Akshay Khanna isn’t your typical rising star – though, judging by his recent run of form, he won’t be ‘rising’ for long.
Since graduating from drama school, Akshay Khanna has made a habit of picking roles that stretch both genre and geography. He cut his teeth on stage at the Greenwich Theatre, appearing in The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, before landing screen roles in ITV stalwarts Grace and Grantchester – and voicing various Doctor Who characters for Big Finish along the way.
His breakout came in 2022 with Chloe, the BBC/Amazon Prime thriller where he played Anish, followed by a turn opposite Harry Lloyd in The Narcissist at Chichester Festival Theatre. The next year brought his feature film debut as Salim in the action-comedy Polite Society, and a role in Red, White & Royal Blue. He also channelled Dante Gabriel Rossetti in The Doll Factory for Paramount+.
In 2024, Khanna led Australian crime drama Critical Incident – accent and all – with Row and Apple TV+’s Murderbot next on the slate.
In Apple TV+’s big new sci-fi bet, Khanna plays a key role in the genre he calls his “favourite by a country mile.”
Funny, frank and refreshingly self-aware, Khanna is the kind of actor you want on your set, and though his career may be gathering pace, he’s keeping his feet on the ground (and, by the sounds of it, occasionally losing his shoes).
We caught up with him to talk about aspirations, accessories, and the perils of fanfiction addiction.
Life
Square Mile: What are you most excited about?
Akshay Khanna: I’m incredibly excited for people to watch Murderbot on Apple TV+. Sci-fi has been my favourite genre by a country mile forever, and being on a show like this has always been a career goal of mine. Frankly, I had too much fun filming that show, and getting paid to do it constantly felt like I was getting away with something on set.
And the show is just so good. I can confidently say it’s fantastic – and if you don’t like it, then I would gently tell you that it’s OK to be wrong sometimes.
Other than that, I shot an awesome little indie thriller in Scotland called Row, which follows a team of four who attempt to row across the Atlantic. It’s a gruelingly difficult feat that takes over a month at the best of times, where people row and sleep in two-hour intervals the entire time – something I myself would never attempt because I am not patently insane. There’s sabotage, intrigue, and some truly beautiful cinematography, and I can’t wait for people to see it. That should come out sometime in June.
And finally, a voice-over project I can gently tease but can’t talk about yet – another tick on the bucket list. I’ll talk about that more when doing so doesn’t break some scary-looking NDAs.
SM: What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
AK: Critical Incident is a series that I shot in Sydney, Australia. I played a cop who is investigated for potential misconduct during a suspect chase. Leading a show is a tough prospect because you feel like the weight of the whole production rests on your shoulders and acting ability (it doesn’t – there are a number of people doing their jobs brilliantly and making you and the rest of the cast look good – but it certainly feels that way sometimes).
Being a custodian to the cast, setting the tone, and making some of the best friends I’ve made in a long time – it all came together in a personal career high.
And Australians are fun, man. I spent my time off going snorkelling or on boat rides with my new mates. I’m going back for a close friend and castmate’s wedding in September.
I’m proud because I truly feel that I made the most of that experience, and I look back on it with pure fondness and love.
SM: If you could change one thing about your career, what would it be?
AK: More of it. More career, please. I like career – it means I’m busy and enjoying myself. I’ve been lucky enough to have quite a diverse CV because I love variety in work.
I’ve done TV, film, theatre, VO, mo-cap. If I had to pick one thing, it would be getting to do more video games. I love games, and getting to be in something like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Disco Elysium would have been a dream come true – but it’s tough to get those opportunities sometimes.
SM: What do you hope to achieve that you haven’t yet?
AK: I studied Economics at university before I went to drama school. When I graduated and took the plunge into acting professionally, I felt I had to prove to myself that it was a viable career financially. With that in mind, I always had this goal of buying a house with money I made from acting. Nowadays that’s a tall order because the housing market is absurd, but I am on the right track.
SM: Outside of your family, who is / was your biggest inspiration?
AK: Probably my teachers, especially my secondary school drama teacher, Ms Hughes, who instilled the confidence in me to perform. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am now, and I am immensely grateful. Teachers deserve the world.
SM: Tell us something nobody knows about you…
AK: I used to read fanfiction (not the titillating kind – get your mind out of the gutter), and it consumed such a vast quantity of my time that I neglected one of my university modules and had to redo it in the summer. To be fair to me, econometrics is eye-gougingly boring.
Style
SM: What’s your favourite item of clothing?
AK: I have a big winter coat that I’ve had since I was 14, which somehow still fits. It’s got ‘Akshay Khanna 9AB’ written on the inside collar, which still makes me smile. It’s electric blue, weathered beyond belief, and looks godawful. I wear it sometimes just to annoy my mum.
SM: Favourite accessory?
AK: OK, to tell the truth, I tend to lose most of my accessories, so I don’t wear any at the moment – but I absolutely would if I were less of a thoughtless klutz that misplaces everything they own.
SM: What’s your biggest style disaster?
AK: I really appreciate fashion, but I have awful taste. Until recently, I was a jeans-and-T-shirt-and-call-it-a-day kind of guy. I think that was probably the disaster: my entire fashion sense until about two years ago. Then I discovered Uniqlo, and suddenly I was getting compliments on my fits with zero effort on my part. I’ve gotten much better since then.
Oh, and shoes. I’m size 14, so finding good shoes is an actual nightmare. I have three of the same pair of Skechers just because they had them in stock.
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SM: Is there an item you threw away – or lost – that you really miss?
AK: I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached to my body. The one piece of real jewellery I owned was this lovely necklace that my aunt had bought for me in India, with some beautiful little gemstones inlaid in it. I wore it everywhere for a long while, and then one day I lost it on a job – or perhaps someone nicked it – and I was inconsolable. If it was stolen, then to whomever has it now: I hope you wake up with Lego permanently stuck to your feet.
SM: What’s next on your shopping list?
AK: Fashion-wise, I really love a nice coat. I just got a lovely one from Moss Bros that’s so nice I want to wear it inside even if I melt into the floor.
Outside of that, a new gaming PC would be the next big purchase. My rig is getting quite old, and I need an upgrade before GTA 6 – if it comes out before the heat death of the universe.
SM: What would you buy if money was no object?
AK: Probably not many objects. I’m not a particularly materialistic person, and most of the things I care about fit into a 3m x 3m box room – so it would definitely be a bunch of new and exciting experiences. Trips abroad, fine dining (I had a Michelin-star tasting menu at A. Wong once that made me want to cry happy tears), dune buggying, things like that. And sharing all of that with my friends and family – that would be ace.
Murderbot is out now on Apple TV+.
