Netflix’s critically acclaimed series, The Crown, is releasing its fifth season.
Lollywood actor Humayun Saeed branched out and debuted in Hollywood through The Crown, a major step for the actor and the Pakistani showbiz industry collectively.
For starters, Saeed will play Dr Hasnat Khan, Lady Diana lover, in the series.
During a recent interview, Saeed shared his thoughts about achieving such a milestone.
The Bin Roye actor said, “It started with a call from Hamid Hussain, who is now my talent agent. He used to manage Bollywood star Nargis Fakhri and I was in touch with him earlier to cast Nargis in my film. We had remained in touch since then.
Saeed added, “One evening I got a call from him and he informed me that there was a really important international project that he had in mind for me but I would need to send an audition for it. I only remember auditioning for the first few projects at the start of my career but I know this is a norm in the West and agreed to it.”
“Next, I signed an NDA (a non-disclosure agreement) and was pleasantly surprised to know that the role was for The Crown. I had seen The Crown and was aware of its popularity.
“I sent my audition and, after this, I was asked to do an online reading with the director and then with Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Princess Diana in the new season. Things had moved really fast till this stage. However, after my reading with Elizabeth, I didn’t hear back from Hamid. I resigned myself to thinking that the role had gone to someone else. But then, on the tenth day, I got a call from Hamid and all he said was ‘Congratulations!’ Soon, I was in London, isolating for a week before my first day on set!”
Talking about portraying a strong character Saeed stated, “Some of the people we are representing are alive or have family members who are still alive and that means all of us who are part of this show has to take the responsibility of our roles seriously.”
The Omar Dadi aur Gharwalay actor discussed how he assessed the character and tried to fit himself in those shoes. Saeed said, “Before filming began, I got to do a workshop with a real surgeon in the UK to understand how a surgeon would behave and react on the job. Of course, I knew about Dr Hasnat Khan even before I got this role. After my casting was confirmed, the team shared research material with me on the doctor. It included a few interviews as well as some images.
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“Dr Hasnat Khan is a very private person, which was why he and Princess Diana broke up — he couldn’t handle being in the limelight. Due to this, there is very limited material on him available in the public domain. So I had to study whatever was shared with me in detail.”
He continues describing his transformation into Dr Hasnat: “The hair, make-up and styling was done in such a way that my face looked different. My hair and mustache were changed. My hair was thinned and it was parted sideways so that it seemed that I was slightly balding.
This feat also marks the Mere Paas Tum Ho actor’s first time portraying a non-fictional on screen. The Dil Lagi star felt “an exciting notion to be a part of the series.”
On the work front, Saeed has The Crown and Main Manto Nahin Houn in the pipeline.
The Crown – Humayun Saeed s first look as Dr Hasnat revealed
