Riz Ahmed Went ‘Too Far’ in His Slumdog Millionaire Audition

Riz Ahmed isn’t auditioning for James Bond in real life, but his show, Bait, features a character who gets a lucky chance to try out for the role. Ahmed both wrote and stars in Bait, which realistically portrays the nervous energy of the acting world and the dreams of newcomers. In a piece called “Performance History,” Ahmed reflects on his own early career, when he pursued both rapping and acting.

First Big Audition

This was for the film Slumdog Millionaire. Danny Boyle believed I could play the brother of Dev Patel’s character, and he wanted me to be more energetic and agitated. He told me, “He’s supposed to be angry, so feel free to move around however you want – the camera operator will follow you.”

The first time I performed the scene, I held back a little, and the director told me to push it further. I overdid it, though. I was young and inexperienced, and I really went overboard! I ended up throwing the other actor against the wall and even ripped his shirt – a button popped off. After it happened, I realized I’d messed up. He just said, “Okay, thanks for coming in.” Looking back, it was probably the best thing to happen.

First Role You Really Wanted

I think it was the first professional acting job I landed. I was still in drama school when auditions were announced for a Michael Winterbottom film, The Road to Guantánamo. I was just finishing school and wondering how I could use my acting skills to address what felt like a very chaotic world. The situation at Guantánamo Bay was happening, and I felt strongly that it was wrong. When this film came along, it felt like a chance to get involved. I auditioned for months, even leaving drama school early to pursue the role. Thankfully, I got the part, and it was a truly life-changing experience – not only making the film, but also getting to travel to places like Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.

It also caused me a lot of trouble when I tried to come to America. My passport had stamps from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, and this was immediately after 9/11. Because of that, I had difficulty entering the U.S. for years. Things finally changed when I worked on Star Wars – apparently, someone at Immigration was a fan and just removed my name from a list!

First Time You Performed Live As a Musician

I got my start pretty young, actually – around my early teens – hosting parties at home. I was so into it, I even bought my own microphone! I’d borrow the DJ’s headphones and just talk over the music, which, looking back, probably drove them crazy – I definitely wrecked a few pairs! After that phase, I moved into promoting club nights – mostly hip-hop and drum-and-bass, starting at university and then in London. Those were some really fun times, honestly.

First Actor Whose Career You Were in Awe Of

I’d have to say Jackie Chan. My uncles were huge Bruce Lee fans, so I was raised on kung fu movies, but Jackie Chan became my hero. What I loved was how he blended action with comedy – it was such a great mix. He was a total badass, but also really relatable because he showed vulnerability. Like, he’d be kicking butt, taking on six guys, and then immediately be like, “Ouch, my hand!” and start using his elbows. It was almost like watching a beautiful, technical dance. Even though he was doing these amazing, superhuman things, you still felt his pain, which made him so much more human. I was a huge Jackie Chan fan for years. I even met him once at the Oscars, and I think I might have come on a little strong. He basically told me to get lost, but hey, it happens!

First Big Career Disappointment

I faced a lot of setbacks early on, but one thing that actually worked out well was getting into rap battles. It was around the time the movie 8 Mile came out, and in the UK, events like Jumpoff’s Spin the Mic and Battle Scars were popular. I became a regular at those battles and managed to win quite a few. Eventually, I released my first song – a humorous rap parody called “The Post-9/11 Blues.” It’s designed to sound like a children’s rhyme, with lyrics like, “Post-9/11, watch your back / I farted and got arrested for a chemical attack.” Pretty ridiculous stuff, honestly.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=AKTsJpfC0IQ

I created something as a bit of a playful experiment, and it unexpectedly became very popular online – it reminded me of the early days of Myspace. I shared it with some radio DJs who followed my work, but they told me they couldn’t play it because it was considered politically sensitive. I was really disappointed, but I used that setback to my advantage. The story of the song being banned spread around, and actually helped me gain more attention. It taught me that even when things don’t go as planned, you can often learn from the experience or find new opportunities if you handle it the right way.

