Having watched Riz Ahmed’s limited HBO series, The Night Of, we are convinced that he is truly a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime kind of actor. And we’re not the only ones. Known for his indie work as well as for a starring role in Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (derived from the novel of the same name by author Mohsin Hamid), the world has woken up to his mighty talent after watching him essay Nasir “Naz” Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim in post 9/11 New York, on the series.
After a central role in HBO's The Night Of, in which he essayed a Pakistani-American college kid in post 9/11 New York, Ahmed is set to shine in the upcoming Stars Wars sequel The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in the role of pilot Bodhi Rook.
TVtime
The star of HBO’s gripping new series, The Night Of, is flying high.
Having watched Riz Ahmed’s limited HBO series, The Night Of, we are convinced that he is truly a remarkable, once-in-a-lifetime kind of actor. And we’re not the only ones. Known for his indie work as well as for a starring role in Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (derived from the novel of the same name by author Mohsin Hamid), the world has woken up to his mighty talent after watching him essay Nasir “Naz” Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim in post 9/11 New York, on the series.
In the show, upon his arrest, Ahmed’s transformation from a harmless-looking college kid (“a good boy”) into a rage-fueled convict (“Sinbad”) with secrets, is not only ferocious but also speaks to his incredible range as a worthy actor. It’s also clear that Ahmed is fully capable of anchoring a series. The Night Of is also a strong vehicle for the actor because it is much more nuanced and thoughtful than your average detective series. Even the title track which comes attached with the credits will bring to mind the slow-haunting title track of True Detective’s epic first season.
But as is the rule, a limited series is one with a short-run and so the story of Naz Khan will end. The story of Riz Ahmed, 33, however is another matter. Ahmed, who moonlights as a musical star, has dropped the politically-inclined tune, ‘Englistan’ and is also dropping an album under the alias of Sweet Shop Boys (which includes Ahmed alongside Heems) but it’s his acting career that is skyrocketing post-The Night Of.
Among them is the recently released spy-surveillance drama Jason Bourne by Paul Greengrass which featured Matt Damon in the titular role and in which Ahmed essayed the role of CIA tech specialist Aaron Kalloor and managed to work with world class actors like Tommy Lee Jones, Matt Damon and Alicia Vikander.
He’s also landed a meaty role in the rebooted Star Wars universe, the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. According to Ahmed, he is essaying the character of Bodhi Rook, “a cargo pilot for the empire” who defects to join the “Rebellion”.
While describing the Star Wars film, Ahmed told EW: “Everyone in this Star Wars movie has got quite a complex past. They have a lot of baggage and history to it. That’s part of what makes it an interesting, nuanced movie. It’s taking characters with interesting backgrounds, whether its warrior monks, or ex-assassins, or long-distance truck drivers, and you’re assembling this pack of misfits.”
The film comes out in December but Ahmed has already made an impression that should take his career to new heights of success. After all, not that many actors can say that King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, admires their work. But Ahmed can since the Indian superstar took to Twitter to show his appreciation and “love” for the show.
In between big budget projects, Ahmed has also nabbed a significant role in Una, a provocative love story which features Side Effects star Rooney Mara in the titular role.
