Riz Ahmed

Biography

Riz Ahmed is an Academy Award–winning and Emmy–winning actor, writer, producer, musician and activist whose work spans cultures, genres and mediums. One of the most compelling creative voices of his generation, Riz uses storytelling to challenge expectations, combining art and advocacy to explore identity, belonging and the potential of narrative to influence audiences.

With an incredibly diverse body of acting work, Riz has moved between Hollywood blockbusters such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Venom, and Jason Bourne to acclaimed indie films like Four Lions, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Nightcrawler. His performances encompass comedy, action and drama as well as addressing themes of disruption, displacement and identity.

Riz became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar in a performance category for The Long Goodbye, a personal and political short film that he co-wrote and starred in. The film was released alongside his critically-acclaimed album of the same name. In Sound of Metal, Riz delivered a powerful portrayal of a drummer losing his hearing which earned him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination. His breakout performance in HBO’s The Night Of won him a Primetime Emmy and established him as one of the most versatile actors around.

As founder of Left Handed Films, Riz champions stories that focus on creativity and underrepresented voices. The company’s productions include the Oscar-nominated Flee, the Cannes-selected Joyland, and Mogul Mowgli, which won the FIPRESCI Prize at Berlin, and earned Riz a BAFTA nomination and BIFA wins as a screenwriter and producer. As a musician, Riz has performed and recorded solo and as a member of hip hop trio Swet Shop Boys, frequently addressing themes around migration, identity, loss and resistance. His contribution to The Hamilton Mixtape saw him gain the rare distinction of both simultaneously topping the Billboard album charts and the US box office charts (with Rogue One), and winning an Oscar, Emmy and MTV VMA.

An advocate for meaningful inclusion, Riz has spoken at the UK Parliament and written widely on diversity and representation. His essay ‘Airports and Auditions’ in The Good Immigrant, and his speeches on the politics of storytelling, challenge institutions to move beyond visibility and toward structural change. He was listed as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Riz explores the creative process, the complexity of identity, and the transformative power of storytelling. With honesty and insight, he considers the political and the personal, reflecting on how authenticity, vulnerability and artistic risk can fuel personal growth and cultural change. He challenges audiences to think about whose stories we tell, how we tell them, and why that matters.