Nadeem Islam stars in ITV drama The Bay as a teenage schoolboy and some viewers have questioned his age.
The actor portrays Jamal Rahman, who has tragically lost his brother Saif.
But how old is the actor Nadeem Islam?
And is he really deaf?
Here’s everything you need to know about The Bay star, who appears in the series opposite Marsha Thomason’s DS Jenn Townsend.
Read more: Who did The Bay actor Barry Sloane play in Hollyoaks and who is he married to?
Who plays Jamal Rahman in The Bay?
Actor Nadeem Islam portrays Jamal Rahman in The Bay.
Jamal is devastated when his brother Saif – a promising young boxer – is found dead.
The Muslim family then discover the horrifying news that Raif was murdered.
When viewers first meet Jamal in The Bay series three, he’s “very isolated”, having always felt like the “outcast” of his family.
In the series, Nadeem plays teenager Jamal, despite being much older in real life.
Jamal is seen in a school uniform – something which has not gone unnoticed by The Bay viewers.
One tweeted: “The Bay last night Jamal looked more like 38 than 18.”
Another said: “Love The Bay, but the casting of Jamal defies both reality and imagination.”
A third added: “The lad playing schoolboy Jamal in The Bay is about 32 isn’t he?”
Who is The Bay actor Nadeem Islam?
Nadeem Islam describes himself as an “actor, TV presenter, film-maker and Spiderman fan’ on his official Twitter account.
The Bay actor lives in London and trained in Community Art Practice at the BRIT School, before graduating in 2015.
Before appearing in The Bay as Jamal Rahman, Nadeem was probably best known for his work in comedy improvisation on stage.
He’s also starred as Omar in TV show Small World, and has appeared in the comedy Deaf Funny.
Nadeem was nominated for Best Actor by Deaffest UK Deaf Film/TV award for his performance in Where I Belong.
Nadeem has played the Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist, and performed in Horrible Histories – Dreadful Deaf at the Bristol Old Vic.
The actor is set to star in upcoming BBC drama Then Barbara met Alan later this year.
Nadeem Islam age – how old is Jamal actor Nadeem Islam?
Nadeem Islam was born in December 1996.
He is currently 25 years – quite a bit older than his character Jamal Rahman in ITV1’s The Bay!
According to the profile on Spotlight, Nadeem’s playing age is between 24 and 34.
Is Nadeem Islam really deaf?
Actor Nadeem is deaf in real life.
Ahead of the launch of series three, Nadeem spoke to ED! about the significance of being a deaf actor on a primetime series.
He acknowledged that there are “not many shows that are willing to show deaf talents or deaf storylines”.
Nadeem said: “We make up a large portion of the population [900,000 deaf people in the UK].
“So for The Bay, I’m so proud to be part of that history, especially in a police drama environment.
“These types of storylines happen to many Deaf people too – it’s time to be realistic.
“Hopefully the decision by The Bay, and particularly the Casting Director Kelly Valentine Hendry, to cast a deaf actor will encourage this industry to change for the better.”
Nadeem reads lips, and admits he found the use of masks on set a particular challenge.
In series three of The Bay, the character of Jamal is able to communicate with DS Karen Hobson, played by Erin Shanagher.
The actress learnt BSL – British Sign Language – especially for the role.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, Nadeem supported Rose Ayling-Ellis’ journey on Strictly, and celebrated her win.
Nadeem Islam’s shout-out to The Bay cast
Filming The bay obviously had a massive impact on Nadeem, who shared a tribute to his fellow cast members on Instagram.
He wrote: “Thank you to the cast and crew of The Bay for making my days worth coming in and for the support.
“Thank you Tally Story Pictures and ITV for the opportunity and the platform to be the Asian Deaf male to perform in a mainstream production.
“And most of all, thank you Jamal for the surreal and eye-opening experience.”
The Bay series 3 is available to binge in full on the ITV Hub.
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