At the age of just 16, actor Himesh Patel was cast as Tamwar Masood in BBC One’s EastEnders, where he remained for nine years. He then was hand-picked by director Danny Boyle to star alongside Lily James in Boyle’s Beatles-inspired musical comedy Yesterday. Other work includes parts in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet; HBO’s post-apocalyptic drama series Station Eleven; Don’t Look Up, with Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio; and the behind-the-scenes film-industry satire The Franchise. He can currently be seen in Riz Ahmed’s new six-part comedy Bait on Amazon Prime.

Small Prophets (iPlayer)

Both my sister and one of my best mates suggested I watch Small Prophets not long after it came out. I didn’t know what to expect as I’ve not seen Detectorists, but I’m a huge fan of Mackenzie Crook [creator, writer and director of both series] – he’s so brilliant at everything he does. It’s gentle and unpredictable: so unique and funny, and full of heart. It’s easily one of the finest examples of British TV that I’ve seen for a very long time.

The Testament of Ann Lee (dir. Mona Fastvold)

I saw it last year ahead of the Bafta voting; I was quite surprised that this film didn’t make the cut in terms of awards, and it wasn’t in the cinema for nearly as long as it should have been. It’s a really stunning piece of work. It’s directed by Mona Fastvold and written by Mona and Brady Corbet, the director of The Brutalist. They have this incredible partnership, where they write together and then one of them directs, that really works. It’s shot on 70mm film and has all that depth to it. Amanda Seyfried, who plays Ann Lee, founding leader of the Shaker movement, is just incredible. It takes some big swings as a movie. It could have been a very straightforward, epic biopic, but there’s a musical element that I wasn’t expecting and found very moving and cinematically visceral. It is a really complete work of film that hasn't had enough attention.

Jamie Woon: 3, 10, Why, When

His first two records are among my favourites, and then he just … disappeared for 10 years. And I thought, “well, I don’t know where he is, but I hope he’s well”, and finally a new record arrived last year, and I was just so glad to have him back and for it to be such a great album. The track Heavy Going is probably my favourite song of last year. His songwriting, production and vocals all sit in the right place – musically, I’m a real sucker for melancholy boys with electronic instruments. All these years, I’d never seen him live, so when he played Union Chapel on my last birthday, I went – it was really special. He’s a great talent and I hope he won’t be gone for another 10 years.

Scriptnotes

I’ve been listening to this podcast for a good few years. It’s hosted by John August, the screenwriter known for a lot of Tim Burton films, and Craig Mazin, who wrote Chernobyl and The Last of Us. They’re incredibly knowledgeable, not only about the art of screenwriting, but about the industry and how to look after yourself in it, too. It’s sort of very wholesome, the way they talk about storytelling, and I find it really inspiring. Screenwriting is something I’ve always enjoyed, but have only very recently given myself permission to do. There’s a wonderful community they’ve built up with that podcast, and listening to it has been a comfort over the years.

The Photographers’ Gallery, London W1

It’s such a quiet, lovely little corner in the madness of Soho. There’s always something good on, and the cafe is great. I most recently went to see Martin Parr’s work there – a reminder of what an important photographer he was. I also loved seeing Letizia Battaglia’s exhibit there last year, which documented everyday life in Sicily in the shadow of the mafia. Her work is so beautiful and inspiring. I always discover something new when I visit. I enjoy photography – it’s something I’m trying to get better at and do more of. Going to the gallery is always a reminder of what a powerful storytelling tool it is.

Interview by Shahesta Shaitly