---
name: "Riz Ahmed"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/riz-ahmed"
fi1m_id: "riz-ahmed"
imdb_id: "nm1981893"
tmdb_id: 53240
wikidata_id: "Q1861917"
roles: ["Actor","Producer","Writer"]
born: "1 December 1982"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 17
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 16
updated: "2026-10-07T19:07:52.568110+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Riz Ahmed

## Identity

Riz Ahmed

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/riz-ahmed
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** riz-ahmed
- **IMDb ID:** nm1981893
- **TMDB ID:** 53240
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1861917
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riz_Ahmed, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1861917, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1981893/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/53240

Actor and producer. Born 1 December 1982 in Wembley, London, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Producer, Writer
- **Born:** 1 December 1982, Wembley, London, England, UK
- **Active:** 2007–present
- **Also known as:** Riz MC, Rizwan Ahmed
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 17: 16 acting, 1 producing
- **Frequently works with:** [Bassam Tariq](https://film.one/person/bassam-tariq.md), [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://film.one/person/jake-gyllenhaal.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 75, as actor, over 16 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 77 (2), 2010s 75 (8), 2020s 75 (7)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 75 to 71 across 15 titles
- **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 8 of 15 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 10, Comedy 6, Action 4, Adventure 4, Crime 4, Science Fiction 3
- **Screen time:** 22 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,436m across 9 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riz_Ahmed, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1861917, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1981893/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/53240

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Four Lions*](https://film.one/film/four-lions.md) (94), [*Sound of Metal*](https://film.one/film/sound-of-metal.md) (84), [*Bait*](https://film.one/tv/bait-2026.md) (81), [*Mogul Mowgli*](https://film.one/film/mogul-mowgli.md) (79), [*Dead Set*](https://film.one/tv/dead-set.md) (77), [*The Phoenician Scheme*](https://film.one/film/the-phoenician-scheme.md) (70)
- **Netflix:** [*Nightcrawler*](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md) (85), [*Nimona*](https://film.one/film/nimona.md) (74)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Night Of*](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md) (81)
- **AMC+:** [*The Sisters Brothers*](https://film.one/film/the-sisters-brothers.md) (78)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Shifty*](https://film.one/film/shifty.md) (77)
- **Disney+:** [*Rogue One: A Star Wars Story*](https://film.one/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story.md) (70)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Riz Ahmed

> Riz Ahmed makes the wish to be accepted look awkward, funny and worth caring about. *Bait* gives his vulnerability room to become comedy, and we would happily see more of him being this unreasonable.

Riz Ahmed lets Shah Latif look needy. In *Bait* (2026), he plays a struggling Muslim actor auditioning for James Bond, and makes the wish to win everyone’s approval embarrassing without losing our sympathy. It is a funny, uncomfortable performance, and the clearest reason we recommend the series despite its thinly written supporting relationships. We felt for Shah because an audition kept becoming a test of his right to belong, with his ability to do the job pushed aside.

The early satire of *Four Lions* (2010) was followed by American work in *Nightcrawler* (2014) and a dramatic lead in *The Night Of* (2016). In *Sound of Metal* (2020), he handles demanding physical and emotional changes with restraint. Across those shifts, he has repeatedly played men under pressure to fit somebody else’s expectations. Since 2020, he has combined acting with writing and producing on personal projects, including *Mogul Mowgli* (2020) and *Bait*.

The family scenes in *Bait* show how much Ahmed gains from being part of a comic ensemble. Guz Khan’s Zulfi gives him somebody to react to, and the comedy is livelier here than in the industry satire. Ahmed allows Shah to be foolish; he does not protect him by making him the only sensible person present. The writing, to which Ahmed contributes, is less generous to some of the other characters, whose underdeveloped relationships limit what they can tell us about Shah.

*The Phoenician Scheme* (2025) offers a useful caution about casting him without giving him much room. As Prince Farouk in Wes Anderson’s sequence of business encounters, Ahmed gets a place in the itinerary, but little opportunity for a person to emerge. Editor Barney Pilling keeps those visits brisk; the repeated arrival, negotiation and departure still become tiring. We would be wary of judging what Ahmed can do from so brief an appearance.

We would start with *Bait* for the actor who can make us care about somebody behaving badly. Our reservations about the supporting roles matter more because Ahmed is helping to write them. His next script could afford to give the people around him more to do.

