Stars in HBO series
Station Eleven
Himesh Patel grew up feeling his most confident when he was morphing into others through acting. His essay in Nikesh Shukla’s The Good Immigrant, centers around what he calls the “dilution of his Indian heritage,” which he had felt he needed to bury in order to be socially accepted. Patel, who acted from a young age, began his first major role as Tamwar Masood in EastEnders at the age of 16 which further complicated his view of himself as he was on the show for many of his formative years. Patel’s desire to act has now shifted from wanting to morph into someone else to wanting to tell impactful stories. Patel tells us he still struggles with imposter syndrome as he “constantly waits for someone to realize they’ve made a huge mistake,” but anyone who has watched him knows that his presence on screen is certainly not a mistake. There is hardly a better recent example of societal impact through media than Station Eleven, an HBO Max mini-series based on the 2014 novel by Emily St. John Mandel. The series, which follows several ensembles post Georgia flu pandemic, was written before our own Covid-19 pandemic but its cultural context makes it that much more powerful. Patel plays Jeevan Chaudhary whose story expresses deep themes of love, identity, human connection, and human nature. In our interview with him, he tells us about working on Station Eleven as Jeevan, picks a moment in his career that he would want to go back to, reflects on his experience finding his identity, and offers a sneak peek into upcoming projects!
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To start with a bit of a fun question, you said in an interview that your dad always had cameras, and that you are interested in photography. What is your favorite photo you’ve taken recently?
Before flying to Toronto to restart Station Eleven, I was given a Polaroid SX-70 camera. It folds away so it’s super portable, but the film is very expensive; every bad shot is extra frustrating but conversely, every perfect shot is extra special. I’d been trying to get a perfect shot of the Toronto skyline and then on my last day in town, I finally got it. It’s a nice memory of a very specific time in my life.
Your career blossomed from your role on EastEnders, which is a role that you played for many of your formative years. This is a generalization, but many actors who have acted from a young age say they struggle with identity because it’s difficult to understand your own identity while constantly playing the role of others. Have you ever felt like you struggled with this?
I certainly have struggled with this and to be honest I’m still discovering things about myself. Though it was an immense privilege to have been working from such a young age, it did cause a sort of conflation, partly of others assuming I was like my character and partly of me assuming that to be true when it wasn’t. There was also a kind of role-playing involved in my dilution of my Indian heritage, which I wrote about for my essay in “The Good Immigrant.” I’m now trying to kind of un-dilute that, but in my own way. I’ve realised I shouldn’t have to alter my identity to conform to the status quo, but that others need to be more curious and accommodating of other cultures and perspectives.
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Shifting to your role as Jeevan Chaudhary in Station Eleven, it’s so interesting how many are viewing the show from the lens of the Covid pandemic we are all experiencing, however that wasn’t the intention given that the series began filming shortly before the pandemic (and the novel was written several years ago.) In that sense, many are finding the series particularly moving. Do you think the reception of the show would have been different if it weren’t experienced in this wider context?
It is of course hard to imagine that alternative universe after 2 years of Covid-19, but I’d like to think the audiences would have been just as moved by the show. What people have engaged with is the characters and their stories have remained the same throughout the process. However, the show has of course taken on a more immediately relatable quality, that’s undeniable.
The first scene of the series says a lot about Jeevan’s character in him being the only person in a huge audience to get up from his seat to help Arthur, even though he really has no skill to help. What about Jeevan do you think drives his decisions and actions throughout the series?
Impulse. Jeevan’s impulse is a result of an unhealthy amount of irrational anxiety but it’s driven by a desire to help, to be of some meaningful use, because he still hasn’t found that within himself. More often than not, though, it comes to nought. Like with Arthur, he preemptively jumps up on stage, has no idea what to do, then just has to stand back and watch him die. But when his sister calls him to give him a heads up about the impending pandemic, she does so knowing that this is the one time Jeevan’s impulsive nature will literally save his life. Though, as we see later on in the series, Jeevan’s impulse can also have damaging consequences.
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One of the more famous quotes from Jeevan in the book is his statement about how he realized how human and personal the city had always been. What scene in the series do you personally think best represents this feeling for him?
There’s a moment in episode 7 when Jeevan goes into a neighbouring apartment. It’s an eerie moment not only because of the context of danger but also because he walks into someone else’s life- someone else who’s also spent 80 days locked inside, terrified and unsure what the future holds, and he soon realises their story ended very differently. When we filmed that I was playing through in my mind this neighbour’s story and how it had all been happening only moments away from Jeevan, Kirsten and Frank. If only this person had felt they could reach out to their neighbour, it could have been so different. I’m not making quite the same point with that, but I feel it’s the closest I felt to the quote from the book.
On that same note, episode 7 was my absolute favorite of the series- it was genuinely one of the best episodes in TV that I have seen. From the scene where Frank is rapping at the table to creating the play in cardboard costumes and Kirsen singing The First Noel, the episode shows that a great tragedy doesn’t mean that all happiness and humanity is lost. Was there a scene in that episode that was your favorite to film?
Thank you, I’m so glad you liked that episode, it’s a special one. My favourite has to be Kirsten singing. Matilda [Lawler], who plays young Kirsten, decided not to sing until we went for a take and I feel like that long panning shot that made the cut might be the first take. We were all so moved by her singing. She’s just genuinely an absolutely phenomenal actress. What a privilege to have worked with her.
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In that episode, adult Kirsten is observing herself as a child to understand that day in a different way. If you could go back to a moment in your career to observe from the outside, what would it be?
Probably my first day on EastEnders. I did so much growing up during my time on the show, I can’t remember what I was truly like beforehand. It would be nice to see that version of myself again.
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You’ve also held roles in Don’t Look Up, Tenet, and Yesterday among many others. Out of all the roles you’ve played, which character did you feel most similar to? Which character felt the farthest from you?
I’d have to say Jack Malik in Yesterday, simply because I also have imposter syndrome. Jack’s is obviously far more literal and warranted, but on most jobs or interviews I’m constantly waiting for someone to realize they’ve made a huge mistake. Farthest from me would have to be Mahir in Tenet. Largely because I’ve never crashed a plane- as far as I’m aware.
It was recently announced that you will be a part of the British remake of Call My Agent, which will be titled Ten Percent. That’s so exciting! Can you tell us a little bit about what we should look forward to from your role in this project?
I don’t want to say too much because the surprise will be all the more fun, but I’ll be playing a version of myself, and I had a real laugh doing it.
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Is it nerve-wracking to be a part of something that is a remake of a wildly popular series since it can become subject to comparison? Had you seen the French series before?
Of course, there will be comparisons but tonally it is very much its own show. And I’d binged the original series early last year, so it was fresh in my memory when I got the call for the British version.
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Recycled cashmere cardigan: Oyuna, Trousers: Luke Derrick, Shoes: Gucci, Shirt: Uma Wang, & Jewelry: Robert Wellington from layerslondon.com
What can we look forward to from you next?
Finding out what my next job is. I currently have no idea whatsoever. Hopefully the right thing will come along at the right time!
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David Reiss
Thank You
Tapestry PR, London HBO & Netflix
Watch the trailers for HBO’s Station Eleven and Netflix’s Don’t Look Up below: