Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Waris Hussein moved to England at age nine with his parents. He later attended Cambridge University, graduating with honors, and at 21 started as a trainee director at the BBC, where his mother, the late Attia Hussein, worked. In addition to reading news in Hindi, she was also the station's dramatic star--translating William Shakespeare in Urdu and Hindi--as well as an author. Young Hussein, too, was influenced by his mother's artistic abilities and knew very early on that he wanted to be a director. After starting in television with work on Doctor Who (1963) (including directing the very first episode, An Unearthly Child (1963)), Hussein moved on to film, directing such legends as Lord Laurence Olivier, Bette Davis and Dame Joan Plowright.

While considering himself a British filmmaker, Hussein has worked both sides of the Atlantic, as well as India.

He was producer <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/name/nm0622264/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">John Nathan-Turner</a>&#39;s first choice to direct the 20th anniversary special <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0123044/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">The Five Doctors (1983)</a>.

He was hired to direct <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0082362/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">The Fan (1981)</a>, but left three weeks before filming began due to reported &quot;artistic differences&quot;.

He was the first non-Caucasian director at the BBC in the early 1960s.

He directed the first <a class="ipc-md-link ipc-md-link--entity" href="/title/tt0056751/?ref_=nmtrv_trv">Doctor Who (1963)</a> serial when the original director quit.

Trivia

Waris Hussein

Contribute to this page

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed