Rik Makarem
| Rik Makarem | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Rik Makarem 18 January 1982 Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actor, songwriter |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Rik Makarem was born on 18 January 1982 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. He is an English actor, best known for playing Nikhil Sharma in Emmerdale.
Classically trained he is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama. He is proud to have won a Laurence Olivier Bursary in 2004 in association with the Society of London Theatre.
Television
Makarem is best known for playing Nikhil Sharma in Emmerdale. His first appearance was on 11 September 2009. In May 2013, Makarem announced he was leaving the programme, his final episode was on 20 August 2013 when Nikhil and his daughter, Molly, left the village for a new life in Toronto shortly after his wife, Genesis Walker was murdered by Cameron Murray. In September 2015, Makarem confirmed that he was reprising his role as Nikhil in a "powerful" storyline for his character. Nikhil returned on 29 October 2015 and departed on 19 February 2016.
Prior to his first stint in Emmerdale he appeared in BBC's Torchwood- Children of Earth alongside John Barrowman, he also featured in an episode of ITV's period drama Foyle's War. Other television acting credits include Consent for Channel 4 and ITV comedy "FM".
He has also appeared with his family in an episode of All Star Family Fortunes which was first aired in March 2012.
Film
Makarem also appeared in period feature film "The Duel".
Theatre
In November 2013, he co-starred with James Cartwright in Martin Sherman's "Passing By".
From January to April 2014 Makarem co-starred with David Essex, Andrew Jarvis and Jared Garfield in a touring production of Morris Panych's, "The Dishwashers".
From January to July 2015 Makarem co-starred with Tina Hobley, Jamie Lomas, Michael McKell and Gray O'Brien in a nationwide theatre tour of Peter James's "Dead Simple".
Music
Alongside his acting career, he is an established songwriter and is currently working on/arranging material for himself and other well-known performance artists.
Other
He was part of Team Emmerdale who in August 2011 completed an Extreme Cycle Challenge, cycling 224 miles in less than 24 hours, from Emmerdale to EastEnders, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.[1]
He has also taken part in the Great Manchester Cycle and Ride London as part of the LLRunstoppable team which supports Bloodwise.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Without Walls | Witness (Lead) | Short film |
| 2010 | The Duel | Atchmianov | Feature Film |
TV
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | C-JAQ | Jake | 10 part series |
| 2007 | Consent | Shiv | Drama |
| 2009 | FM | James | 1 episode: Video Killed the Radio Star |
| Torchwood | Dr. Rupesh Patanjali | Series 3 Children of Earth: Day One | |
| 2009–2013, 2015–2016 | Emmerdale | Nikhil Sharma | Series regular |
| 2010 | Foyle's War | Simon Rothstein | 1 episode: The Hide |