Riz Ahmed has never been an actor who colors within the boundaries, he’s always pushing the limits in the roles he challenges himself with. Whether it’s his Oscar-nominated performance in Sound of Metal, or his hip-hop career, or his incredible Emmy-winning performance in The Night Of, Ahmed is always willing to take new risks.
And now Ahmed is taking perhaps his biggest risk yet. He stars in a new version of Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays. Ahmed plays one of the most recognizable figures in dramatic history, Prince Hamlet, but in this case it’s in a story set within London’s affluent South Asian community following the death of his father, the head of a prominent construction company. Hamlet’s tragic descent into madness is given a contemporary spin, yet stays true to Shakespeare’s original text.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Riz Ahmed about Hamlet, his long-held passion to play the character, his interpretation of what Shakespeare’s dialogue means today, and the decision to set it within the Pakistani community with a focus on Hindu culture.
Hamlet is open in theaters now, and you can check out my review here!
