Ricky Sekhon has been cast as a "terrorist, drug dealer, drug addict, heavy, henchman, large man, very tall man", a list of roles that would imply he'd been type cast largely on his appearance as a 6ft4 man of Indian descent. "I think it's something to do with how I look," he said.

Sekhon is currently appearing in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty as Osama bin Laden, a role that is unsurprisingly pressured and delicate ground to tread. He spoke to the New York Post about the challenges he faced in the role.

"There were a few sleepless nights, to say the least," he said. "I don't care how much confidence you have, hearing news like that will really put the s**t into you if you're planning on taking it seriously, which I was." 

It's that dedication, and understanding the importance of the story that he keeps close to his work ethic in acting. "I think it's a story that wanted and needed to be told," he said. "I think it's important to explore, with honesty, the history of war, politics and culture through literature, film, TV and debate so that we can continue to learn from our mistakes and evolve as a society."