In the days leading up to Nikesh Patel’s Man About Town interview, rumour has it that Season 2 of The Devil’s Hour, Prime Video’s supernatural thriller, in which the British actor stars, is as terrifying, twisty and time-bending as the last. “The rumours are true,” he happily confirms, ahead of the show’s release in mid October. “Season 1 toyed with the audience's expectations. It sets out like a conventional crime thriller, only to turn all of that on its head when [complex antagonist] Gideon [Peter Capaldi] reveals his plan to Lucy in the final episode. Suddenly you realise the show is operating on a completely different level.”

The show, which premiered in 2022, follows Lucy Chambers (Jessica Raine), a social worker with one hell of a disrupted sleep schedule – she wakes up, every night, at 3.33am, aka The Devil’s Hour. The cause of her slumber disturbance? Visions haunting her, awaking her with force. DI Ravi Dhillon (Patel) finds himself entwined in her predicament – investigating a run of serious crimes with connection to the sights that infiltrate her mind. Initially viewing her as a routine witness or suspect, he soon realises the supernatural is at play, and becomes integral to cracking the enigmas that drive it.

And with Peter Capaldi at the project’s heart, and his former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat as its executive producer, it’s no surprise that the viewing experience is abundant in its potential to chill. It’s the type of show one can image fans of the genre revisiting and discovering for years to come – and sees Patel once again establishing himself as a dexterous player in yet another screen sphere. He’s perhaps best known for his rom-com contributions to date, as a central fixture of charming BBC/HBO comedy, Starstruck, led by Rose Matafeo. That journey in the genre is set to continue in 2025, as he joins Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley in Prime Video rom-com, Picture This. But for now, he’s dealing in the unexplainable.

Below, he talks The Devil’s Hour’s return, the toughest day on set this season, working with Capaldi and Moffat and why 10 Things I Hate About You takes the biscuit in his personal rom-com ranking…

Hey Nikesh! Congratulations on Season 2 of The Devil’s Hour. The show follows a woman who wakes up every night at 3.33am, aka The Devil’s Hour. Are you a good sleeper or easily awoken?  This would be a very different show if it was about me because I sleep like a log and I hardly ever remember my dreams. Gideon wouldn't be able to get through to me cos I'd just keep hitting snooze.
 
Rumour has it that Season 2 is even more intense than the last. What new sides will audiences see to DI Ravi Dhillon this series?  Ravi reluctantly gets involved in the hunt for Gideon, but he's a lot more conflicted this time. He's the investigating detective who's trying not to let his feelings for Lucy cloud his judgement. We also see flashes of a different life or "loop" where Ravi and Lucy are colleagues in the police force, and eventually become lovers. It was a lot of fun getting to play two different timelines for this season.
 
What was the toughest day on set this season?  Without giving too much away, the final episode is pretty full on. There's a pretty physical sequence which required a lot of commitment and a lot of grunting. It's definitely not an easy scene for Ravi, and I needed a lot of tea and toast on set that day.
  

The show is, of course, helmed by former Doctor Who and Sherlock showrunner, Steven Moffat. From the perspective of someone who has now worked with him for a couple of seasons – why do you think his work resonates so strongly with viewers?  He has a long and celebrated career making some incredible television - especially his work with Peter on Doctor Who. The Devil's Hour bears a lot of the hallmarks of what make his work great – intricate plots that audiences will love piecing together and highbrow concepts underpinned by characters you really care about.
 

We know you’ve also got a rom-com alongside Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley in the works. How did you find returning to the genre? 
Being part of Mindy Kaling's reimagining of Four Weddings and a Funeral, [in 2019], and Starstruck gave me a real appreciation for the genre. Rom-com fans are committed! Picture This has an exciting cast, including a lot of exciting British Asian talent, led by the wonderful Simone Ashley. And without giving too much away, I got to have fun with subverting expectations slightly this time around…
 
What rom-com would you say is the blueprint for getting the genre right?  
It's a more modern entry but I have a soft spot for 10 Things I Hate About You. Its two leads have sizzling chemistry, it's got a really great ensemble cast, and I like the fact that beneath its high school setting and teen drama is a really clever re-telling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
 
Finally, you’re ticking off one powerhouse performance after another at the moment. How would you sum up this point in your career? 
That's very kind of you to say. I would say I'm in a happy place right now of getting to follow my nose and do work that interests me. That feels like a privilege, because, as an actor, first and foremost, you've got to make sure you can pay the bills. Everything else is a bonus! I'd like to keep making choices that let me explore my range and try out new things.
 
The Devil’s Hour is out now on Prime Video

Photography by Barley Nimmo