Sophie Shaheen Khan Levy (born 25 July 1989) is an English actress. Levy has appeared in Royal Shakespeare Company productions, such as Cymbeline (2013), Love's Labour's Lost (2014), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2015) and As You Like It (2019). In 2023, she was cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Priya Nandra-Hart.
Sophie Khan Levy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sophie Shaheen Khan Levy 25 July 1989 Wandsworth, South London, England |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Television | EastEnders |
| Parent | Shaheen Khan |
Early life
editLevy was born in 1989 in Wandsworth, South London. Her mother is actress Shaheen Khan who starred in Bend it Like Beckham. She is of mixed race descent.[1] Her mother, Shaheen Khan, set up Tara Arts, one of the country's first acting schools specifically for Asian actors. In her youth, Levy lived in Canada with her cousin for a year and a half.[2] Levy graduated from the University of Warwick, after which she studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[3] Whilst at Guildhall, she appeared in numerous stage productions, including As You Like It, Merrily We Roll Along and A Respectable Wedding.[4]
Career
editUpon graduating from Guildhall in 2013, Levy appeared in Cymbeline, for which she received critical acclaim.[5] She was then contracted by the Royal Shakespeare Company to appear in various productions.[6][7] They described her as a "fiercely intelligent and brilliant actress".[4] She performed in Hanna, a one-woman show, in 2018, for which she received numerous positive reviews.[8] The Independent wrote that Levy had "a lovely unforced naturalness" and performed the play beautifully,[9] while The Guardian admired her "compelling performance and sympathetic naturalness".[10]
In 2022, Levy starred in three episodes of the Channel 5 series All Creatures Great and Small.[11] Then in 2023, she appeared in an episode of The Sixth Commandment, as well as being cast in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders as Priya Nandra-Hart.[12][13]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Last Bus | Alice | Short film |
| 2016 | Ride | Poppy | Guest role |
| 2020 | Avernus | Lou | Short film |
| 2022 | Mammals | Beth | Guest role |
| 2022 | All Creatures Great and Small | Florence Pandhi | Recurring role |
| 2023 | The Sixth Commandment | Gabrielle Ade | Guest role |
| 2023–present | EastEnders | Priya Nandra-Hart | Regular role |
Stage
edit- Mystery Plays as Mary Magdalene
- Phaedra's Love as Phaedra
- Uncle Vanya as Sonya
- Private Lives as Amanda
- The Country Wife as Lady Fidget
- Trojan Women as Hecuba
- As You Like It as Celia
- Blood Wedding as Bride
- Merrily We Roll Along as Mary
- The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as Mrs Crummies
- A Respectable Wedding as Lyndsay
- May 08 as Sophie
- Cymbeline as Imogen
- Love's Labour's Lost as Housemaid
- The Christmas Truce as Maud Furlong
- A Midsummer Night's Dream as Snug/Cobweb
- Fracked as Emma
- Hanna as Hanna
- Maydays as Clara
- Measure for Measure as Mariana
- While the Sun Shines as Mabel
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Digital Spy Reader Awards | Rising Star | EastEnders | Second | [14] |
References
edit- ^ "Sophie Shaheen K Khan-Levy". Genes Reunited. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ Kolvin, Jessie (12 February 2019). "An interview with Sophie Khan Levy, the Warwick graduate starring at the RSC". The Boar. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ Banim, Julia. "BBC EastEnders' Priya Nandra-Hart's huge TV role before she signed up for Albert Square". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ a b "LIVING WITH ROSE". Royal Shakespeare Company. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "REVIEW: Bollywood meets Shakespeare in Cymbeline at Taunton's Tacchi-Morris". Somerset County Gazette. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "Guildhall School of Music & Drama Prospectus 2020". Issuu. Archived from the original on 25 February 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "2013-Drama: Khan-Levy, Brown & Walshe-McBride on The Laramie Project". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "Emerging performer Sophie Khan Levy wows critics and audiences alike with her performance in 'Hanna'". Asian Culture Vulture. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Paul. "Hanna, Arcola Theatre, London, review: Beautifully performed by Sophie Khan Levy". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ Kellaway, Kate. "Hanna review – an emotional tug-of-war". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ Morris, Grace. "All Creatures Great and Small star joins EastEnders in SHOCK Ravi baby twist". What to Watch. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "Sophie Khan Levy joins EastEnders as Priya, Ravi's ex and Nugget's mum". Entertainment Daily. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ "EastEnders' Priya star Sophie Khan Levy's life off screen and where viewers know her from". OK!. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
- ^ Zammitt, Erin. "EastEnders sweeps the board at the Digital Spy Reader Awards 2023". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 December 2023.