Junade Khan, now a regular on Coronation Street as hunky businessman Idris Nazir, spent eight years driving a bus while pursuing acting on the side. Despite landing roles in Game of Thrones and Hollyoaks, he nearly gave up acting entirely last year. At 44, he was ready to quit, but his agent's encouragement kept him going.
From Bus Driver to Soap Star
Khan, who previously played a Dothraki Bloodrider in Game of Thrones, had been driving a bus for eight years while taking small acting jobs. He sent his agent an email last year saying he would quit, but his agent told him to keep going. “If it wasn’t for him, I would definitely have given up,” Khan said. He quit his bus driving job in March 2024 after receiving the offer from Coronation Street.
Family of Rising Stars
Ironically, while Khan’s career stalled, his children became successful actors. His eight-year-old daughter Alara-Star has appeared in a Ridley Scott film and an upcoming Angelina Jolie movie, while his five-year-old son Pacino has been in a Marvel film and the TV series Waffle the Wonder Dog. Khan’s children would ask him, “Daddy, are you really an actor? We thought you were an actor, but we’re the ones getting all the jobs!”
Idris Nazir's Dark Side
Khan arrived on the cobbles in May as Idris Nazir, cousin of lawyer Alya Nazir. Idris is a businessman who catches the eye of Tracy Barlow and Mary Taylor before starting a romance with Leanne Battersby. Upcoming scenes reveal a ruthless side when Idris is revealed as Abi Webster’s landlord. Abi’s son Alfie is rushed to hospital due to mould in his bedroom. Khan explains: “Idris has bought properties from a dodgy guy and not done a survey... He apologises and wants to put it right, but it’s too little too late.”
Kidnapping Plot
Idris persuades teenager Brody Michaelis to help him kidnap the property seller. Khan says: “They stick him in the car, take him to wasteland and threaten him and Brody hits him. He gets Brody to do his dirty work, so that his own hands are clean.” However, Khan notes Idris has a human side: “He really likes Brody and pays him well. He loves Leanne and he’s also very good with her stepson Sam.”
Early Career and Near Misses
Khan’s first acting role came in 2007 in the Asian comedy series My Life as a Popat. He previously played Rosie Webster’s boyfriend Saj on Coronation Street in 2008. Nine years ago, he screen-tested for the role of solicitor Imran Habeeb but lost to Charlie De Melo. “I was really gutted... I was working in a call centre at the time; I absolutely hated it,” he recalled. He even bought a Coronation Street magnet, which he remembered only after his screen test for Idris, calling it “a full-circle moment.”
Game of Thrones and Bus Driving
After his Game of Thrones role, a fellow Dothraki warrior boarded his bus and was shocked to see him driving. Khan said: “She just could not believe that a fellow warrior was driving a bus.” His last job before Idris was playing a policeman in two episodes of Emmerdale in 2023. When he received his first seven episodes of Corrie, he panicked, but his wife encouraged him.
Dream Come True
Khan, who lives in Beckenham with his wife Gem, who runs a children’s drama school, said: “I appreciate this role ten times more, because I know how difficult it is out there to get a job that’s for more than six months. It’s the friendliest place I’ve ever worked, so it’s been worth the wait. I’m glad I never gave up. It’s like a dream come true.”
Coronation Street airs weekdays on ITV at 8:30 PM and ITVX at 7 AM.
