in a box of Bounty because we're at a cash and carry and I was the lead of this movie. It was on yesterday. They just brought a box of Bounty and they were like, this is great.

1:01:52We'll have this in the trailer for you. And I was like, I didn't ask for that. I just said, oh, that smells like Bounty. And next thing I know, they brought an entire box. What did that feel like? Did that feel good? I was drunk on power for the rest of the shoot. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Because you do get treated, I mean, I imagine you get treated really, really well. Do you have to like, have you ever surprised yourself by being a bit of a diva or has any of that sort of crept in? Have you found yourself demanding stuff? Is there a Himesh demand or non-negotiable? I don't think so. No.

1:02:29No, it's probably more since having a family and just sort of wanting there to be stipulations and just contractual stuff of kind of going a certain amount of flights for your family sort of thing, if possible, based on the size of the production. But otherwise, you know, I don't tend to, you know. But I've come to understand why sometimes people do because there's just ways it can help. Because what happens with actors is you get thrown out of your routine. And if you're like trying to like look after your body or like get your body in a certain shape or if you just have a general routine that's good for you and your mindset, suddenly you're shooting in some other country 7 to 7 every day if they can help you out by having just X, Y, Z in your trailer every day or that sort of thing.

1:03:12So I used to be very judgmental about that sort of rider kind of stuff. And I think you do hear about stuff that's just like no one needs that. But I'm coming to understand why sometimes it can be helpful. Yeah, because if it's hard, then having a little bit of home comfort or yeah or just something that you need just to help you out yeah that's what I keep saying to my teams okay here's your next one you're two for two well done thanks I think people probably assume I'm just a bit of a clown I don't think you delivered it like that that was horrible but did you or did you not say that I probably did say that no oh wow you said something similar I think from the outside people are probably like are you okay and I'm sitting there going yes I'm fine I'm just thinking about something you said that to the times in 22

1:04:05this is incredibly relatable content to me to be honest with you are you okay yeah I'm fine I'm just thinking about something yeah because my resting face looks distraught and often like if I'm thinking if somebody's somebody tell me that I'm the most difficult person to pitch a show idea to because I am listening but it looks like I find it distasteful. Do you know what I mean? Do you have that issue? I did Adam Buxton's podcast recently and he told me that he was like, you do have a bit of a worried face. And I was like, you're not the first person to tell me that. I think maybe I just do. It's just my face though.

1:04:47But also I think maybe I am just sort of chronically anxious all the time. So maybe they're onto something. I'm chronically anxious all the time. Yeah. It's tough, isn't it? But then there's part of you that thinks, if I get rid of this, maybe I'm not doing my job anymore. Maybe I'll become a douche. Yeah. Do you want to be a happy douche? Or an anxious legend. Yeah, exactly. That's my next tour title.

1:05:13Okay, here's your next one. I quarantined in a hotel room in Boston and got to spend half a day with Leonardo DiCaprio. It felt a bit like a fever dream. Yes, that's true. yeah uh this is about when you were discussing don't look up yeah so we shot that beginning of 2021 but i had to get there on boxing day of 2020 and i mean it was it was surreal my my first daughter was uh three weeks old uh something like that i had christmas day and then i was like see you later i'm off to boston but i had to just like sit in a hotel room for 10 days and so like new year's day i remember new year's day i i facetimed with them to say happy new year at like 7 p.m whatever the time difference is and then i was like i'll just stay up and see if like someone's letting off some fireworks and i can see them from the hotel window like a sad puppy oh but i fell asleep and then i woke up at like 1207 and i was like oh fuck what's happened happy new year i guess like it was surreal yeah was it weird did you do you just get used to hanging out with people like Leonardo DiCaprio no not at all not at all I mean it was and because it was such a whirlwind I think if I'd been on that movie like every day then maybe I would have gotten used to sort of being on set with him and Jennifer Lawrence and like you know but it was it was the fact that I'd just been in a hotel on my own for 10 days and then the first day you're out here's two of the biggest movie stars of all time and act with them now and it's like Adam McKay just shouting on a megaphone all the direction and I was like I've been on my own for 10 days this is insane this is like an insane situation to be plonked into but they were both lovely and then that whole journey with Don't Look Up was just surreal because the premiere at the end of that year I wound up in a room like as we were all filtering off the red carpet but for some reason I was the first one into the green room except DiCaprio and Meryl Streep were the only other people in there so then I just walked into the room like gingerly like hello hello Leonardo DiCaprio Meryl Streep I'll just quietly sit over here but they were both really nice as well so but it was just like one of those absurd absurd moments in my life yeah um okay here's your last one good luck to you've done honestly you've done really really well thank you and we're all really proud of you You want me in here.

