Atta Yaqub (born 1979) is a Scottish model and actor of Pakistani/Punjabi descent. He played the lead role in the 2004 film Ae Fond Kiss....
Career
Yaqub was born in Glasgow to Pakistani parents in 1979. Yaqub began modelling as a teenager. He appeared in ads for The Royal Bank of Scotland and Cruise. He made his acting debut in Ken Loach's film Ae Fond Kiss where he played a Pakistani Muslim man who falls in love with an Irish Catholic woman. For his role he was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Newcomer.
He featured in Running in Traffic and Nina's Heavenly Delights. In 2011 he entered international cinema with the German film Fernes Land (Junction Point) and Sabiha Sumar's Rafina. In 2012 he joined the cast of the BBC Three drama Lip Service.
Personal life
Yaqub has a degree in IT management and also works as a counselor, advising drug addicts. He is a representative for the Goethe-Institut. He goes to schools around Scotland to promote the Show Racism The Red Card programme. He was also involved in the "One Scotland, Many Cultures" anti-racism campaign. Yaqub speaks English and Punjabi fluently as well as some Urdu and German. Yaqub was educated at Shawlands Academy, Glasgow.
In 2009, Yaqub criticised Prince Harry for making what he saw as prejudiced comments about Pakistanis and asked for a personal apology.