Sunjay Midda plays Shadrach in new feature film Daniel and the Fiery Furnace opposite Mena Massoud as Daniel, and he reunited with the cast for the recent premiere in Tennessee, with the feature film written and directed by Daniel Kooman and Matthew Kooman. Earlier this year, Sunjay was seen in an episode of Silent Witness as DS Begum, with his other screen work including A Quiet Place: Day One in 2024, and for his first professional screen role, he played Shak Hanif in Doctors from 2015 to 2021. Also having stage experience, in 2025, Sunjay played Yusef in Providers at Brixton House, and previously, he played Omar in Cola Boy in Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Upcoming for Sunjay is feature film Solitary, in which he plays a lead role and directed by David Midell, a series regular role that he shot in Morocco and an episode of The Bay. Catching up with Sunjay, he chatted to us about new feature film Daniel and the Fiery Furnace (in which he plays Shadrach), his time as Shak Hanif in Doctors from 2015 to 2021 and playing Yusef in Providers last year.

Can you tell us about the new feature film Daniel and the Fiery Furnace, in which you play Shadrach, and who do you think the film will appeal to?

This is a film based on a biblical story set during the Babylonian captivity of Jerusalem around 605 BC. It’s a wonderful true story that many believe about faith and standing up for what you believe in and not compromising when others might. It definitely appeals to audiences of faith, but also many people who love cinema can expect an incredible cinematic spectacle and the story being relatable today. At its core, it’s about three friends – I play one of them, Shadrach – and them sticking together against all the odds.

With the film written and directed by Daniel Kooman and Matthew Kooman, how was it working with them and filming opposite Mena Massoud, who starred as Daniel?

It was a great collaborative experience working with the Koomans. They were open to ideas and suggestions that felt right in regards to the story and character. They approached the project with a huge amount of detail, intertwining the prophets of the Bible in the same time frame, and increased my knowledge of that time. They really helped create the world we were set to live in.

I’ve been a fan of Mena’s since Aladdin. It was, and is, such an iconic role that most South Asians and people of colour looked at in the Disney world with hope! He is a true gentleman, and we’re now very good friends and are in contact frequently. Watching him work was a joy, and it only raised my game.

How did you prepare for your role of Shadrach, and did you have a favourite aspect of playing him?

Physically I got pretty ‘jacked’ – haha. These boys are described as ‘incredibly wise, handsome, noblemen, and lacking physical defects’. I wanted to really find out what that meant, so I had prepared myself physically to be in the best shape possible. And to be fair, audience members have been picking up on it. I’ve received a lot of messages complimenting my physique for the role. I needed it to be noticeable because that would’ve been right of them during that time. There would’ve been a noticeable difference to others.

In regard to character preparation, I had a wonderful time digging deep into this world during that time. I had read and listened to the Bible all over again, from the first page up until this point because I needed a clear picture of how these boys grew up, finding out who their faith heroes were, delving into whether they expected the captivity, and investigating the prophecies that were given to them etc. I needed to get to know my character’s core and build from there.

I approach my roles with a lot of due diligence, time and really go deep on preparation. I usually fill a notebook out just on backstory! My own faith grew during this time because the story is so inspiring that you can only feel encouraged and a boost of standing firm on who you are from this story.

What was it like on set of Daniel and the Fiery Furnace, and how was it reuniting with the rest of the cast to attend the recent premiere in Tennessee?

Being on set was incredible. We shot in Rajasthan in India, and we had true historical places to shoot in and at. We were in the desert a lot, so it really just helped bring the world to life. No CGI was needed! I just had to feel the walls and it felt very much like we were living in a biblical age.

It was a wonderful feeling reuniting with the cast in Tennessee. I was shooting a series in Morocco, so I managed to carve out four days to attend and spend some quality time with the guys before heading back to Morocco to finish the project. It was great watching the film for the first time together with the cast. Some of us were holding onto each other during our scenes as we were moved by our performances!

How was it being involved with an episode of Silent Witness earlier this year as guest character DS Begum?

Brilliant. I’ve always wanted to play a detective, and I was able to bring that to life with DS Begum.

Silent Witness is an incredibly well-shot show, and as I’ve come from the world of soap with BBC One’s Doctors, I was always used to a very fast pace. Silent Witness moves at a slower speed, which allows you to take your time a bit more.

I worked with a great director, Tracy Rooney, who was precise and set a wonderful tone on set. Working with David Caves was exceptional. He’s such a gifted actor and an all-round great guy – not to mention that he’s built like an Adonis! And, of course, Emilia Fox. It was a true joy to work and learn from these established actors, and you get to understand why they’ve been able to do this for so long. Nothing but respect and admiration.

I’d love to do more stuff in Silent Witness as DS Begum. I felt like the brown Inspector Gadget/Sherlock Holmes!

How did you find the experience being in the cast of A Quiet Place: Day One in 2024?

