Hannah Khalique-Brown: 'A delusional quality is quite helpful as an actor'

Hannah Khalique-Brown is currently acting her socks off opposite Simon Pegg in season two of The Undeclared War on Channel 4. She plays Saara Parvin, a student whizzkid on placement at GCHQ when a Russian cyber-attack threatens the country; a difficult role which Khalique-Brown — herself something of a whizzkid — excels at. “Before the first season I learned to programme languages,” she says. “And I learned coding because I thought if she’s a coding prodigy, but I can’t understand a word of what’s she’s saying, I’m not going to be able to learn it.”Season two has picked up right after the last one (“Though fans of season one may notice we’re wearing different clothes on a slightly different set”), with Russian planes seemingly heading for the UK and the discovery that there is a “mole” among them. The tension ramps up further with an opening 10-minute one-shot — “I’ve shot the thing and when I was watching it my heart was still racing” — which was hard to get through, particularly since she and Pegg get on too well: “We’re like kids in assembly trying not to laugh.” Hannah Khalique BrownPR image Khalique-Brown was born in Birmingham to an NHS surgeon father and a barrister mother, and although she achieved first class honours in English Literature at King’s College, acting was her true love. Her determination to achieve her dream led her to write hundreds of letters to agents and casting directors until she finally had a breakthrough at a showcase called DABBS Generals Day for non-white actors (“I’ve always had unshakeable faith in myself. A delusional quality is quite helpful as an actor”). Subsequently securing an agent, she bagged the role of Saara, her first major job; roles in Black Doves, Dune: Prophecy and Barbie quickly followed.“I’ve always had unshakeable faith in myself”But Khalique-Brown is plotting her own path; sitting around waiting for acting work is not her style. She’s also a singer and performs in the band Big Sky Orchestra alongside her husband, Benedict Mann — “We don’t stop, but it’s fun. So I’m filming a big Hollywood film in London at the moment, doing PR for The Undeclared War and playing shows with the band. I find it difficult to turn down the opportunity to be creative. But it doesn’t feel like work!”She’s also learning languages and getting heavily into sumo wrestling. “It’s an obsessive career and I’m addicted to it. It’s a deep need to connect with people, tapping into a collective consciousness. It’s like oxygen to me.” She says she can’t wait for the challenges ahead but for now she is enjoying being on a show that feels so very timely: “The show is a warning about the hidden hands controlling our democracy. It’s a cautionary tale and I hope people pay attention.”