On Friday nights, the Rahim family gathers around the television with a singular focus: unravelling CSI’s latest murder mystery. Throughout the show's twists and turns, each family member takes their turn to wear the hat of the detective, crafting wide-ranging theories on the identity of the killer.
"The forensics don't lie; his fingerprints are on the murder weapon.”
"But there's no way he could have been at the scene of the crime.”
“He looked pretty nervous in the interrogation room. Why be so nervous if you’ve got nothing to hide?”
For all the theories being thrown around the room, there is someone who quietly absorbs the scenes with a vigilant gaze. That person is Taha, the elder of two siblings in the Rahim’s close-knit family of four. Long known as an astute observer with an analytical mind, Taha reaches his verdict with a certainty the others lack.
"That's the killer," Taha says with steely confidence.
"How can you be so sure?” His Dad asks. “We've only been watching for 20 minutes.”
"I just know that guy is the killer.”.
And sure enough, almost as though he should be wearing a spoiler alert around his neck, Taha's inclination is proved correct. A modern day Sherlock Holmes, minus the pipe and deerstalker hat, you would assume that Taha, now 30, would be the crown jewel of Scotland Yard, but you would be wrong in this assumption. Taha has instead pursued something much more difficult than solving cold cases, he has become an actor.
Though the parallels between acting and crime solving may seem faint, a closer look reveals that there are some similarities. Both require keen observational skills, the ability to discern clues, and the art of revealing these insights to others. For Taha, who was born deaf, these skills come as second nature. For as long as he can remember, his mind has operated with hyper focussed attention towards the subtlety of non-verbal communication.
As he sits down to talk to me now about his late journey into acting, he gleams with pride at how his mind works, laughing at the hypothetical toss up between being an actor or a detective. Yet, he is also quick to remind me that his world did not always feel like one of such broad possibilities.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Ollie: Talk to me about your earliest memories, what scenes play out for you when you think about your childhood?
Taha: When I was a kid I didn’t understand how the world was. All I could hear was blank noise. I didn’t understand what people were saying, but I always watched very carefully what they were doing. I would see facial expressions and body language and then relate it to behaviour. A typical Indian or Muslim household has certain hand gestures and movements for certain things. I started to mimic these movements as a kid which was something that I often got in trouble for.
Did you always find that you had an impulse to perform?
Taha: Yes. Even when I watched cartoons and shows like CSI as a kid, I would mimic the actions of the actors in the mirror afterwards. I liked playing out scenes and expressions of the characters when they cracked the case. I wasn’t thinking about acting at the time, it was just something I enjoyed.
As he reminisces about these moments from his childhood, Taha slips effortlessly into some of the characters he recalls. With a simple shift of his body, he becomes a detective improvising dialogue and physical gestures, all while offering insightful commentary. His readiness to perform reveals a theatrical mindset that is always in gear, ready to propel into action at any given moment.
Taha: When I see these characters I realize I want to act. I enjoy shifting personalities, it is something that I find therapeutic. This is why I wanted to try acting — I want to have the tools to explore these possibilities a bit more.
It seemed quite natural for you to get into character. When did you actually start acting?
Taha: I didn’t actually start acting until I was about 26. After I graduated from university I wasn’t really sure of what to do. I worked some local laboring jobs first just to earn some money, but I gradually realized I wanted to work in film or television.
I tried to secure a job in the film industry for five years before I even tried acting. I applied to be a production assistant, a runner, anything film-related, but I kept getting rejected. Eventually, I thought I’d try acting just because it interested me.
Tell me about the first time you actually tried out acting. Where did you go to try it out?
Taha: The first acting class I took was in March 2020. I had to wake up at 4 AM to travel up to London from Portsmouth. The train was very slow which gave me a lot of time to think. As I actually approached Leicester Square where the acting class was I was shuddering with nerves – I had never done anything like this before!
I did start to relax once the class actually started and I realized that people were very friendly and welcoming.
What sort of things did you have to do in the class?
Taha: It was mostly exercises to help us get out of our own way and feel comfortable in performing. Then they gave us short scenes to play out which I enjoyed.
Can you remember any particular scenes from that day?
Taha: Oh it was so long ago, but there is one scene I do remember. I had to play the villain in a scene which is something I really loved doing. I’ve always been an empathic person trying my best to understand the people around me, so I think a lot about why villains are the way they are – they are very intriguing. They also have an intimacy that really interests me.
Eager to illustrate the duality of his personality, Taha morphs into the character,furrowing his brow into a menacing expression. He then glances up at me nonchalantly as he delivers a chilling threat.
