Riz Ahmed says he has lost two family members to coronavirus

British actor and rapper Riz Ahmed revealed that two of his family members have died after contracting COVID-19.

The 'Venom' star shared the tragic news in an interview with a magazine, saying the global COVID-19 pandemic is "reflecting and revealing the faultlines in our society".

'Star Wars: Rogue One' actor said he hoped the deaths of his loved ones "aren't for nothing".

In his interview, 'Four Lions' star made an impassioned plea to remember the people from BAME backgrounds who are keeping the country running.

Riz hopes the virus can bring humanity together to tackle greater problems rather than focusing on what divides people – but worries it is just holding up a mirror to existing political and social problems.

“Coronavirus is on some level an alien invasion, isn’t it? It’s bringing humanity together against the common enemy,” he continued. “So there is this potential for this momentous, unique-in-the-history-of-our-species moment, of us all going through this crazy challenge together and only being able to get through this together.

The star also expressed concern for how Muslims are being treated by India’s nationalist government, and about how the disease is hitting communities of color in the UK and US., particularly hard.