THE RISE & RISE OF RIZ
The British actor is having a major moment
Riz Ahmed has spent much of his acting career being discovered. Some critics and fans caught on to him in his early roles, like 2008 British indie film Shifty, or in Charlie Brooker-scripted TV series Dead Set, which imagined a zombie outbreak in the Big Brother house. Others embraced him two years later, when he starred in Chris Morris’ darkly satirical British comedy Four Lions.
But Riz was still picking up “breakthrough actor” nominations – at the Gotham Awards, for example – when, in 2014, he starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the brilliant US indie film Nightcrawler. In 2017, Empire magazine nominated him “Best Male Newcomer” for Star Wars spin-off Rogue One.
Now, 15 years into a rich and varied screen-acting career, the Wembley-born 38 year old is finally no longer on the verge. After earning extra respect for his activism – which saw him give a speech at the House of Commons, addressing lack of diversity in film and television – the actor is achieving critical kudos, gaining stature in the film industry and a burgeoning affection from audiences – all combining to finally give him the success he’s deserved for so long.
DOUBLE THREAT
If Riz is basking in glory right now, that’s due in no small part to his latest two film roles, both passion projects. One, Mogul Mowgli, explicitly trades on his British-pakistani heritage. The other, US indie Sound Of Metal, does not. But both showcase a quality that has become his trademark: vulnerability. In Mogul Mowgli, which Riz co-wrote and produced, he stars as a rap artist who is forced to reckon with his British Muslim heritage when he becomes seriously ill on the eve of a tour. In Sound Of Metal, he plays a heavy metal drummer who suddenly loses his hearing and discovers who he really is.
Both performances feel fully anchored. Since the late ’90s, the actor has enjoyed a parallel career as a musician under the name Riz MC and as one half of Swet Shop Boys – Mogul Mowgli takes its name from a song by the latter act. To play drummer Ruben in Sound Of Metal, Riz spent seven months learning both metal drumming and American Sign Language.
“Riz is straightup and laser
focused,” comments casting director Dan Hubbard, who cast the actor in British indie film Ill Manors, and also in Jason Bourne, the final film in the spy franchise. “I don’t think there is any actor like him, in how he approaches his roles – the level of dedication, intensity and presence.”
Says Sound Of Metal writerdirector Darius Marder, “His way of approaching work and life is not about comfort or plugging in things that worked in the past. It’s always about discovery and growth. That’s a rare quality that marks the very great actors and artists. He had to relinquish control, and he really engaged in a process of deep vulnerability.”
AWARDS ACCOLADES
Vulnerability – it’s a quality that Riz was not afraid to showcase in 2016 TV miniseries The Night Of, in which he played a college student whose life comes crashing down when events conspire to make him a very guilty-looking murder suspect. Tellingly, that’s the role that has won him his most prestigious awards recognition so far, scooping him an Emmy for Best Actor. Riz was also Emmy-nominated for playing a surf instructor and love interest in Lena Dunham’s Girls – seeing him gain a whole load more fans. But now has come Sound Of Metal – for which he has been nominated for BAFTA, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards, and for which he’s already won the Gotham for Best Actor. It’s affirmation for a performance of deep commitment and impact.
Whatever happens next this awards season, the success of Sound Of Metal means that Hollywood producers and financiers will already have recalibrated their assessment of Riz Ahmed. And that could mean his career is about to change again: not just lead roles in indie films and supporting parts in movie franchises, but the kind of major opportunities already available to the likes of his former co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Matt Damon.
Casting director Shaheen Baig, who cast Riz in 2009 BBC drama Freefall, reflects on the secret to his slow-burn success. “Riz has played a really smart long game,” she says. “Actively saying no to roles that wouldn’t challenge him, saying no to roles that perpetuated stereotypes. He is curating his career with a huge amount of care – always questioning, always looking for something different. His choices are consistently surprising, refreshing, and his talent deepening. Riz has been having a moment for a while how – we just all caught up!”
‘There is no actor like him’
Sound Of Metal is available on Amazon Prime from 12 April and in cinemas from 17 May