Set to star in an upcoming nine-part BBC series called Englistan, the actor, rapper and activist, is also starring in Venom (as Riot) and a Western called The Sisters Brothers.
The thing about Riz Ahmed, British-Pakistani actor, activist - who also has an alternate career as a rapper and is a member of Swet Shop Boys – is that there’s no stopping him now and we adore the man as much for his talent as we do for his principles, which go hand in hand. Representing South Asian identity, he continues to speak about issues that matter including Islamophobia, gender representation even as his star is rising.
Having shot to global game in with The Night Of (2016), Riz starred as Nasir ‘Naz’ Khan, an American-Pakistani accused of murdering an American girl. His brilliant performance fetched him an Emmy Award and opened the world to his talent. Since then, he has featured on the cover of Time Magazine, starred in a Stars Wars film as well as in Jason Bourne and the final season of Lena Dunham’s Girls.
Speaking to GQ about his role in the upcoming nine-part BBC series Englistan, that is said to narrate the story of three generations of a British-Pakistani family over four decades, Riz said: “You get to a certain age where you think, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this myself!’”
When the announcement was rolled out, said Riz: “I’m excited to be working with Esther Springer and all the team at BBC Studios. Englistan is an untold British story with universal themes and resonance. It’s the story I always wanted to tell, and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to do so.”
While Englistan is in the works which he helped create in addition to starring in it, Riz will soon be seen in Venom, with the titular role being essayed by Tom Hardy. Riz will star as ‘Dr. Carlton Drake, who will become an evil symbiote known as Riot’. This was revealed at the recent edition of San Diego Comic-Con 2018 where co-stars Tom Hardy and Riz Ahmed were joined by director Ruben Fleischer.
In addition to Venom, as GQ reported, Riz will also star in the adaptation of Patrick deWitt’s Western, The Sisters Brothers, which also features Jake Gyllenhaal, John C Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix.
Riz Ahmed (whose stage name is Riz MC) released a solo mixtape called Englistan and is a member of music group, Swet Shop Boys, who released among other things, their first full-length album, Cashmere in 2016. It included the song ‘Aaja’ feat. Ali Sethi. He has also featured in the famous Hamilton Mixtape, and was a part of the song, ‘Immigrants, We Get the Job Done’, which rose to number one on the Billboard charts.
