Do we like Riz Ahmed?
Our score: 8 out of 10. A long record of backing trans people, Muslim creators and civilians in Gaza, with a thin spot on climate and no flags on how he treats people.
Riz Ahmed grew up in the part of London where Bait was filmed, and he has spent his career working through what it means to be British, Muslim, Pakistani and brown. He went from Four Lions and The Night Of to Sound of Metal. He also won an Academy Award in 2022 for the short film The Long Goodbye.
Bait is the other big story. It's a six-part series he created and stars in, about a British-Pakistani actor whose life falls apart after a failed Bond screen test becomes a media frenzy. It's partly based on his own life. He told The National “Self-hatred can be a great motivator, even if it's not a sustainable motivator.” It has earned him an Emmy nomination.
The good stuff is practical. In 2021 he launched the Blueprint for Muslim Inclusion, with $25,000 fellowships for early-career Muslim storytellers. It followed a study finding Muslim characters are rarely shown and often shown badly. He pointed to his own path, saying he couldn't have attended drama school without a scholarship and a private donation.