CALIFORNIA: Rizwan Ahmed alias Riz MCBritish, a British-Pakistani actor, has written his name in history books as he becomes the first Pakistani Muslim to be nominated for an Academy Award in the lead actor category.
The 38-year-old has been nominated for his outstanding performance in Sound of Metal. His magnificent depiction of a drummer who begins to lose his hearing has to lead to him being nominated for the lead actor. The movie has also been nominated for six Academy Awards in 2021 including best actor, best picture, best supporting actor, best original screenplay, best editing, and best sound.
Wow! I'm honoured to be nominated by my fellow actors alongside such inspiring performances, and am grateful to the Academy for their support and encouragement. I’m equally thrilled for our visionary writer-director Darius Marder and the brilliant Paul Raci… pic.twitter.com/Z6ScOq08tf
— Riz Ahmed (@rizwanahmed) March 15, 2021
In Sound of Metal, the Venom actor had to really play the drums and he also learned American Sign Language (ASL) and essentially pushes himself to the limits.
Speaking with a media outlet after the nomination, Riz mentioned that if there’s a way in which people can find themselves at this moment, and can feel inspired and connected on a deeper level, I’m all for it. Whether they see me as the first British Pakistani or the first guy from Wembley, you know, there are so many ways to view it,’ he added.
‘As long as it feels like an opportunity for more people than ever before to really connect and feel included in this moment, that’s a blessing,” he further explained.
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