>>> MANY OF YOU KNOW ME AS A
JOURNALIST, TV ANCHOR, AN
INTERVIEWER, AN OP-ED COLUMNITY.
BUT I ALSO USED TO BE REALLY
INTO ACTING.
BACK IN MY HIGH SCHOOL DAYS, I
EVEN WON AWARDS FOR DRAMA THOUGH
I CLEARLY WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH TO
GO PROFESSIONAL, BUT ANOTHER KID
I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH, A FEW
YEARS BELOW ME, WAS GOOD ENOUGH.
SO GOOD AT IT THAT NEXT WEEK
HE’S UP FOR BEST ACTOR AT THE
ACADEMY AWARDS.
"SOUND OF METAL" RIZ AHMED WINS
AN OSCAR, HE’LL BE THE FIRST
MUSLIM EVER TO DO SO.
THE FIRST TIME TWO MEN OF AEROBE
DESCENT ARE UP FOR BEST ACTOR AT
THE SAME TIMEMENT MAKES A
WELCOMED CHANGE FROM THE OSCAR
SO WHITE HASH TAG OF RECENT
YEARS.
IT DOESN’T MEAN BOX TICKING AT
EXPENSE OF TALENT BUT
RECOGNIZING THE TALENT ALREADY
OUT THERE.
CHECK OUT RIZ’S AMAZING
PERFORMANCE WHO PLAYS A HEAVY
METAL DRUMMER WHO LOSES HIS
HEARING.
>> HERE WE GO. [ SILENCE ]
>> EARLIER, I SPOKE WITH MY OLD
SCHOOLMATE FROM THE UK, RIZ, WHO
JOINED ME FROM CALIFORNIA WHERE
HE’S GETTING READY FOR NEXT
WEEK’S OSCARS.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR OSCAR
NOMINATION.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> RIZ, SOMETHING LIKE -- I DID
THE MATH.
SOMETHING LIKE 25 YEARS AGO, IF
MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, YOU
AND I WERE IN THE DRAMA
COMPETITION IN HIGH SCHOOL BACK
IN NORTH LONDON.
I THINK WE BOTH WON IN OUR
CATEGORIES.
I KNOW I DID.
WE WERE IN THE SCHOOL PLAY
TOGETHER.
DID YOU KNOW THEN, A, THAT OF
THIS WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO
SPEND YOUR LIFE DOING AND DOING
WELL AND, B, DOING SO WELL THAT
YOU WOULD ONE DAY BE AT THE
ACADEMY AWARDS?
DID YOU HAVE THAT MAPPED OUT
WHEN WE WERE BOTH KIDS DOING
THIS FOR A LAUGH IN SCHOOL?
>> NO, OF COURSE NOT.
I DIDN’T THINK THAT AT ALL.
IT WAS CRAZY.
I NEVER REALLY TOOK IT TO BE A
VIABLE CAREER PATH FOR ME, YOU
KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON.
IT JUST SEEMED SO KIND OF
UNLIKELY.
BUT I’LL TELL YOU ONE THING I
WAS CERTAIN OF, THAT I WOULD BE
SEEING MEHDI HASAN ON TV.
I REMEMBER EVEN THEN YOU KIND OF
BEING DEBATING CHAMPION, THE
VICIOUS DEBATING KIND OF KING
THAT NO ONE WANTED TO GO TOE TO
TOE WITH.
I THINK IT’S NO SURPRISE WHAT
YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT MUCH I WAS CERTAIN OF.
>> YOU’RE VERY KIND, BUT I THINK
WE ALL KNEW AS WELL, ESPECIALLY
WHEN YOU ENDED UP AT UNIVERSITY.
LET BE CLEAR.
THIS ROLE FOR WHICH YOU’RE UP
FOR AN OSCAR ON, YOU SPENT
SEVERAL MONTHS LEARNING BOTH HOW
TO DRUM AND AMERICAN SIGN
LANGUAGE FOR THIS ROLE IN "SOUND
OF METAL."
YOU MASTERED THE AMERICAN ACCENT
SO MUCH SO THAT MANY PEOPLE
DIDN’T KNOW YOU WERE BRITISH.
LENA DUNHAM WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR
YOUR BRITISH VOICE.
WERE YOU BE CONSIDERED A METHOD
ACTOR, WHO THROWS YOUR ALL INTO
ANY ROLE YOU GET?
>> I WOULD SAY I’M NOT TECHNICAL
TRAINED IN METHOD ACTING AND
WHAT THAT -- THE OFFICIAL
PROCESS OF HAD AN THAT IS.
BUT I THINK WITH EVERYTHING
ROLE, YOU HAVE TO GIVE
EVERYTHING, PARTICULARLY WITH A
ROLE LIKE THIS.
