EastEnders’ Tamwar Masood star Hamish Patel unrecognisable at soap reunion with bushy beard now he’s a big US star

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IN EastEnders, he was fresh-faced youngster Tamwar Masood but you might not recognise Himesh Patel now.

The 31-year-old actor is now a big star is the US thanks to roles in a string of HBO and Netflix hits.

Himesh as Tamwar Masood in his first big role, on EastEnders
The character getting a slap in a 2009 episode of the BBC soap

He was among the former EastEnders stars at Vanity Fair’s EE Rising Star Award party in London this month.

Himesh was pictured alongside Pearl Mackie at the swish party, which was attended by a host of other soap stars.

Other former Albert Square favourites there included Dawn Swann actress Kara Tointon and Cindy Williams and Sex Education actress Mimi Keene.

Former EastEnder turned Hollywood star Ben Hardy was also at the fancy event, which is held ahead of the Baftas each year.

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Himesh got the part of Tamwar in EastEnders after auditioning for it on his 16th birthday, joining the show in 2007.

He played Tamwar for nine years until he left the show in 2016, later bagging roles in US drama Station Eleven.

Himesh also starred in the hit Richard Curtis movie Yesterday as struggling musician Jack Malik.

He was also in the movie Tenet and played Phillip Ka alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in Netflix’s streaming movie Don’t Look Up.

From a young age Himesh would impersonate his favourite TV and film characters, hoping one day he would be able to make it in acting.

After performing in his first school play aged 11, his parents signed him up for a local theatre group, the Key Youth Theatre in Peterborough.

He liked Indie, rock and Bollywood music growing up and played both the piano and guitar.

Despite finding fame on the cinema screen, Himesh has remained loyal to the small screen and starred in BBC drama The Luminaries.

Himesh Patel with Pearl Mackie at the Rising Star awards

He later popped up at another pre-Bafta party in London

Tamwar standing up to Lee along with Nancy and Dexter in EastEnders