Akshay Khanna is a British actor. His films include Red, White & Royal Blue and Polite Society (both 2023). On television, he is known for his roles in the BBC One series Chloe (2022), the Paramount+ series The Doll Factory (2023) and the Apple TV+ series Murderbot (2025).
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Early life and education
Akshay Khanna graduated from the University of Bristol in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in economics and management. He then completed a two-year professional acting foundational course at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
Career
Upon completing his drama school course, Khanna appeared in the Greenwich Theatre productions of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and The Secret Love Life of Ophelia. Khanna made his television debut in 2021 with guest appearances in episodes of the ITV crime dramas Grace and Grantchester. He also began working with Big Finish Productions on a number of Doctor Who audio dramas.
In 2022, Khanna had his first prominent television role as Anish in the BBC One and Amazon Prime thriller miniseries Chloe. He starred alongside Harry Lloyd in The Narcissist at Chichester Festival Theatre. The following year, Khanna made his feature film debut in the action comedy Polite Society as Salim and the Amazon Prime film adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue. Also in 2023, Khanna portrayed a fictionalised version of Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti in the Paramount+ gothic period drama The Doll Factory.
The following year, Khanna starred as SC Zil Ahmed opposite Simone Kessell in the Stan crime drama Critical Incident, for which he put on an Australian accent. He has upcoming roles in the film Row with Sophie Skelton and Bella Dayne and the Apple TV+ series Murderbot.