What is Riz Ahmed's Net Worth?
Riz Ahmed is a British actor and rapper who has a net worth of $10 million. Riz Ahmed is known for his performances in such films as "Four Lions," "Nightcrawler," "Rogue One," "Sound of Metal," and "Mogul Mowgli." He is also known for his lead performance in the 2016 HBO miniseries "The Night Of," for which he won an Emmy Award. As a rapper, Ahmed has released both solo albums and albums with his hip hop group Swet Shop Boys.
Early Life and Education
Riz Ahmed was born on December 1, 1982 in Brent, London, England to British-Pakistani parents of Muhajir ancestry. As a youth, he went to Merchant Taylors' School. Ahmed went on to attend the University of Oxford's Christ Church, from which he earned a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. Later, he studied acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
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Film Career
Ahmed made his film debut in Michael Winterbottom's 2006 docudrama "The Road to Guantánamo," portraying real-life British detainee Shafiq Rasul. He next starred as the titular character in the 2008 crime thriller "Shifty," for which he earned a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Actor. Ahmed received another BIFA nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the 2010 satire "Four Lions." Also in 2010, he appeared in the historical action film "Centurion." The following year, Ahmed appeared in "Black Gold" and starred alongside Freida Pinto in Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna." In 2012, he starred in the crime drama "Ill Manors" and the political thriller "The Reluctant Fundamentalist"; for the former, he earned his third BIFA nomination for Best Actor. Ahmed appeared in another political thriller, "Closed Circuit," in 2013. The next year, he wrote and directed the short film "Daytimer" and appeared opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the neo-noir thriller "Nightcrawler." His performance in "Nightcrawler" brought him a new level of attention and acclaim, with several critics' awards coming his way during the awards season.
Ahmed appeared in four films in 2016: "City of Tiny Lights," "Una," and the Hollywood blockbusters "Jason Bourne" and "Rogue One." In 2018, he appeared in the Western "The Sisters Brothers" and the Marvel Comics superhero film "Venom." The following year, Ahmed starred as a drummer who loses his hearing in the drama "Sound of Metal," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He received numerous accolades for his performance, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Ahmed went on to co-write, co-produce, and star in the 2020 film "Mogul Mowgli," playing a British-Pakistani rapper battling an autoimmune disease. Also in 2020, he produced the short film "The Long Goodbye," which won him the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. Ahmed next starred in the 2021 crime drama "Encounter." In 2023, he voiced the main character Ballister Boldheart in the Academy Award-nominated animated film "Nimona," and starred opposite Jessie Buckley in the science-fiction romantic drama "Fingernails." Ahmed's subsequent credits include "Relay," "Hamlet," and "The Phoenician Scheme."
Television Career
In 2006, the same year as his film debut, Ahmed made his television debut in the ABC miniseries "The Path to 9/11." He subsequently appeared in the television films "Berry's Way" and "Britz." In 2008, Ahmed was in the ITV miniseries "Wired" and the E4 miniseries "Dead Set." He closed out the decade with a supporting role in the BBC television film "Freefall." Ahmed didn't appear much on the small screen in the years immediately following that. He returned to television in 2016 to star as murder suspect Nasir Khan in the acclaimed HBO miniseries "The Night Of." For his performance, Ahmed won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. After "The Night Of," Ahmed had recurring guest roles on Netflix's "The OA" and the final season of HBO's "Girls."
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Theater Career
On stage, Ahmed has appeared in such productions as "Gaddafi," by the Asian Dub Foundation; "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train," at the Lighthouse Theatre; and "Prayer Room," at the Royal Lyceum Theatre.
Music Career
Ahmed began rapping in his teenage years, appearing on pirate radio and in freestyle rap battles. While a student at Oxford, he co-founded the underground music event known as Hit & