For three-and-a-half “influential” years of her life, Hiftu Quasem worked behind the scenes on the BBC’s flagship Today programme on Radio 4. A fresh-faced University of Glasgow graduate, Quasem arrived in London from Aberdeen and began as a broadcast assistant before working her way up to researcher/segment producer.

“I thought I’d love to present, but being a broadcaster requires a different level of skill, which I was happy to observe, not do,” she explains.

Quasem set her sights elsewhere, and left the BBC to pursue acting as a career. “As an actor, I’m constantly looking out for things that are different,” says the in-demand Quasem, who has two yet-to-be-announced projects lined up for the rest of 2022. Her breakout performance was in the role of Misha Virani, the ambitious young film buff who dreams of making her mark in a notoriously tough industry, in Ten Percent, Amazon Prime’s UK remake of Call My Agent!.

Identifying proudly as Scottish and Bengali, Quasem began her career acting in short films including Tehzeeb (2015) and Meet Me By The Water (2016). She also has theatre credits including Miss Julie (Perth, Glasgow’s Tron and Edinburgh Festival Theatre) and At Home I Speak (Rich Mix).

Quasem is a familiar face on TV through appearances in the BBC’s Killing Eve and medical drama This Is Going To Hurt and ITV detective drama series Endeavour; she has also had turns in the BBC’s The Nest and Trigonometry and Alibi/BBC’s Traces. She recently returned from the Sahara after working on an under-wraps project that scratched an itch to land a screen role in a fantasy/magical genre project.

“I enjoy stories — not only as an actor but also as a viewer — and getting to understand flawed characters and people who find themselves in grey areas,” Quasem says. “Exploring those stories, whether that’s through comedy or pure drama or action, I find those roles most interesting.”

Quasem’s hopes to develop her own writing are on ice at the moment, but she says that will change. “Not only writing — directing is something I’m also interested in, and producing,” she laughs. “I want to do it all.”

Contact: Samira Higham, Independent Talent Group 

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