British Actors You Should Know: Sacha Dhawan

Sacha Dhawan has been diligently making a name for himself in the television world since he was just twelve years old. He was born and raised in Manchester by parents from Punjab, India. There, he studied theater from a young age and started landing television roles as a preteen. Dhawan began his career by starring in several shows for young audiences, like ITV’s Out of Sight and Weirdster College. 

Since his promising start, his career has grown exponentially, with Dhawan appearing in British television mainstays from Line of Duty to Doctor Who. He’s even made a name for himself in the biggest franchise on the other side of the pond, starring as supervillain Davos in Marvel’s Iron Fist. Though perhaps best known for his villainous roles, Dhawan resists typecasting. His roles run the full spectrum from evil masterminds to pathetic losers to absolute sweethearts. 

He has spoken openly about his experience with anxiety and Chron’s disease, the stigma against expressing emotions, and asking for help as a man. A bonus tidbit about Dhawan: He is in a relationship with the equally successful Anjli Mohindra (The Lazarus Project, The Suspect). They even have a few matching credits, including stints in Doctor Who and co-starring in the memoir-turned-film The Boy with the Topknot (sadly unavailable to watch in the US). 

All of this is to say that Dhawan is not only a great actor but also a really great guy. So, let’s take a look at some of his most notable roles to date.

The 2008 miniseries Wired was a relatively early role for Dhawan; however, it sees him team up with his future Doctor Who co-star, Jodie Whittaker, and co-stars Toby Stephens and Riz Ahmed. In this three-part crime drama, Whittaker stars as Louise Evans, a banker blackmailed into joining a criminal conspiracy. Dhawan plays Ben, a well-intentioned young man caught up in the scheme who tries to help Louise.

Wired is streaming on Tubi.

Last Tango in Halifax is Sally Wainwright's hit comedy-drama that ran from 2012 to 2020. It follows the family life of two childhood sweethearts, Alan (Derek Jacobi) and Celia (Anne Reid), who reconnect and fall in love sixty years later. Dhawan appears in a recurring role in the first season as Paul Jatri, a lewd young man having an affair with Alan’s daughter, Gillian (Nicola Walker). 

In a show full of utterly loveable characters, Dhawan plays one of the most miserable, pathetic characters to ever (dis)grace the screen. He’s perversely delightful to watch, although he feels underutilized and a little lost amid the rest of the season’s drama.

Last Tango in Halifax is streaming on Netflix.

Though Dhawan is best known within the Whoniverse for playing the Doctor’s greatest frenemy (more on that later), he first stepped into the TARDIS in An Adventure of Space & Time, a dramatization of Doctor Who’s origins produced by the BBC for the series' 50th anniversary in 2013. Dhawan plays the real-life first director of Doctor Who, Waris Hussein. Dhawan embodies Hussein’s quiet wisdom and charming camaraderie with Doctor Who’s first producer, Verity Lambert, played by Jessica Raine. 

His performance also sheds light on Hussein’s experience as a gay South Asian man working his way up the television industry ladder in the 1960s.

An Adventure in Space & Time is streaming on BritBox.

It may be cliche to say, but at this point, who hasn’t been in the BBC’s Sherlock adaptation? (To be fair, the series was created by Steven Moffat, who was also working on, and then showrunner for, Doctor Who during the series' run.) Though a reasonably minor role compared to the rest on this list, Dhawan’s character Ajay appears in the first episode of the show’s fourth and final season. 

Ajay is one-quarter of the special forces group A.G.R.A. and tracks down Mary Watson (Amanda Abbington), believing she has betrayed the group.

Sherlock is streaming on PBS Passport.

Line of Duty was the BAFTA-nominated police procedural drama from television mastermind Jed Mercurio that launched his career. Over the six seasons it ran on the BBC, it boasted an impressive roster of stars, including Ridley’s Adrian Dunbar, Trigger Point's Vicky McClure, and Bridgerton’s Claudia Jessie. 

Among them is Dhawan, who appeared in a recurring role in the show’s second season, which was toplined by such guest stars as Keeley Hawes and Aidan Gillan. Dhawan plays an officer-turned-criminal-turned-informant at the center of a major plotline of the season.

All six seasons of Line of Duty are streaming on BritBox.

One of Dhawan’s most dazzling performances in recent years was as the recurring Doctor Who villain, the Master. Following in the footsteps of legends like Roger Delgado, Derek Jacobi, and Michelle Gomez, Dhawan brought fresh zeal, ferocity, and a deep, underlying desperation to the role. 

Dhawan’s Master is a far cry from the measured, unassuming Waris Hussein, meaning that the Whoniverse encapsulates the full range of Dhawan’s talents. As the Master, Dhawan’s sizzling chemistry (not necessarily romantic although one could argue…) with co-stars Whittaker and Mandip Gill was a highlight of the 13th Doctor era.

The original Doctor Who reboot, Seasons 1 through 13, are streaming on Max.

In the “occasionally true” historical comedy-drama The Great, about Russian empress Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning), Dhawan plays Count Orlo, advisor to the emperor and eventual ally of the scheming empress. He is clever, kind, and charmingly awkward. 

He gains confidence and power throughout the series, growing alongside Catherine’s command of Russia and using his power (mostly) for good.

All three seasons of The Great are streaming on Hulu and under the Hulu tile on Disney+.