“This is a present for my Dad…” He says before holding an ominous pause. “It’s a knife.”
Before I have the chance to respond, his labrador smile returns with an eagerness to hear my feedback. In this moment I notice how intentional Taha can be in the way he acts and speaks — always seeking to elicit new expressions and ideas. Just like that little kid mimicking his family, he remains a provocateur.
With your hearing impairment, were there any moments you found difficult to follow in the class?
Taha: There weren’t particular accessibility aids for deaf people in the class, but that didn’t matter to me. Occasionally I would have to ask people to repeat stuff, but that wasn't a problem. I actually wanted to learn in my own way and show that I can do this as well as anyone else.
I recall you mentioning that your mum is also deaf. What does she think about you trying acting?
Taha: At first my mum had some doubts about acting. When my mum was younger it was different — people were aware of deafness but they weren’t as supportive. She emigrated from Tanzania to the UK to get more support for her deafness so she is aware of how challenging certain environments can be for deaf people. She has still always been very supportive of me and I do understand why she had some doubts. When we spoke about it I told her that attitudes around deafness in acting had changed — we have more representation now.
The timing of Taha’s decision to try acting arrives in a moment when deaf actors are starting to become more prominent across film and television. Award winning films such as CODA and The Sound of Metal have centred on performances from deaf actors, highlighting unique stories that reveal experiences relating to deafness. The Netflix series Sex Education also has prominent storylines around deafness with deaf actor, Alexandra James joining the cast for season 3. Her character, Aisha Green, portrays a high school student whose frustration mounts as her friends consistently misunderstand her deafness.
What did you think about the storyline of the deaf actor in Sex Education?
Taha: It’s really impactful to see deaf actors in big roles. When I see the deaf character in Sex Education ask a friend to repeat what they said because they didn’t hear, and then they just get told not to worry about it, I thought that’s accurate. It shows a story of what only we can understand. I like the fact that other people can see us and I hope it inspires more deaf people to try acting.
Taha Rahim staring in Sean Mcgrath’s Lis Uhn. Images: Sean Mcgrath
After his acting class, Taha returned to Portsmouth with a sense that the world was a little bigger. Acting had transitioned from a fleeting idea to a tangible reality. Eager to showcase his talent at the next class, Taha continued to practise acting exercises at home. However, his aspirations took a gut-wrenching blow as the world was hit with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic just two weeks after his first acting class. With no opportunity to attend a second class, Taha found himself contemplating the false start to his acting career.
As the world sank into lockdown, Taha was determined to stay afloat, kicking hard to keep his dream alive. His creative flair was at a fever pitch, so he sought to produce his own homemade content, using Tik Tok as an avenue to express himself. Inspired by other actors using the online medium to make homemade content, Taha quickly found a groove on the platform, finding that his naturally charismatic and expressive demeanour was suited to the dancing and lip-syncing trends that were dominating the platform. The content seemed trivial, but Taha was full of motivation so he churned out the videos, quickly amassing 15,000 followers on the platform.
TikTok was actually how I was first introduced to Taha through a mutual friend of ours. I had recently experienced a similar situation to Taha, having my introduction to stand up comedy evaporate as the pandemic set in. It was such a frustrating experience to finally find a space to flourish, only for it to be withdrawn before you had even got started. I also felt an urgency to keep up my momentum so I, too, was trying to create online content that scratched my comedic itch. My big idea was creating my own Youtube chat show that featured monologues and skits that reflected the new lockdown living. I was watching a lot of Monty Python and Saturday Night Live clips, but I found it quite difficult to create comedy in the vacuum of my own company. Whenever I felt disheartened or frustrated with what I was trying to make, I would take strength from Taha’s regular posting as his dedication seemed unwavering in spite of the circumstance. We were kindred spirits, driving each other forward—an invaluable support system that I deeply appreciated. However, I do have to remind myself that while it was a good opportunity to try something new, the work we created during the pandemic wasn’t always our best.
Let’s talk about the videos we were both making during the pandemic. Do you look back at them fondly?
Taha: Oh my god, you cannot forget the horror of the pandemic. Everyone was trying things, doing TikTok and YouTube videos in an attempt to put ourselves out there. It did allow people to continue learning about themselves creatively, but looking back at some of the videos I made makes me question what I was thinking?
What videos embarrassed you the most?
Taha: The dancing videos for sure. I cringe so much when I see them! I debated whether to delete TikTok for a while. The problem was that the more followers I got, the more I felt pressured to make videos in a certain way. I look like a bloody idiot when I dance in videos and it actually made me feel like I was moving away from being an actor.
