Riz Ahmed

In this ScreenFish 1on1 Interview, Riz Ahmed, who plays Hamlet in HAMLET, discusses what makes Shakespeare’s classic resonate across cultures and touch the universal human experience. He reflects on the personal insights and lessons he has gained from embodying Hamlet, exploring how the role challenges and transforms an actor. Riz also shares his thoughts on contemporary films that may endure for centuries, considering what makes stories timeless and why some narratives continue to connect deeply with audiences across generations. HAMLET is available in theatres on April 10th, 2026.

Today we’re joined by the multi-talented Riz Ahmed. Riz is not only an award-winning actor known for roles in films like Four Lions, Nightcrawler, Sound of Metal and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – he’s also a gifted musician, and a prominent voice for change in the film industry, frequently advocating for a more diverse range of stories and storytellers. Last year, he added screenwriter to his lengthy list of talents with the mesmerising Mogul Mowgli – a dark drama about a British-Pakistani rapper who suffers the sudden onset of a debilitating autoimmune disease. Zed – played by Ahmed – is a talented MC hungry for fame but growing disconnected from his roots, when illness sends him spiralling into a string of dangerous hallucinations, stalked every step of the way by a mysterious masked figure with links to Pakistan’s past. Co-written by director Bassam Tariq, the film won huge critical acclaim for its intimacy, imagination and ambition, innovatively weaving in songs from an accompanying concept album that Riz released roughly in tandem with Mogul Mowgli. In this episode, he tells us about his relationship with writing and the parts of his own life he brought to the screen in this deeply personal movie. We also talk about the film’s prescient echoes of the Covid-19 pandemic and why “our scars can be a road map to our creativity” as Riz so beautifully puts it. Do make sure you’ve seen Mogul Mowgli before listening in, as this is a spoiler-filled conversation exploring all of the movie’s major plot points. Once you have, come back and brace yourself for a fascinating insight into what for my money is one of the best movies of the past 12 months. Support for this episode comes from Screencraft , Caveday and WeScreenplay . Script Apart is hosted by Al Horner and produced by Kamil Dymek , with music from Stefan Bindley-Taylor. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram , or email us on thescriptapartpodcast@gmail.com. Get a free digital copy of the Script Apart Magazine by supporting us on Patreon ! 51 pages of interviews with great screenwriters, including exclusive conversations you won't find anywhere else. You can also now support the show on Ko-Fi . Support the show Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Oscar nominee & star of 'Venom', 'Star Wars: Rogue One', 'Four Lions' & most recently 'Sound of Metal' - Riz Ahmed - talks about representation, breaking through in the industry and being the 1st British South-Asian Muslim to be nominated for an Oscar! A very motivational episode for ethnic creatives out there!

Ira, Louis, and Aida discuss Trump’s failed coup and subsequent Twitter ban, Armie Hammer’s alleged bloodlust, Kamala Harris’ Vogue cover, reactions to Lori Harvey and Olivia Wilde’s new relationships, Fran Lebowitz’s Pretend It’s A City , and the Samantha-less Sex and the City reboot. Plus, Riz Ahmed joins to discuss his new film Sound of Metal and grappling with identity during a pandemic.

Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, director Darius Marder and Paul Raci join Dave Morales and Jon Stenvall on The Backstage Experience for this backstage look at the critically acclaimed movie SOUND OF METAL. Do we have our first Oscar contender on our hands? Dave and Jon share their thoughts on the film while the entire cast breaks down their experience working on the SOUND OF METAL. Some of the stories you can expect to hear in this episode: Riz Ahmed intentionally lost his hearing while filming. Olivia Cooke was absolutely terrified to perform on stage. Director Darius Marder admits why most actors were too afraid to take the role. Paul Raci shares his rags to riches story of going from a drug-addicted Vietnam veteran to an actor in Hollywood and eventually fronting a Black Sabbath cover band that performs in American Sign Language Our very own Jon Stenvall shares his personal experience of growing up with a mother who is deaf Plus we're giving away advance screening passes to see Gerard Butler's new movie Greenland BEFORE it's released to the public! Gerard even stops by on The Backstage Experience to preview his upcoming episode on the show on December 18. You don't want to miss out!

Actor, Activist, Rapper Riz Ahmed joined forces with filmmaker Bassam Tariq to bring us the timely film Mogul Mowgli. The film tells the story of Zed, a British Pakistani rapper, who decides to fly home to the UK to visit the family he has not seen in two years. Suddenly struck down by an autoimmune disease Zed descends into a physical and emotional crisis. Tackling self identity, from the UK to America Riz and Bassam spoke to TBB about the importance of taking ownership of our heritage and the importance of telling our stories ... Mogul Mowgli had its UK premiere at this year’s BFI London Film Festival. It comes to UK cinemas October 30th 2020. Find out more here .