10 Notable Quotes by Riz Ahmed
(By Carmichael Phillips)
Riz Ahmed is a British actor, rapper, and activist. He was born on December 1, 1982, in London, England. Ahmed has gained significant recognition for his versatile performances in film, television, and theater.
Some of Riz Ahmed’s notable roles include:
- Naz in the film “Nightcrawler” (2014).
- Bodhi Rook in the film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016).
- Nasir “Naz” Khan in the HBO miniseries “The Night Of” (2016), for which he received critical acclaim and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
- Carlton Drake in the film “Venom” (2018).
- Ruben Stone in the film “Sound of Metal” (2020), a role for which he received widespread praise and earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
In addition to his acting career, Riz Ahmed is also a talented rapper and musician, performing under the name Riz MC. He has released several albums and singles, exploring themes of identity, culture, and social issues.
Ahmed is also known for his activism and advocacy work, particularly on issues related to diversity and representation in the entertainment industry. He has been vocal about the need for more inclusive storytelling and opportunities for marginalized communities.
Here are 10 notable quotes by Riz Ahmed:
- “My focus is to forget the pain of life. Forget the pain, mock the pain, reduce it. And laugh.”
- “A lot of our problems stem from a failure to empathize, a failure to see the world from another’s perspective. So I think art can be a way to create space for empathy, for compassion.”
- “I feel like you have to make art for yourself. If you start making art thinking, ‘What does the audience want?’ or ‘What does the public want?’ you end up compromising.”
- “I think what’s really exciting is that cinema is being used as a forum to have some really important conversations about the world right now.”
- “I think there’s no reason to be embarrassed about being ambitious. Ambition is a really important thing to have.”
- “I think it’s really important to check in with yourself and make sure you’re doing stuff for the right reasons and not to prove yourself to anyone or for anyone else.”
- “One of the things I try to do in my work is to humanize Muslims, to paint a human portrait of Muslims in America.”
- “I think, generally, people are just asking for dignity and respect, and when you give it to them, you realize how much people want it and how much it’s been missing.”
- “I think art can be a way to process pain, to understand it, and then to put it out into the world in a way that can be understood.”
- “I think, at its best, art can be a form of protest, but also a form of healing, a form of processing, a form of trying to understand the world.”