THERE WAS NO OPTION REALLY BUT
ALMOST LIVE IN CHARACTER FOR
THOSE SEVEN MONTHS.
I WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
AND DO SIGN LANGUAGE FOR A
COUPLE OF HOURS, WORK WITH MY
ACTING COACH FOR A COUPLE OF
HOURS, THEN GO AND PLAY DRUMS
FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, WORK OUT
AND THEN SPEND THE EVENING IN
KIND OF ADDICTION RECOVERY
CIRCLES AS WELL, BECAUSE MY
CHARACTER, RUBEN, HAS A
BACKGROUND OF ADDICTION.
IT WAS JUST A PROCESS.
THAT’S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS.
ALL THE WORLDS YOU GET TO SEE,
AND THE DIFFERENT LIVES YOU GET
TO INHABIT.
IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WHY
NOT THROW YOURSELF INTO IT?
>> YOU CERTAINLY DO.
AND THE RESULTS ARE CLEAR TO SEE
ON THE SCREEN.
IT’S AN ASTONISHING PERFORMANCE.
I KNOW YOU SAID YOU’RE CERTAINLY
NOT REPRESENTING THE DEAF
COMMUNITY OR DEAF EXPERIENCE IN
"SOUND OF METAL" BECAUSE IT’S SO
AND I GET THAT.
I DO WONDER, WILL YOU LIKE IT OR
NOT, BROWN PEOPLE, MUSLIMS SEE
YOU DO A BROWN ROLE ON TV AND
IDENTIFY WITH IT, AND WITH YOU,
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE IN THE DEAF
COMMUNITY ARE IDENTIFYING IF NOT
WITH YOU THE ACTOR, THEN WITH
YOUR CHARACTER, WITH RUBEN AND
WHAT HE GOES THROUGH IN THIS
MOVIE?
>> I WOULD NEVER REALLY SPEAK
FOR DEAF PEOPLE OR DEAF
AUDIENCES, BUT SOME OF THE
FEEDBACK I’VE HAD FROM DEAF
AUDIENCES HAS BEEN REALLY
POSITIVE INSOFAR AS I THINK IT’S
JUST QUITE RARE TO SEE THESE
LIVES DEPICTED ON SCREEN.
IT’S QUITE RARE TO SEE A FILM
THAT’S CAPTURED IN FILMS THAT
DEAF AND HEARING AUDIENCES CAN
ENJOY ALONGSIDE ONE NOEMPLT I
THINK IT’S OFTEN SOMETHING THAT
WE NEGATIVELECT WITH REGARDS TO
WE REPRESENT PEOPLE OF DIVERSE
BACKGROUNDS OR DISABLED
BACKGROUNDS OR, YOU KNOW, FOR ME
A BIG LEARNING POINT WAS THE
REALIZATION THAT DEAFNESS ISN’T
A DISABILITY.
IT’S A CULTURE FOR MANY PEOPLE.
AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT IT’S
VERY KIND OF MOVING TO KNOW THAT
THIS FILM, IN SOME SMALL WAY,
HAS BEEN AN INCREMENTAL STEP
TOWARDS JUST IMPROVING THE WAY
THAT DEAF PEOPLE MIGHT BE
REPRESENTED ON SCREEN.
>> YEAH, AND SUCH IMPORTANT
REPRESENTATION.
ON THAT NOTE I HAVE TO ASK ABOUT
THE D WORD, DIVERSITY.
THE OSCARS HAS BEEN RELENTLESSLY
AND RIGHTLY ATTACKED FOR LACKING
DIVERSITY IN RECENT YEARS.
THIS YEAR, THERE’S YOU AND
STEVEN YOON IN THE BEST ACTOR
CATEGORY.
NINE OF THE CATEGORIES ALMOST
HALF ARE WHITE THIS YEAR.
IS THAT, IN YOUR VIEW, RIZ,
HOLLYWOOD MAKING GENUINE
PROGRESS IN TERMS OF DIVERSITY?
IN 2016 YOU WROTE NO ONE
RESEMBLES ME IN THE WAITING ROOM
FOR AN ACTING AUDITION.
IS THAT STILL THE CASE?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S REALLY
INTERESTING, ISN’T IT?
I THINK PROGRESS IS SOMETIMES
NOT LINEAR.
IF YOU GO BACK DECADES, HAD YOU
ACTORS LIKE OMAR SHARIF PLAYING
LEAD ROLE IN MAINSTREAM HOLLY
HOLLYWOOD EPICS LIKE DR.
ZHIVAGO.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT AND
COMPARE THAT TO WHERE WE ARE
NOW, YOU COULD SAY WE MADE
PROGRESS, YOU COULD SAY WE’RE
BACK TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE I
THINK IN A WAY YOU NEVER ARRIVE
AT THE DESTINATION.
THERE’S ALWAYS FURTHER TO GO.
