Asian actor in plea over lead roles

GOODNESS Gracious Me star Sanjeev Bhaskar has said he hopes an Asian actor in a lead role on a primetime TV show will soon be seen as the norm rather than the exception.

The comedian will soon be back on screens in the second series of cold case drama Unforgotten.

He told the Radio Times: “People have said that having an Asian actor in a lead role on a primetime ITV show is really significant but creator Chris Lang wrote my part as an Asian cop because he doesn’t see why skin-colour differences should matter.

“This is, hopefully, the future – characters you empathise with whatever their nationality, sexual preference, skin colour or accent.

“When I did Spamalot, a few journalists would ask about me being an Asian King Arthur, and I’d say if people are thinking about my ethnicitywhentheyleavethetheatre I haven’t done my job. And I think the same with this.”