Riz Ahmed
Biography
Rizwan Ahmed, born December 1, 1982, in Wembley, London, England, is a British actor, rapper, and activist. Also known by his stage name Riz MC, he has established a significant career in both film and television. His professional contributions have been recognized with several awards, including an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, alongside nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. In 2017, Time magazine named him one of the most influential people in the world. Ahmed’s work as an actor and musician is frequently associated with his political activism, focusing on topics such as racial justice, immigration, Islamophobia, and the representation of marginalized groups.
Career overview
Ahmed studied acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama before beginning his professional career in independent cinema. His early filmography includes roles in The Road to Guantanamo in 2006, Shifty in 2008, Four Lions in 2010, Trishna in 2011, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist in 2012. These projects helped establish his presence in the industry prior to his later work. Beyond his performance roles, Ahmed has expanded his creative output into writing and television production. In 2018, he created the television series Englistan for the BBC, which served as his debut as a writer. Throughout his career, he has maintained a diverse portfolio, accumulating 77 known credits across various media platforms. His work continues to be noted for its intersection with his advocacy for social and political causes.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Digger (2026) as Ganesh
- Bait (2026) as Shah Latif
- Bait (2026) Executive Producer
- Bait (2026) Writer
- Bait (2026) Songs
- Bait (2026) Creator
- Saturday Night Live UK (2026) as Self - Host
- Behind The Mic: The Making of The Harry Potter Full-Cast Audio Editions (2026) as Himself
- Hamlet (2026) as Hamlet
- Hamlet (2026) Producer
- The Name of Action (2026) as Self
- The Phoenician Scheme (2025) as Prince Farouk
- Relay (2025) as Ash
- Together for Palestine (2025) as Self
- Defiance: Fighting the Far Right (2024) Executive Producer
- Nimona (2023) as Ballister Boldheart (voice)
- Fingernails (2023) as Amir
- Mustache (2023) Executive Producer
- Dammi (2023) as Mounir
- Moshari (2022) Executive Producer
- You Resemble Me (2022) Executive Producer
- Joyland (2022) Executive Producer
- Flee (2021) Executive Producer
- Encounter (2021) as Malik Khan
- The Long Goodbye (2021) as Riz
- The Long Goodbye (2021) Writer
- Lines (2021)
- Sound of Metal (2020) as Ruben Stone
- Sound of Metal (2020) Executive Producer
- Mogul Mowgli (2020) as Zed
- Mogul Mowgli (2020) Story
- Mogul Mowgli (2020) Writer
- Mogul Mowgli (2020) Producer
- The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (2019) as Self
- Venom (2018) as Carlton Drake / Riot
- The Sisters Brothers (2018) as Hermann Kermit Warm
- The Big Narstie Show (2018) as Self
- Una (2017) as Scott
- The Stories: The Making of 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' (2017) as Self
- The OA (2016) as Elias Rahim
- The Night Of (2016) as Nasir 'Naz' Khan
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) as Bodhi Rook
- Jason Bourne (2016) as Aaron Kalloor
- City of Tiny Lights (2016) as Tommy Akhtar
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015) as Self
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self - Guest
- Nightcrawler (2014) as Rick
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors (2014) as Self
- Off Camera with Sam Jones (2014) as Self
- Daytimer (2014) Director
- Daytimer (2014) Writer
- Closed Circuit (2013) as Nazrul Sharma
- The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013) as Changez
- Out of Darkness (2013) as Male
- Girls (2012) as Paul-Louis
- Ill Manors (2012) as Aaron
- The Jonathan Ross Show (2011) as Self
- Black Gold (2011) as Ali
- Trishna (2011) as Jay
- Centurion (2010) as Tarak
- Four Lions (2010) as Omar
- 10 Minute Tales (2009) as Joseph
- Freefall (2009) as Gary
- Rage (2009) as Vijay
- Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam (2009) as Self
- Dead Set (2008) as Riq Rahman
- Baghdad Express (2008) as Talal
- Baghdad Express (2008) Songs
- Wired (2008) as Manesh Kunzru
- Shifty (2008) as Shifty
- The Graham Norton Show (2007) as Self
- Britz (2007) as Sohail Wahid
- Britz (2007) as Sohail
- The Path to 9/11 (2006) as Yosri
- Banglatown Banquet (2006) as Razual
- The Road to Guantanamo (2006) as Shafiq
- The Play's the Thing (2006)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Guest
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003) as Self - Musical Guest
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988) as Self
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Violent Talent
- Growth
- The Big Fix
- Exit West as Saeed
- Exit West Executive Producer