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Alexej Manvelov becomes star in Netflix thriller Dept Q
'I am Akram.'
Fans of Dept Q, the 'tartan noir' detective thriller that has been one of Netflix's most watched shows since its release last month, will recognise the understated way in which the former Syrian policeman Akram Salim frequently introduces himself.
While the lead of the show is Matthew Goode, the Downton Abbey and The Crown actor who plays chaotic detective Carl Morck, the breakout star is Alexej Manvelov, who portrays Salim.
Fans have gravitated to the character of relatively few words, propelling Manvelov, 43, to newfound fame in his home city of Stockholm.
'People are calling out 'Akram, Akram!' on the street and stopping me for selfies and to tell me how much they love the character and the show. Previously there has been a fleeting recognition or they think they have have met me before but now people are very excited,' he said.
In the show, Salim is a civilian foisted on to Detective Inspector Morck, who initially treats him with disdain before coming to rely increasingly on his partner's support as they seek to solve a cold case missing person mystery in Scotland.
Salim's enigmatic nature is accentuated by hints about his mysterious past, in which he was forced to escape Syria after working for its police force.
Manvelov, who was born in Moscow to a Russian mother and a Syrian father of Kurdish descent, drew on his own family's experience to inform the role.
'My father had to flee [Syria] because he got shot when he was young. His mother told him that he had to leave but I don't know the whole story because he has never really talked about it,' he said.
His father went on to study to become a translator in the Soviet Union and was gratified that Manvelov learnt Arabic as part of his preparation for the show. The Arabic phrases in the script did not make the final cut but Manvelov said that learning the language helped to make his accent more authentic.
He also drew on his father's older brother for further inspiration.
'My uncle was a paediatric doctor and was very calm, very soothing and never rushed his speech,' he said. 'And he dressed exactly like Akram.'
Manvelov said that the character has been so well received because his 'cool, mysteriousness' has resonated with viewers.
'We all want an Akram in our lives. He's a stable pillar in a chaotic context,' said Manvelov. 'He's quiet but he's really capable and is reassuring to the others because they know that they can count on him. Plus he has a lot of cool lines.'
Along with some deadpan quips, Salim's reliability is underscored by the way in which he disables several villains throughout the nine-part series.
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Rather than always relying on a double, Manvelov did his own stunts for a couple of the sequences.
Rob Bullock, the executive producer of Dept Q, said that there was 'no doubt' that Manvelov was one of the show's successes and that he had proved particularly popular with viewers of Middle Eastern descent.
'I hadn't fully appreciated that would be the case when we were making the show,' Bullock said. 'But that community have really loved seeing such a positive representation on screen. The fact that Akram was allowed to be a hero has been really important and significant.'
The show, described as 'your next TV obsession' by The Times, was created by The Queen's Gambit's Scott Frank and based on a book series by the Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen.
Producers are still waiting to hear whether Netflix will commission a second series.
