Souad Faress

Who is Souad Faress?

Souad Faress is a stage, radio, television and film actress. Born in Ghana to Irish and Syrian parents, she is now best known within the United Kingdom for her portrayal of the solicitor Usha Gupta, in the long-running BBC Radio 4 serial The Archers.

She appeared in two episodes of the BBC serial I, Claudius as a slave girl and as a dancer who at Messalina's marriage party realises troops are coming to arrest them. In another early BBC appearance, she played the character Selma in the Blake's 7 episode 'Horizon'. Since then, Faress has had substantial roles in films such as My Beautiful Laundrette and Sixth Happiness, as well as much stage work around the UK.

In October 2001 she appeared briefly in Coronation Street as Dev Alahan's mother Umila.

She has been exploring playwriting as a medium since before 2004.

Souad Faress also appeared as the Old Rani in The Sarah Jane Adventures serial The Mad Woman in the Attic in October 2009.

She currently plays Jay Faldren's grandmother Maryam Shakiba in Casualty.

Faress appeared in an episode of popular nursing drama No Angels as lead character, Anji Mittel's aunt Di. Faress appeared briefly as a hospital doctor in "The Dead of Jericho", the first episode of Morse.