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Actor grew up in Feltham, west London
Annabel NugentWednesday 26 November 2025 10:19 GMTComments
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People Just Do Nothing star Asim Chaudhry has recalled growing up in “fear” due to racism.
The 38-year-old opened up about his upbringing as a “working-class boy” in west London in a new interview with The i newspaper.
“I grew up in a lot of fear and shame,” he told the publication. “I’m from Feltham in west London, which was super racist.”
Chaudhry went on to recall being “beaten up many times by The NF”, in reference to the far-right fascist political party that rose in popularity in the 1970s.
“I had to suppress my culture until I got to secondary school, when I began to discover Asian poetry and cinema,” said the TV star who was born into a Pakistani-Muslim family in Hounslow, London.
He continued: Now I think London is a beautiful place. I’m very proud of how different we are, and we should celebrate the otherness of our beautiful country.”
Chaudhry went on to say that “anyone who says multiculturalism has failed are f***ing idiots”.
Elsewhere in the interview, he spoke about how his biggest roles – including in Barbie, Wonder Woman 1984, and Black Mirror – have been “race colour blind” in comparison to the parts he played earlier in his career.
Cast members from People Just Do Nothing Allan Mustafa, Hugo Chegwin, Steve Stamp, Asim Chaudhry and Daniel Woolford (BBC/PA) (PA Media)Speaking about his most famous character Chabuddy G in the Bafta-winning comedy People Just Do Nothing, he said: “I’ve always been adamant that Chabuddy G could have been any race. Of course, you play on the stereotypes, but him being Asian is not what makes him funny.”
Chaudhry lives in London with his wife, Sevan, of four years. “We’re on the right track to start a family,” he said. “I think it would be the greatest joy. It was just me and my sister and my mom for so long. I like that sense of big family, but I also like close family as well.”
Months before Rishi Sunak’s appointment to prime minister, Chaudry told The Independent that he doubted Sunak would win.
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“If you told me 25 years ago that there could be an Asian prime minister, I’d be like, ‘You’re smoking crack,’” he said at the time.
“But this doesn’t feel like the same thing. It’s not representation. Because he’s not representing us. Priti Patel doesn’t represent us. They do not have empathy. They’re not the people I want my children to look up to.
“The way they got there, through the lies, the horrible behaviour, the bullying. That’s not how you win, not how you get on top.”
People Just Do Nothing starred Chaudry opposite Allan “Seapa” Mustafa, Steve Stamp, and Hugo Chegwin. It aired for five seasons on BBC from 2014 to 2018, earning two Bafta awards.
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