Humayun Saeed Upon Landing His Role In The Crown

Humayun Saeed is bringing back one of history’s most controversial romances on screens in the upcoming fifth season of Netflix’s acclaimed drama series The Crown. The Pakistani superstar is set to play the role of Dr. Hasnat Khan, who made headlines for his romantic linkups with the Princess of Wales, Lady Diana.

Humayun Saeed shared his thoughts about achieving such a milestone.  “It started with a call from Hamid Hussain, who is now my talent agent. He used to manage Bollywood star Nargis Fakhri and I was in touch with him earlier to cast Nargis in my film. We had remained in touch since then. One evening I got a call from him and he informed me that there was a really important international project that he had in mind for me but I would need to send an audition for it. I only remember auditioning for the first few projects at the start of my career but I know this is a norm in the West and agreed to it.” 

He further added, “I sent my audition and, after this, I was asked to do an online reading with the director and then with Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Princess Diana in the new season. Things had moved really fast till this stage. However, after my reading with Elizabeth, I didn’t hear back from Hamid. I resigned myself to thinking that the role had gone to someone else. But then, on the tenth day, I got a call from Hamid and all he said was ‘Congratulations!’ Soon, I was in London, isolating for a week before my first day on set!”

While the then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s separation and divorce takes the center stage in the forthcoming installment, fans are eager to see Dr. Hasnat and Diana’s brief yet solid romance depicted in the show.

For the unversed, Dr. Hasnat was a heart surgeon at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, where he first met Princess Diana in 1995.

Saeed’s first glimpse as Dr. Hasnat was released weeks before the scheduled release date of the show and his transformation left fans and viewers of the show impressed.

The Crown season five will be streaming out on Netflix on Nov. 9.