This was my first time being on a huge Hollywood set, and I had the privilege of working opposite Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o. It fuelled my dreams being on that set, and my ‘juices’ for what I love overflowed. It was a moment to take in and savour the larger work to come for me.

For your first professional acting role, you played regular character Shak Hanif in Doctors throughout 2015 to 2021; do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked the show and what was it like developing Shak over the years?

I believe I cried with joy when I got the role! I was in a bit of limbo, between deciding whether to study acting further after college or not, and this was my first ever audition – and I booked it! I went straight into being a working actor immediately after finishing studying acting at college. I was just 19, and I learned on the job.

What was it like playing a regular character on a long-running medical soap opera, and how was it being a guest at The British Soap Awards?

I was so blessed to work on that show. It’s so unfortunate that it ended. It was so many actors’ first job, their breakout role. For me, I was entrusted with so many wonderful storylines to be part of by the producers and writers. I’m incredibly grateful to the show for allowing me to learn my craft on the job!

I grew so much as an actor and a human being. I was one of the younger actors on the show, and I was just a sponge around the experienced guys, to which I learned so much.

When I got my first invitation to the Soaps, I was BLOWN away. I remember telling everybody to tune into the Soaps to catch me on TV! It was an incredible experience, and I believe I experienced four of them!

Also, I used to get recognised so much by people who watched the show and received so much positive feedback. It was a beautiful feeling when people would spot me outside of filming and ask for pictures and autographs, and compliment my work. I was grateful to be bringing joy to their living rooms!

Last year, you played Yusef in Providers on stage at Brixton House; what did you enjoy most about performing with the production?

This was an incredible piece of writing by the incredible Ambreen Razia, and working with Synergy was a truly unique experience. What Synergy does is so inspiring, working with people of criminal justice experience.

This was just a pure, real and gritty experience. I was so blessed with this job to inspire many young people, and I got a lot of personal rave reviews for my performance.

I loved the role of Yusef because I understood his journey, having had Yusefs in my own life close to me. It was an incredible journey, and the writing ultimately helped bring this story to life so well. I remember reading the script for the first time, and I had to read it like seven times more because it really was so good.

A play about family, survival and doing our best to get by at its core. And, of course, it explores criminal activity themes. I’ve been asked to reprise the role, and if my schedule allows it, I’ll certainly do it again! I LOVE BRIXTON!

How was it taking on the role of Omar in Cola Boy at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2023?

Amazing. The Edinburgh Fringe is definitely something people need to tick off their bucket list. The vibe there is electrifying. So much creativity in the air, artistry, and people just wanting to tell their stories.

I had a lot of fun playing Omar because he brings the fear and energy in the play. Many people were shocked to meet me afterwards, realising I’m not quite that fearsome in real life. Haha, I’m a fun guy!

By the way, you never know who you’ll bump into at the Fringe. I bumped into and got a photo with Sam Mendes! Ryan Battles, the author of Cola Boy, is currently working on bringing it to a TV adaptation. Read the book if you haven’t already!

How different do you find acting on stage opposed to filming for screen, and how does it feel to be part of a range of projects, from British soaps to American films?

They are very different and require different skills that need to be applied, but ultimately, I love both. The main thing is that, on screen, you have to be more minimalistic and allow the eyes to do the work because the camera is so close! But with theatre, you can truly express with your body. But both require the same preparation, in my opinion. Both the camera and the stage do not lie – you have to be telling the truth.

I’m grateful to be travelling the world as an actor. Within the last 12 months, I’ve worked in Romania, India, America and Morocco. This has always been my dream: to travel and work as an actor.

Now that I’m stepping into American projects, the level rises for sure, but ultimately, art is a universal language. I love collaborating with directors from across the world and seeing how they work. I love learning new things, but also bringing who I am to a project and collaborating. I’ve always considered myself a traveller, and that’s exactly what I’m doing!

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

I had no industry connection and no understanding of the industry. All I had was a dream and supportive parents. One way or another, I made it happen. I went from school drop-out to starring in international films and TV.

I believe if you can dream it and work at it, you can achieve it. ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be’ – Matthew 6:21. I did it against all the odds. And guess what? So can you!

I have a mantra: ‘I’ll figure it out’.

How do you like to spend your free time?

In the gym, with family, playing football, watching football, watching plays, watching movies and shows (currently watching The Sopranos), listening to audiobooks, attending acting classes, and trying to not eat ice cream!

To eat or not to eat – asking myself this question regularly.

Do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about, and what are you hoping the next year brings you?

Yes! I have like four to five projects coming out – hopefully next year, without giving away too much due to NDAs.

I have a feature film called Solitary coming out, directed by the incredible David Midell. I’m a lead in this. I have a series regular role coming out that I just finished shooting in Morocco for a huge streaming platform that everyone knows (for Season 2 of a number-one show). I have an episode of The Bay coming out, and a couple of amazing shorts. And I’ll be on a flight soon enough again for my next project!

Thanks for your time 🙂

Follow Sunjay on:

Instagram