‘I’m Not Shoplifting — I’m in Star Wars’ - Riz Ahmed on His New Projects and Political Art
April 20, 2026
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1:03:58Now Playing‘I’m Not Shoplifting — I’m in Star Wars’ - Riz Ahmed on His New Projects and Political Art
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Riz Ahmed is the man of the moment. The Oscar and Emmy award-winning actor is currently on the press tour for not one but two new projects: his TV series ‘Bait’, and a film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. But the tour wouldn’t be complete without joining his former school mate and fellow school play actor Mehdi for a special LIVE taping of ‘We’re Not Kidding’ in New York City. The two dig into Riz’s new roles, the state of Muslim representation in popular culture, and making political art. They also take questions from the audience, but first they share a few choice anecdotes from their teenage years.
The two also discuss:
- Neil Patrick Harris’ recent ridiculous comments about making “apolitical” art.
- Why “getting in the room” doesn’t matter if you let the room change you.
- The lasting significance of his films ‘Four Lions’ and ‘The Long Goodbye’ given the UK far-right political scene.
- And how Riz got banned… from UK grocery store Tesco’s!
They also take questions from the audience about why some Muslim entertainers have stayed silent on Gaza, the best ways to resist fascism, the power of political storytelling, and whether Riz’s aunties call him up to chastise him about some of his.. erm… spicier on-camera scenes.
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This interview was published 5 days earlier on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to exclusive content and hardhitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here
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Credits:
Hosted by: Mehdi Hasan
Guest Host: Riz Ahmed
Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi
Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello
Music: Andy Clausen
Design: Alicia Tatone
Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera
Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali
Special thanks to: Stephen Wentzell & Leena Fraihat
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