1:07:43Oh, my God. As I was waiting in a hallway, I was invited back to audition a week later and got the job. My dad had gone to the loo and missed it all. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. That was my first audition for EastEnders. So you went to your audition for EastEnders on the day of your last GCSE exam? Yeah, yeah. So I did my last GCSE science exam, from what I remember, and then Dad just picked me up and whizzed me down the A1 to Borenwood and did my audition. with the casting assistant and then I was waiting in the hallway because dad had gone to the toilet and she came out and said, actually, while you're waiting, could you come back and do it for the casting director, Julia Crampsey?

1:08:25And so I ended up doing it in front of her and she on the spot said, come back in a week's time. So actually, thank you to dad for going to the loo. Yeah. And that's why I have my career. Wow, so you're in the Odyssey because your dad had to go to the toilet. Exactly. Yeah, yeah. that's that's these are the little details of life these little beautiful it's a rich tapestry isn't it yeah yeah well that is misquoted well done him thank you really really great work on that okay it's almost the end you'd be delighted to hear because I'm sure you've done loads of interviews we like to end the podcast on a big moment to try in a desperate ongoing attempt to create some sort of viral sensation yeah we'd love you to help us do that okay do you have any kind of exclusive for us that you can give us for the podcast really helped me out personally so i thought i'd do this on a podcast great but many years ago i had my own podcast that no one really knows about it was when i was still on eastenders and i and i don't want to say i was ahead of the curve but it sounds like you were i i had said i had said to them i was like we should start an eastenders podcast and no one really listened because i was just that annoying like brown kid and and you know i've been that guy and um and so then one of my mates from school at the time he was working at classic fm and he and he we'd been like trying to start some sort of podcast when we were in sixth form and and then i'd met his friend from uni and the three of us got on really well and we were like should we just like start recording something and see what happens because he had access to some studios up in up at global yeah and so we just started recording this this stupid little podcast.

1:10:07So it wasn't an EastEnders podcast. No, it was just the three of us talking nonsense. You know, three guys talking nonsense. Yeah. And that's what I mean when I say maybe I was there. That model has not taken off at all. No, exactly. That's what I mean. Nobody's doing it. Yeah. Guys just chatting shit. That doesn't happen anymore, does it? And not a mention of Squarespace anyway. But yeah, so we, we did, and it was called Cultural Piñata. That's a, that's a great name. He came up with it in the first episode, yeah. And can that be listened to? No. I could play you the theme tune now if you want to hear it.

1:10:42Oh my God. Yes, please. I literally texted Will, shout out Will Kisby, this morning, and I was like, I need to find this thing. Have you got... But it was out there for a while, was it Cultural Pinata? It was, yeah. It was available for a minute. Here we go. And this was just something that he put together from GarageBand. and it's probably quite offensive to the Mexican community but sorry to my Mexican friends I don't know if this is going to are you going to hear this? probably alright here we go

1:11:20because it's a piñata and that's our friend there you go and so he basically sent me all the episodes this morning and I might have a little diet probably not but maybe it is in the end I ended up getting a bunch of my pals from EastEnders to come in and just be interviewed and so it was up there for a good two, three years and then just before yesterday came out I was like this is probably terrible isn't it lead of yesterday hates Mexicans offensive derivative theme tune. Yeah. Well, look, Himesh, it's been an absolute honour to have you on the podcast. It's so exciting to watch your career, man.

1:12:11Thanks, man. And you deserve all the success and I'm sure you're going to go into even bigger and better things. So thank you so much for coming on. Himesh Patel, everybody. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Thank you so much for watching and listening to this episode. Before you go, if you've enjoyed this episode and you've not subscribed, that's a bold decision. crazy behaviour follow and subscribe to the Romesh Ranganathan show wherever you listen it helps me really like really helps me it helps the team and it costs you absolutely nothing we drop episodes every Monday and Thursday Mondays I'm joined by great guests Thursdays my mum Shanti joins me to answer your questions and family dilemmas I'll see you Thursday with mum who let's face it is who you're actually here for if you've got a problem you want to solve or a story you want to share send it to podcast at rangami.com voice not or text us on 07731 623 355.

1:13:02We can't promise good advice, but you might end up on the show. See you soon! Oh, shut up, Romesh.