## Biography

Riz Ahmed is a British actor and rapper, also credited as Riz MC. Born on 1 December 1982 in Wembley, London, he trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Ahmed began his screen career in independent films such as *The Road to Guantanamo* (2006), *Shifty* (2008), *Four Lions* (2010) and *The Reluctant Fundamentalist* (2012). His profile rose with *Nightcrawler* (2014), followed by roles in *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016), *Jason Bourne* (2016), *Venom* (2018) and *Sound of Metal* (2020). He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his lead performance in the miniseries *The Night Of* (2016).

Ahmed created, wrote and stars as Shah Latif in the series *Bait* (2026). He appears as Prince Farouk in the film *The Phoenician Scheme* (2025). He is a member of the hip-hop duo Swet Shop Boys.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, variety.com, moviefone.com.*

## On Fi1m (17)

### Performed in (16) — the average rests on these

- *Bait* (2026), Fi1m 81, as Shah Latif — [page](https://film.one/tv/bait-2026.md)
- *Digger* (2026), Fi1m 52, as Ganesh — [page](https://film.one/film/digger.md)
- *The Phoenician Scheme* (2025), Fi1m 70, as Prince Farouk — [page](https://film.one/film/the-phoenician-scheme.md)
- *Nimona* (2023), Fi1m 74, as Ballister Boldheart (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/nimona.md)
- *Mogul Mowgli* (2020), Fi1m 79, as Zed — [page](https://film.one/film/mogul-mowgli.md)
- *Sound of Metal* (2020), Fi1m 84, as Ruben Stone — [page](https://film.one/film/sound-of-metal.md)
- *The Sisters Brothers* (2018), Fi1m 78, as Hermann Kermit Warm — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sisters-brothers.md)
- *Venom* (2018), Fi1m 51, as Carlton Drake / Riot — [page](https://film.one/film/venom.md)
- *Jason Bourne* (2016), Fi1m 61, as Aaron Kalloor — [page](https://film.one/film/jason-bourne.md)
- *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016), Fi1m 70, as Bodhi Rook — [page](https://film.one/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story.md)
- *The Night Of* (2016), Fi1m 81, as Nasir 'Naz' Khan — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md)
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), Fi1m 85, as Rick — [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *Girls* (2012), Fi1m 82, as Paul-Louis — [page](https://film.one/tv/girls.md)
- *Four Lions* (2010), Fi1m 94, as Omar — [page](https://film.one/film/four-lions.md)
- *Dead Set* (2008), Fi1m 77, as Riq Rahman — [page](https://film.one/tv/dead-set.md)
- *Shifty* (2008), Fi1m 77, as Shifty — [page](https://film.one/film/shifty.md)

### Produced (1)

- *Flee* (2021), Fi1m 83, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/flee.md)

