Netflix fans have been having trouble watching Adeel Akhtar in Fool Me Once (Picture: Netflix)
Netflix fans are struggling to take Adeel Akhtar seriously when watching Fool Me Once because of one of his past roles.
The new thriller series, which stars Michelle Keegan, Joanna Lumley and Richard Armitage, has been a huge hit since being released on the streaming platform last week.
It follows ex-military pilot Maya Stern (Michelle) who believes she sees her dead husband on her nanny-cam, setting in action a shocking string of events as she attempts to piece together the mystery.
The murder investigation is led by DS Sami Kierce, but despite the dark role, viewers have been finding it hard to separate the actor from his past appearance in comedy film Four Lions.
Released in 2010, the film told the story of a group of radicalised young British Muslim men who aspire to be suicide bombers.
In it, the actor played Faisal, who famously took centre stage in the “Can I have 12 bottles of bleach” scene in which he attempted to master the art of going undercover.
He previously starred in the 2010 dark comedy movie Four Lions (Picture: Warp/Kobal/Shutterstock)
But over a decade on, and despite one role being a strait-laced cop and another a terrorist, fans of the film said they couldn’t take the actor ‘seriously’ based on his past role.
‘Just started Fool Me Once on Netflix. Michelle Keegan’s new one. Immediately recognised detective Kierce is Brother Faisal from Four Lions. Can’t take him seriously as a detective now,’ one person posted on X.
‘I haven’t been able to take the police man in Fool Me Once seriously since I realised it’s brother Faisal from Four Lines,’ someone else shared.
It’s been over a decade since the actor played the wannabe suicide bomber (Picture: Ash Knotek/Shutterstock)
‘Am I the only one who saw Fool Me Once on and can’t take DS Sami Kierce seriously yet again as I keep remembering him as Faisal from Four Lions,’ another person added.
Many people shared their thoughts about seeing him on the new thriller on social media (Picture: X)
Lots of people couldn’t help but remember his past role (Picture: X)
They clearly loved recalling details of the 2010 movie(Picture: X)
As well as starring in Four Lions, Adeel won a BAFTA in 2016 for his performance in the 2016 film Murdered By My Father, and has also had roles in Ali and Ava, Killing Eve, Sherwood and Sweet Tooth.
Based on the 2016 Harlan Coben novel of the same name, Fool Me Once is the latest of his books to be adapted for the streaming service, following the likes of shows like The Stranger and Stay Close.
When it was released, viewers were instantly hooked, with some sharing they were debating calling in sick to work to be able to binge the entire series.
Fool Me Once is streaming on Netflix.
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Many have struggled to shake the actor’s past role.