Junior doctor Tariq Hussein has made himself at home pretty quickly in Holby — both in the ED and in his cousin Rash Masum's house — since making his first appearance in Casualty episode Haunted!
With his lust for life, eye for the ladies, and upbeat attitude, the new medic is shaping up to follow in the footsteps of Casualty’s time-honoured tradition of loveable cheeky chappies.
Not everyone is taken with him, however… Sadly he is unintentionally testing grieving Rash’s resolve. Yet it seems nothing can get Tariq down!
Here Manpreet Bachu, gives us his take on Tariq Hussein and joining BBC1’s long-running medical drama…
Congratulations on joining the Casualty family! You’ve starred in Doctor Who, Fleabag, Killing Eve and Masters of the Air, but is this a different experience for you as an actor?
"It definitely is because it's a long-running character, so I'm constantly learning about Tariq as the scripts come in. I'm not going to give anything away but from the time that I got the role to where we are now, I am seeing parts of my character that I didn't even know existed. Being able to find a way to play that and work it into the character so it seems normal rather than just a random switch-up is interesting.
"I’ve been quite blessed with some really good credits but this is by far the most exciting and the most challenging because Casualty is a well-oiled machine and it keeps going whether you're on board or not, so you really have to hit the ground running."
Did you know anyone in the cast or crew or get any advice about working on a long-running show before joining?
"No never. Leading up to Casualty I approached it like any other audition. I got the script, worked out what it was telling me about the character, and then used my own instincts to understand how I wanted to play it. I always like to find a certain risk — It can be something really small, but just something that will make me stand out for the right reasons. If they tell me they don't like it, then I'm fine, I can change direction. If they don't say anything, for me, that's a good sign that they like what they've seen."
What other preparation did you do?
"I watched clips of Casualty to understand the rhythm of the show, but really and truly I wanted to limit how much I watched, because the way that I read the character is that he's very unconventional compared to others. I wanted to approach it with a raw aspect and didn't want to fall into some sort of subconscious track of acting the same as someone who's already been on the show.”
Obviously it all went really well!
"Thank you! In the screen test Neet Mohan, who plays Rash Masum, and [director] Paul Murphy were with me and it was very overwhelming, but in a really good way because you jump straight in the deep end."
Have you grown close to Neet during filming?
"I really consider Neet like my own brother now, I've developed such a close relationship with him. Every time I see him it’s always hugs and a lot of love. I always look forward to our scenes together and I think we bounce off each other really well and have built a nice chemistry."
Do you ever ask him for advice?
"I definitely get some guidance from him. Rash is a seasoned character on the show and Neet is such a great actor and always there to help me, so ask him questions and always take time to listen to his advice. He's really nice like that."
How would you describe Tariq and Rash’s relationship?
"Personality-wise they’re very different. When I was going into the early stages of casting, Tariq was described as the complete opposite of Rash. I think that says it all! Tariq’s approach as a human being and as a doctor is to try and find the quickest route. He constantly wants to level up professionally, so he'll do whatever that takes."
Do you think there’s a rivalry between them?
"No, I've always read it as Tariq isn't jealous of Rash, he admires him. To some degree he wants to be like him, but it's not from a point of envy, it’s because he looks up to him. For Rash, though, it could come across differently! Maybe Tariq is a bit of a spanner in the works because he integrates really well into Holby ED and immediately gets along with everybody. It’s that thing where Rash may think, 'Why could that not have happened to me?'"
Who is the older cousin?
"It’s Neet, in real life and in character. Although, sometimes Tariq feels like he's acting like the older person in certain situations, he lacks maturity when it comes to emotional intelligence!"
How aware is Tariq of Rash’s fragility at this point in his life?
"Tariq only sees the surface. Little does he know there's an entire iceberg that he’s not aware of. He does see that Rash is going through a hard time, he loves his cousin and wants to make sure that he's okay, but he’s unaware that the thermostat is slowly being turned up…"
How would you describe Tariq’s working relationship with fellow newcomers Patrick Onley (Jamie Glover) and Nicole Piper (Sammy T. Dobson)?
"He's very cheeky! He's playful with Nicole and, like an annoying brother, likes to press her buttons. At the same time, he's very aware that they're in the same position as junior ST1 doctors and he feels like there's only room for one to excel. So he's driven and wants to get Patrick on his side, because he’s the key to going forward in his career."
We think that he fancies himself as a bit of a ladies man too - is that how you see him?
"I don't want to say yes or no, because I want people to watch and find out, but let’s say Tariq is a bit brave and confident and whenever he sees a pretty face, he just goes into autopilot! I think the best way to describe Tariq is that he's like a golden retriever — he’s very playful but he knows when to do it.
“With certain characters he can get away with it. I have some lovely scenes with Melanie Hill’s character Siobhan McKenzie, I think she’s warming to him! But Stevie Nash (played by Elinor Lawless), in true Stevie fashion, sees right through him and has no time for it!"
It sounds like you really like Tariq…
"Yes, I do, he’s got a good heart and comes from a place of love. He lives in the moment and doesn’t really think about tomorrow or the ripple effects after…"
Are your family watching you in Casualty?
"Yes! It’s now become a routine thing every Saturday — even my family in Canada watch it, so we're all tuned in. It’s so cool, because my family have seen me pursue this career for who knows how long and it’s nice that they can see that my efforts haven’t been wasted."
Can you tease what the future holds for Tariq?
"It’s going to be a learning curve for Tariq. He’s oblivious to what’s really happening with Rash, but in hindsight and after time has passed, he will find that lesson…"
What about romance?
"What I’ll say is Tariq is a bit of a sucker for a pretty face and I'll leave the rest to you… I’m not saying anything more, but there’s a lot to come!"
Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC One. See our guide for the next episode.