First Tour As a Musician

I did a tour with the BBC Electric Proms, which featured rising artists traveling around the U.K. It was a really diverse lineup – everything from folk and punk to house music, and the audiences were just as varied. I really enjoyed it because I hate being pigeonholed. We all traveled together on a bus, and it was pretty rough – definitely not clean or hygienic!

First Time You Met Bait Co-Star Guz Khan

I first met him about twenty years ago, when we were both in our twenties, but I completely lost touch. Then, while filming Bait, he mentioned, “You probably won’t recall this, but we actually met…” And the story he told me was incredible.

I was hired to host and perform spoken word poetry at the student union at Coventry University. A friend of mine, Guz, is from Coventry, so I was excited. But when I got there, the event was completely empty. I grabbed a stack of flyers and thought, ‘I need to get people inside! I traveled all this way and really want to perform for an audience!’

I was handing out flyers when I noticed a group of boys in a dark alley. I approached them and realized they were selling drugs. I awkwardly interrupted and asked if they’d be interested in coming to a poetry performance. They were understandably confused and almost attacked me, but surprisingly, they ended up agreeing to come along.

Guz and his friends came to see me perform, and he told me it was significant because he hadn’t seen a British Pakistani comedian in that venue before. That experience inspired him to start doing stand-up himself, and he’s been very successful. I’d actually forgotten all about it until years later when we reconnected and became friends. I ended up casting him in Bait, and it was on set that he finally told me about seeing my performance all those years ago. It was a really surprising full-circle moment, and now we’re close friends.

First Bond Movie You Saw

I remember seeing a James Bond movie as a kid, likely one starring Sean Connery because my dad liked those films, but it’s a hazy memory. The first Bond movie I really loved, though, was GoldenEye, thanks to the video game. That game was huge for my generation – we played it constantly! It really introduced a lot of us to Bond. I especially remember the incredible scene with the bungee jump off the dam. I played that game for years; it was fantastic.

First Movie You Saw in Theaters As a Kid

I’m not sure if it was the very first movie I saw in a cinema, but I remember being incredibly excited about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. My brother and I would grab all of my dad’s belts and pretend they were whips, running around with hats and everything. We were totally obsessed! This was because we watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom constantly at home – it was a big deal to see any kind of Indian representation, even if the movie was a bit problematic. I mean, they were eating monkey brains and spiders! But back then, we were happy to have anything that felt like it included us. It sounds silly now, but that’s how it was!

First Favorite Movie Theater

I grew up going to Safari Cinema in Harrow, which mostly showed Bollywood films. When my brother and cousins started spending time with their own friends, leaving me with nothing to do on weekends, I’d often go with my aunts and uncles to see a Bollywood movie there. Those were really fun times.

First Movie That Scared You

I think A Nightmare on Elm Street was probably the first movie I ever saw – I was only six! My uncles were babysitting, and they liked to watch horror films. It was definitely way too scary for a kid – those Freddy Krueger movies are really intense. I remember one scene where he opened his shirt and a bunch of tongues were moving around in the scars on his chest, and the woman in the dream woke up with the same scars on her face. I really shouldn’t have seen it. It’s why I still can’t watch horror movies; that experience really stuck with me. I’ve realized now that it was probably traumatic, and I even blamed my uncles when I told my mom about it.

I might watch it again. I recently saw The Ring and really enjoyed it. I think it resonated with me so strongly because of my cultural background and personal beliefs – I’ve always been superstitious and believe in ghosts and spirits. Growing up, I was taught about jinns, and I’ve heard stories about spirit possession within my community. Exorcism is something people actually experience where I come from. It’s a part of life, so when I watch horror movies, it doesn’t feel like entertainment. To me, they feel more like documentaries – that’s why they’re so impactful.

First Movie-Character Crush

I’ll never forget my first crush. It wasn’t a real person, but a cartoon character – Cheetara from ThunderCats. Just thinking about her… [sighs]. Cheetara.

2026-03-17 21:56