## Complete filmography (55)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Digger* (2026), as Ganesh — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/digger.md)
- *Bait* (2026), series, as Shah Latif · Executive Producer, Writer, Songs, Creator — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/bait-2026.md)
- *Hamlet* (2026), as Hamlet · Producer
- *Relay* (2025), as Ash
- *The Phoenician Scheme* (2025), as Prince Farouk — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-phoenician-scheme.md)
- *Defiance: Fighting the Far Right* (2024), series, Executive Producer
- *Fingernails* (2023), as Amir
- *Dammi* (2023), as Mounir
- *Nimona* (2023), as Ballister Boldheart (voice) — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/nimona.md)
- *Mustache* (2023), Executive Producer
- *Joyland* (2022), Executive Producer
- *You Resemble Me* (2022), Executive Producer
- *Moshari* (2022), Executive Producer
- *Encounter* (2021), as Malik Khan
- *Flee* (2021), Executive Producer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/flee.md)
- *The Long Goodbye* (2021), as Riz · Writer
- *Lines* (2021), Actor
- *Sound of Metal* (2020), as Ruben Stone · Executive Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/sound-of-metal.md)
- *Mogul Mowgli* (2020), as Zed · Story, Writer, Producer — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/mogul-mowgli.md)
- *Venom* (2018), as Carlton Drake / Riot — Fi1m 51, [page](https://film.one/film/venom.md)
- *The Sisters Brothers* (2018), as Hermann Kermit Warm — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sisters-brothers.md)
- *Una* (2017), as Scott
- *The OA* (2016), series, as Elias Rahim
- *Rogue One: A Star Wars Story* (2016), as Bodhi Rook — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story.md)
- *City of Tiny Lights* (2016), as Tommy Akhtar
- *Jason Bourne* (2016), as Aaron Kalloor — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/jason-bourne.md)
- *The Night Of* (2016), series, as Nasir 'Naz' Khan — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-night-of.md)
- *Nightcrawler* (2014), as Rick — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/nightcrawler.md)
- *Daytimer* (2014), Director, Writer
- *Out of Darkness* (2013), as Male
- *Closed Circuit* (2013), as Nazrul Sharma
- *The Reluctant Fundamentalist* (2013), as Changez
- *Ill Manors* (2012), as Aaron
- *Girls* (2012), series, as Paul-Louis — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/girls.md)
- *Black Gold* (2011), as Ali
- *Trishna* (2011), as Jay
- *Four Lions* (2010), as Omar — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/film/four-lions.md)
- *Centurion* (2010), as Tarak
- *10 Minute Tales* (2009), series, as Joseph
- *Rage* (2009), as Vijay
- *Freefall* (2009), as Gary
- *Dead Set* (2008), series, as Riq Rahman — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/dead-set.md)
- *Baghdad Express* (2008), as Talal, Songs
- *Shifty* (2008), as Shifty — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/shifty.md)
- *Wired* (2008), series, as Manesh Kunzru
- *Britz* (2007), as Sohail Wahid
- *Britz* (2007), series, as Sohail
- *The Path to 9/11* (2006), series, as Yosri
- *The Play's the Thing* (2006), series, Actor
- *Banglatown Banquet* (2006), as Razual
- *The Road to Guantanamo* (2006), as Shafiq
- *The Big Fix*, Actor
- *Exit West*, as Saeed · Executive Producer
- *Growth*, Actor
- *Violent Talent*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-609b9e7ec0d7.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV from Culver City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Riz_Ahmed_at_the_Rogue_One_-_A_Star_Wars_Story_-_World_Premeire_Red_Carpet_-_DSC_0437_%2831547570706%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Riz_Ahmed_at_the_Rogue_One_-_A_Star_Wars_Story_-_World_Premeire_Red_Carpet_-_DSC_0437_%2831547570706%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012 Poor guy. He looks to sign, but everyone was thinking who's this. I was th](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-a1613977e2b1.jpg) Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012 Poor guy. He looks to sign, but everyone was thinking who's this. I was th — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Reluctant_Fundamentalist_01_%288063950731%29.jpg/1280px-Reluctant_Fundamentalist_01_%288063950731%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-28540f0fddad.jpg) Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012 — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Reluctant_Fundamentalist_02_%288063953844%29.jpg/1280px-Reluctant_Fundamentalist_02_%288063953844%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-c5394069a413.jpg) Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012 — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Reluctant_Fundamentalist_03_%288063956238%29.jpg/1280px-Reluctant_Fundamentalist_03_%288063956238%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-5089141341c6.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Image via TMDB
- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-2bc096c507c6.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Image via TMDB
- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-ad69132c7d7e.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Image via TMDB
- ![Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012. Looking on as Kate Hudson arrives.](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-369c7d4275cb.jpg) Riz Ahmed at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012. Looking on as Kate Hudson arrives. — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Reluctant_Fundamentalist_04_%288063958676%29.jpg/1280px-Reluctant_Fundamentalist_04_%288063958676%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kate Hudson, Riz Ahmed, Kiefer Sutherland at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-983774f35954.jpg) Kate Hudson, Riz Ahmed, Kiefer Sutherland at the premiere of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Toronto Film Festival 2012 — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Reluctant_Fundamentalist_08_%288063959606%29.jpg/1280px-Reluctant_Fundamentalist_08_%288063959606%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-ddd418c1e98f.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Image via TMDB
- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-5bd1d70723ea.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Image via TMDB
- ![Riz Ahmed](https://film.one/media/person/8448/gallery-2bbec50890f9.jpg) Riz Ahmed — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- 2022: Best Live Action Short Film (won), for *The Long Goodbye*
- 2021: Best Actor (nominated), for *Sound of Metal*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won

- 2017: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *The Night Of*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/riz-ahmed