WE’VE GOT ASIAN ACTORS, ANTHONY
HOPKINS, ONE OF THE OLDEST
ACTORS EVER NOMINATED.
YOU’VE GOT SO MANY WOMEN
NOMINATED AS DIRECTORS.
WE NEED TO GO FURTHER.
IT’S ALWAYS FURTHER TO GO.
FOR ME AS SOMEONE WHO, ALL MY
LIFE SHALL WAS THINKING ABOUT
THE REPRESENTATION OF BROWN
PEOPLE OR MINORITIES AND
MUSLIMS.
HANG ON A MINUTE, THERE’S THIS
WHOLE OTHER WORLD WE NEED TO
OPEN UP IN TERM SS OF REPRESENTI
DEAF COMMUNITY, THE DISABLED
COMMUNITY AND THERE’S STILL SO
MUCH FURTHER TO GO THERE IN OUR
SCREEN AND CULTURE AS A WHOLE.
YES, WE’RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION BUT HOPEFULLY WE’LL
NEVER STOP MOVING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION AND CERTAINLY WILL
NEVER HAVE ARRIVED.
CULTURE REALLY IS A SPACE WHERE
OUR COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS
EXISTS AND HOPEFULLY THAT KEEPS
EXPANDING AND EXPANDING UNTIL IT
CAN EMBRACE ALL OF US.
>> BEFORE I LET YOU GO, I HAVE
TO ASK ABOUT THE POLITICAL
MOMENT WE’RE IN.
IT’S FAIR TO SAY YOU’RE A SMALL
PEOPLE POLITICAL PERSON IN TERMS
OF YOUR MOVIE AND TV ROLES AND
RAP LYRICS EVEN.
I WANT YOUR TAKE ON WHERE YOU
THINK AMERICA IS POST-TRUMP,
ESPECIALLY FOR MINORITIES,
IMMIGRANTS.
YOU AND I ARE BROWN MUSLIM
IMMIGRANTS IN THE U.S., MARRIED
TO AMERICANS.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?
>> IT’S INTERESTING.
POLITICS IS A POINT OF VIEW ON
THE WORLD.
A STORY ALLOWS YOU TO INHABIT A
POINT OF VIEW IN A WORLD,
PERHAPS A POINT OF VIEW THAT YOU
HAVEN’T INHABITED BEFORE, A
WORLD YOU HAVEN’T SEEN BEFORE.
ULTIMATELY, I THINK THE TRUTH
THAT I HOPE WE’RE UNEARTHING
RIGHT NOW IN THIS POLITICAL
MOMENT AS WE COME BACK OFF THE
TRUMP ERA IS THE SAME TRUTH YOU
UNEARTH AT THE END OF EVERY
STORY YOU TELL AS AN ACTOR,
WRITER OR DIRECTOR, OR EVERY
STORY YOU EXPERIENCE AS AN
AUDIENCE MEMBER.
THAT TRUTH IS THAT UNDERNEATH
THE DIFFERENCES THAT SEEMINGLY
SEPARATE US IS A COMMON WILL OF
HUMANITY THAT UNITES US ALL.
THAT’S THE ONLY REASON ACTING IS
POSSIBLE.
THE ONL REASON I CAN PLAY THIS
CHARACTER OR THAT CHARACTER IS
BECAUSE INSIDE EACH OF US IS ALL
OF US, AND I HOPE IN THIS MOMENT
WE’VE ALL GONE THROUGH THE
SHARED TRAUMA OF COVID TOGETHER
THAT WE ALL REALIZE THAT THERE
IS NO US AND THEM.
THERE’S ONLY US.
SO, THAT’S MY HOPE.
PERHAPS I’M AN OPTIMIST.
BUT THAT’S ALL YOU CAN BE.
>> THAT IS ALL YOU CAN BE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, RIZ.
LAST ONE, WE’RE OUT OF TIME.
HAVE YOU PRACTICED YOUR --
PRETEND HAPPY FACE IN CASE YOU
DON’T WIN?
I THINK YOU WILL WIN BUT WHEN
THEY DO THOSE BOXES, DO YOU HAVE
THAT PRACTICED?
>> YEAH.
HOW IS THIS?
>> IT’S A GOOD ONE.
I THINK IT’S GOOD.
YOU’VE GOT TO LOOK HAPPIER, MORE
SELFLESS AND HAPPY.
BUT YOU’RE GOING TO WIN, RIZ.
I HAVE A FEELING YOU’RE GOING TO
WIN.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING,
WHICH IS IT’S BEEN AMAZING TO
SEE YOU AND YOUR JOURNEY AND
EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO OUT THERE
FOR REPRESENTATION AND THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU BROACH IS
INSPIRATIONAL.
SO, KEEP GOING, MAN.