Taha tried to supplement the dancing videos with more serious content, drawing from his acting training, but he discovered that they didn't receive the same level of attention as when he adhered to the video trends on the platform. Like many social media platforms, TikTok is designed to dictate the agenda through algorithmic control — you either bend to its will or your video remains in obscurity. In an interview with Wired, online talent manager, Ursus Magana shed light on the frenetic formula for gaming social media algorithms. Magana states that all talent managers and agencies, including himself, will deliver clients packages detailing the trending memes, songs and audio-bits they should be recreating to maximize their chances of breaking into social media algorithms. For some, this method becomes a reliable way to gain visibility, but for others like Taha, TikTok became a distraction that diverted them away from creating unique and impactful work that they believed in
Was it a difficult decision when you finally decided to delete Tiktok?
Taha: At first, yes, but it started to make me feel too anxious, so deleting it actually lifted a massive weight off of me. After I made that decision I had no regrets.
***
With his dancing and lip-syncing videos firmly behind him, Taha pushed himself to find agencies that could help him get professional acting roles. During this time, Taha worked with this dad at the local pharmacy, putting medicine into boxes. The flexibility allowed him to put himself forward for roles, but he rarely found himself getting offered auditions. The feeling of disappointment felt all too familiar, taking Taha back to his initial attempt to break into the industry through production roles in his early twenties.
Did you ever consider quitting acting?
Taha: I’ve told my dad that I consider quitting acting but he doesn’t allow me to. He reminds me that life is tough and that we have to keep going.
Well it’s a good thing you didn’t quit because you would have never got the role in the ITV drama. How did that offer first come about?
Taha: I reached out to someone I met in that first acting class that I did before the pandemic happened and they suggested a new agency that had a good track record of helping people with disabilities get roles in film and TV. After I submitted my application with a headshot, they got back to me very quickly with auditions which felt good.
I did a few other auditions before I got the offer to do one for the ITV drama. I thought it was a bit of a longshot, but I thought I’d just try and see what happens.
Given that DI Ray is a detective drama, I think you owe it to the little boy who played the role of the homicide detective in the mirror at home! Were you surprised when you were offered the audition?
Taha: It was all so strange. I didn’t expect to get the audition because of my experience level, but I did my best to focus on my lines and what I needed to do. There was also a train strike which didn’t help – I had to take a bus up to London which took even longer!
When I went to the audition I was really nervous and I was thrown off when the director asked me to read lines I hadn't prepared for. I took my time and tried my best to do what the director asked and then I was done, I left the room and that was it. Afterwards I met up with my old university friends for a night out and then I went back home and waited to hear back from the producers about the role.
Upon returning to Portsmouth, Taha wasn’t sure what he had really gained from his latest trip to the capital other than a hangover. After a good sleep, it was back to the drawing board — putting himself forward for more auditions and starting to think about writing some of his own scripts. Just as he started to get the feelers out for the next opportunity, Taha got a surprise email telling him he had got the role in the ITV drama.
What did it feel like when you actually got the role in DI Ray?
Taha: I was so shocked. I was in tears and my family were so psyched about it. They were over the moon. I’m the only person in my family to pursue acting. When they finally found out they were so excited. I couldn’t tell them much about it, but they were so excited.
I was quite secretive about the role. I only told my immediate family about it. I didn’t want to tell anyone else until the contract was signed. The secret led to my cousin texting me to ask why I declined an invitation to his wedding. It clashed with filming and I thought fucking hell, I’m going to have to tell him now. When he heard, he said go for it! Do not come to the wedding!
Taha started filming in April 2023, on a real film set, surrounded by production teams and actors — something that had long seemed impossible outside of his dreams. All the years spent in the uncertainty of isolation, and caught in the entanglements of false starts, this was the first time that Taha could see through to the world that he had been chasing.
Taha Rahim staring in Sean Mcgrath’s Lis Uhn. Image: Sean Mcgrath
I bet you’re excited for when the show comes out. How do you think it’ll feel to see yourself on TV?
Taha: I’m nervous to see myself on screen — I don’t think I’ll recognize myself. There’s been a lot of difficult moments, but I’m glad I stuck with my choice. I want to reach the top of the mountain so I’ll keep going. I already feel wiser than when I started doing this, and I’m lucky to have love and support from family and friends and I trust that they will keep pushing me through.
Where do you think you’ll watch it?
Taha: I’ll watch the show here in the living room with my parents. We just bought a big flatscreen TV so it’s perfect timing. My dad says when the show airs, we’ll invite the whole family to the house to watch it together.