"East is East actor Jimi Mistry is to join the cast of Coronation Street this autumn.
Jimi will play ex-squaddie turned personal trainer, Khalid, Kal for short, a mate of Gary Windass. Storyline details are being kept under wraps but we can confirm that he will set tongues wagging and pulses racing.
Khalid is set to be a charming, roguish character who has a wandering eye - and he is likely to upset a few of the menfolk of Weatherfield.
More details of the character will be revealed in the coming months. Jimi will start filming in September and first appear on screen in November.
Coronation Street Producer Stuart Blackburn said: “I'm thrilled to welcome Jimi to Coronation Street, with credits that include East is East, The Guru and Blood Diamond getting him on board is a real coup. Jimi’s character is going to have a swift impact on the lives of many in Weatherfield.”
What do you think of this latest signing to our favourite soap, Corrie fans?
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24 comments:
Is it me or is every character billed as a "roguish character who is set to set tongue's wagging etc. etc."
Anyway, I'm looking forward to it but I hope he isn't a Rob Donovan 2.0.
No way will he be Rob Donovan 2.0. This fella can act. Very well indeed. It's a major coup for Corrie.
Oh I know he's a brilliant actor, but so is Sue Johnston and look what has happened there.
Let's hope he turns out to be more than a roguish ladies man.
So what is in store for him - oh the mandatory affair/one night stand with Tracy, Maria, Tina etc etc etc etc. More connections to the already over exposed creepy Windasses. Hm more soap hopping. Where are the UNKNOWNS?????
Jimi should be thankful they've not cast him as a doctor - they wouldn't have a clue what to do with him. Thankfully as a rogue with a wandering eye/hands/insert appropriate body part he'll be more than qualified to join the queue for rehashed storylines involving instant pregnancy, will-he-won't-he stand by the mother/child, three- or four-way love triangles/squares and all the other traditional mayhem that we've not seen for oooh what? Five minutes? No, make that two. >sigh<
Brace your self Maria.
He looks very familiar, but I don't recognize any of the shows listed. Any other Canadians out there able to place him in something we've seen over here?
I've always rather fancied Jimi, so I'm very pleased to see him on the cobbles!
I think he's great! Looking forward to seeing him in Corrie :)
Isn't that the same description we got when Karl, Rob and Ryan showed up?
Yes, that's exactly how Rob Donovan was described - and look how well that hasn't turned out:( My only hope is that this new guy will be so good there won't be room in the cast for Rob any longer...
Rebecca - Blood Diamond had an international release, so you may recognise him from that. He was also in 2012 (again an international movie). He is listed on IMDb as appearing also in a single episode of Spooks, which I believe aired in North America under the title "MI5". You can check the entry out for yourself if you like :0)
I like Jimi Mistry and glad to hear he's joining Corrie. He's such a good actor that I hope they give him a good character to play. I've been watching him for years, recently I'm watching the t.v. show Strike Back and he's been so good in that. Like a lot of other posters I too hope he will obliterate Rob..lol.
I'm Canadian and I saw him in East is East as well as The Guru. That's great to hear that he is coming to the show, though I still wonder why every new character always seems to have a connection to someone on the street. People don't just move to the Street on their own?
Flaming Norah - you asked for totty and here he is! Wish I had those kind of powers!
Bev
The only trouble with well known actors is that they never stay very long.
East is East was quite a hit in Canada, albeit in the Independent theatres. This fella is a fantastic actor, I just hope there's more in store for him than the limp description of "squaddie turned personal trainer" suggests. Have the writers all but forgotten that this is a back street? Who can afford a personal trainer in this economy? If it's the rich and famous, no doubt he could afford to live somewhere other than Coronation Street. Fingers crossed that this actor is given room to shine.
For Canadians who asked what else has he done we might know: He was the star of a film called A Touch Of Mink by a Toronto filmmaker. The film was partially set in Toronto. And yes, the man knows how to act.
Thanks everyone! I'm not a big movie lover, but now that I see some of his movies listed I think I must have caught a few scenes with him in them on a movie my husband was watching. I'm looking forward to seeing him in Corrie!
I saw him in Partition, an amazing movie about the partition of India in 1949.
Fantastic actor, but I also think the street needs more "unknowns" young or old to bring about some fresh characters who could then be made to pursue more interesting storylines. The problem with famous actors is that there's so much expectation and unless the writing is stellar right off the bat, there's going to be very little time before the audience will turn and protest -- like Stella and Gloria. There wasn't much protest against Dennis Tanner because he wasn't used all that much... I've no idea what the producers/writers are doing. Over the last few years, they're certainly NOT earning their pay... but of course, I keep hoping... those cobbles and those council flats with the laundry flying in th e tiny backyards, etc. represent something beyond the lame storylines...
I suppose we all live in hope to some extent... :-)
If he's gradually brought in like Sinead Tinker, I think he should be okay...as for Gloria and Rob, they were dropped on the viewers like a load of bricks, and to be fair were creations from the Phil Collinson era, and I don't think either was thought out properly beforehand. I am quite impressed Stuart Blackburn didn't axe a whole bunch of characters to make room for "his" vision of who should be walking the cobbles. Nicely done so far.
This is great news. Can't wait! Speaking of Gary Windass, has anyone on the blog commented on the new flat he shares with Izzy? It's different from the one they had in 2011 but I think I recognise a couple of items. I love their new flat! The set designers have done a nice job. I assume it's in close proximity to the Street?
He was also "Benny" in Ella Enchanted. The character that got imprisoned in a book and then returned to his human form near the end of the movie.
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