This Star Of BBC's New Drama Had ZERO Acting Credits Before Getting The Job

A new high octane BBC drama is on the way to take away the Bodyguard blues. Informer will kick off the autumn with some hotly tipped new talent in its cast, and a take on some of the most important and prescient issues that Britain's experiencing today. Heading the bill is new British talent Nabhaan Rizwan, who will be making his television debut playing the character at the centre of the show. You'll soon know him as Raza Shar, a second generation Pakistani immigrant who goes undercover. But who is Informer's Nabhaan Rizwan?

A quick scan of Rizwan's CV and you'll see nothing but Informer. That's right — the man set to star in BBC's next big drama doesn't even have any previous TV acting experience. IMHO, that only makes Rizwan more remarkable, with what's set to be an outstanding debut performance, and director Jonny Campbell (whose previous work includes Spooks and Doctor Who) must be feeling pretty chuffed with himself.

Rizwan spoke to Irish News on Oct. 15 — the day of the show's premiere on BBC One — about how he landed the role. "It was a long, gruelling process," he said, " I did about four auditions. I had a good feeling about it — some roles you go up for you're quietly confident. With Raza, it definitely connected from day one and I knew I had a good chance. But the rest was up to the forces that be."

While he's not ventured into TV before, Rizwan's done a couple of things on the stage, including Little Revolution for the Almeida Theatre and The Undergrowth for the Royal Court's The Boys Project, according to The Sun. However, his brother Mawaan Rizwan hasn't been a stranger to the screen. You may recognise Mawaan from BBC Three's incredible one-off drama, Murdered by My Father, where he played Imi, the man who shouldn't have been fallen in love with.

Now it's time for the other Rizwan to be discovered, and there's no doubt that Nabhaan will catch some eyes when he plays Raza on Informer. In his interview with Irish News, Rizwan described his character as a "young dude from east London," and explained that "when we are introduced to the family, it is clear to see that Raza has outgrown this house. He has been raised by his dad Hanif who is an anti-establishment leftie and a bit of a drunk."

But Raza finds a way out, as the Radio Times writes: "after a night of partying lands him behind bars for a minor offence, he catches the attention of London’s Counter-Terrorism Special Unit (CTSU) and is recruited as an informant." But when Raza becomes wrapped up in counter-terrorism officer DS Gabe Waters' (Paddy Considine) and DC Holly Morten's (Bel Powley) investigation, things start "to heat up — with higher and higher stakes for all three characters and their families," the Radio Times writes.

Well, while this might be the first you'll see of Nabhaan Rizwan, it looks like it certainly won't be the last.