Zain Iqbal

Over the course of our conversation, Zain drifts between memory and imagination with ease. He speaks of the grandfather he never met but still longs to know, of childhood dreams that involved driving a bin truck through the streets, and of the films that quietly planted the seed for a career he never expected to pursue. Acting fell into his lap as a curiosity while watching Game of Thrones, and eventually grew into something life-changing.

That same quiet sense of wonder has shaped his portrayal of Ravi in Netflix’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. In season two, Ravi stands at the threshold between the person grief made him and the person he hopes to become. Though brighter and more open than before, he still carries the echoes of the past beneath every smile. Zain inhabits those contradictions beautifully, revealing a character who is learning that healing is rarely a straight path and that love does not erase pain, but teaches us how to live alongside it.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder season two is out now on Netflix.

My first question for you is, how would your friends and family describe Zain Iqbal?
The absolute best person in the world…I don’t know. [laughs] No, I would have to guess that they would probably describe me as kind and generous. I never really thought about it. I would also have to say that I am quiet and reserved.

I like reserved! Who are three people, dead or alive, that you would love to have dinner with, and what meal would you want everyone to share?
Muhammad Ali is one of them. And my mum’s dad, my granddad. I never met him. I've always wanted to know what he was like. I’d also choose Marlon Brando, actually. We’d share a pizza.

You cannot go wrong with a pizza. No notes. What has been your earliest memory of wanting to act? Was there a specific moment you could trace it back to?
I started when I was twenty-one, but I think about this sometimes. I have loved films since I was young, but I don't know if I ever had the desire to act when I was little. I just decided one day that I wanted to try it. I remember watching Game of Thrones one day and thinking, I just want to try this and see if I enjoy it.

Wow! That’s an intense show. It's really interesting that you just decided to give it a go!
Yeah, I watched a lot of films when I was little. I loved Spider-Man and Harry Potter. But it wasn’t something I wanted to try as a kid.

Before acting felt like a real possibility, do you remember what you wanted to do as a job? What was your first dream job?
My mum told me that I wanted to be a bin man. I had a little toy bin truck. It had the little cans that you could put on the truck.

Aw, I love that. What was your most embarrassing childhood phase? Do you ever look back and think, Oh my goodness, I cannot believe I did that?
I used to put a lot of gel in my hair. When I was really little, around seven years old, I put a ton of gel in my hair for school. That’s one of many embarrassing phases! It’s the only one I can think of right now.

If you could swap lives with any fictional character for 24 hours, who would you choose?
Sherlock Holmes, I think.

That's a great answer! I also want to talk about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and your character, Ravi. I have such a soft spot for Ravi. I remember watching him in the first season, thinking, He's such a sweet soul. He really came into his own a little bit more this season, too. If Ravi had a Spotify playlist, what would be the first song on it?
Hmm… I would say “Umbrella” by Rihanna.

How did you prepare to dive into season two?
I read all sorts of material. I read the book twice, read the scripts, and thought about how Ravi and the world around him change from the end of season one to season two. Then I just went with the flow and walked onto the set without thinking too much.

Do you feel like there’s a part of Ravi that lives in you, and is there a part that couldn’t be further away from you?
Certain parts, yeah. I think I'm quite witty. Ravi can be quite funny, too. But there are also many sides to Ravi. He can also be quiet, and he's very to himself. I can also be like that, you know?

There is a quiet loneliness to Ravi, and I feel like part of that is because his character goes through a very traumatic life event, and he's very tethered to the small town. Was there something that you consciously wanted to emphasise in your performance for the audience to pick up on?
In season two, he is out there in the world, happy and doing his thing. He’s living his life to the max. He is also holding a lot of tension and history from everything that happened to him. He’s been through very deep and scary things. I tried to let the audience see moments of that tension. And that is part of why he pushes Pip so much to go ahead and help Connor find his brother. He can relate so much.

I love Ravi and Pip. They're so cute. One of his most vulnerable moments in season two is when he's standing in front of the group at the memorial, and he's like, “I wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for the girl I love.” I thought that was so revealing of his character. How do you think Pip changes the course of Ravi’s life in season two?
I think they go through a lot of challenges, which ultimately lead them to figure each other out more and create more trust between them. Their challenges bring them closer together, you know?

Yeah, of course, I agree. What is your favourite memory while filming the last two seasons? This can be on set or something that happened off-set that was special to you?
I loved the car chase. I really enjoyed that. It was very new to me. I've never really done a stunt on that level. Also, the speech was a new challenge for me. That was something new that I've never done before. They had 130 extras in front. Normally, we have extras in restaurant scenes where they are eating and doing their own thing, but this was a speech where everyone was there with a candle. It was a good challenge for me. I learned a lot from that.

Also, for season one, I think of the pancake scene. I love the pancake scene. I didn't eat dinner the night before or breakfast on the day, I just waited for the pancakes. When they did the wide shot, I took a couple of pancakes, but as soon as they did the mid shot, I just started stuffing them down my throat. That was fun.

I mean, that sounds perfect to me. Pancakes are the best.
They put loads of butter and syrup on so they wouldn’t be dry.

What is a smell that instantly reminds you of home? I have a roommate, and she always cooks lemon chicken, so mine would be a food.
Incense. I love incense. It’s very relaxing. It’s so strong that it overpowers anything if you cook.

Yes! What conspiracy theory would you invent just for fun?
I think dogs know everything that's going on, keep track of all information, and know exactly what we say. I think they know everything.

I like that. I would buy into that. If you could go back in time and relive any day from your life, what day would you choose?
I would like to go back to where my little brother was born, because I think I was too young. We have a two-year gap. I would like to go back and see what it was like, or the emotions it would bring. Also, when you're so young, you can't understand what's going on.