Art Malik

Athar ul-Haque Malik, professionally known as Art Malik, is a British-Pakistani actor. He gained international recognition during the 1980s through various roles in British television serials and films.

Early life and education

Malik was born on 13 November 1952 in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. He is the son of Mazhar ul-Haque Malik, an ophthalmic surgeon, and Zaibunisa. When his father secured a position at Moorfields Eye Hospital, the family moved to London in 1956. Malik was only three years old at the time of this relocation.

He attended Bec School in Tooting starting at age eleven. After an unsuccessful period studying business and a single term at The Questors Theatre, he earned a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He eventually performed with both the Royal Shakespeare company and The Old Vic.

Career

Malik achieved his breakout role in 1982 as Hari Kumar in the Granada Television production of The Jewel in the Crown. This performance earned him a nomination for a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. In 1987, he appeared in the James Bond film The Living Daylights as Kamran Shah, an Afghan mujahideen leader. He later portrayed the son of an Indian mobster in the 1992 film City of Joy.

Financial difficulties shaped a pivotal moment in his career during the early 1990s. While he was being pursued by the Inland Revenue for £32,000, he accepted the role of Salim Abu Aziz in the 1994 film True Lies. This character served as the villain opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although he received many offers for action films after this success, he declined them to pursue different projects like the film Clockwork Mice.

His stage work included a lead role as Nirad Das in the 1995 production of Tom Stoppard's Indian Ink. On television, he played Olympos in the 1999 ABC miniseries Cleopatra and provided narration for the 2001 documentary Hajj: The Journey of a Lifetime. He also narrated the three part series The British Empire in Colour in 2002.

Malik transitioned into several long-running television roles over the following decades. He portrayed Zubin Khan on the BBC One drama Holby City from 2003 to 2005. Between 2011 and 2014, he starred as Francesc Gacet in the series Borgia. From 2014 to 2020, he appeared in Homeland as Bunran "Bunny" Latif, a retired Pakistani general.

His recent credits include appearances in the series Bancroft in 2017 and Doc Martin in 2017. He also appeared in the Doctor Who episode "The Ghost Monument" in 2018. In 2013, he made his first appearance in an Indian production when he played Milkha Singh's father in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Personal life

Malik married Gina Rowe, a fellow student at Guildhall, in 1980. They have two daughters named Jessica and Keira. He reported that the fame he experienced in 1984 led to excessive drinking and personal instability. These struggles caused a strain on his marriage, though he and his wife eventually reunited.

By 1993, Malik faced significant debt, owing £55,000 to the bank and £32,000 to the Inland Revenue. He has used his platform for charitable efforts, such as fundraising for the 2001 Gujarat earthquake relief. He also appeared in a DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal advertisement in 2010.

Awards and recognition

Malik received a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor for his role in The Jewel in the Crown in 1984.