Saeed has become the first Pakistani actor to star in a Netflix original.
Pakistani superstar Humayun Saeed has reportedly been roped in for the fifth season of the hit Netflix original The Crown.
Last week, rumours started to swirl on social media that Pakistani actor Fawad Khan would be starring in The Crown to play Dr Hasnat Khan, a British-Pakistani heart surgeon who was claimed to be Princess Diana’s love interest by international media.
Saeed’s casting first surfaced in Pakistani media, fueled by a congratulatory tweet by fellow actor Mahira Khan. The casting was subsequently reported by Variety.
Mahira Khan tweeted: “Finally it’s out!” she wrote. “So proud, so excited! What a show! What a star!”
Humayun Saeed debuted as an actor in 1999 with the Urdu-language film Inteha and has enjoyed a distinguished career across film and television. He is known for the adventure-comedy Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015), for which he won Pakistan’s ARY award for best actor, and its 2018 sequel Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2.
In 2004, Dr Hasnat recorded a statement which was later submitted in 2008 to an investigation into Diana’s death. He admitted that he had been in a relationship with the late princess from 1995 to 1997 and the two parted ways after Diana met Dodi Fayed at a holiday. Diana reportedly called Hasnat “Mr Wonderful”.
The Crown is a popular series that revolves around the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The late Princess Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles was covered in the fourth season and the series is expected to conclude with the fifth one.
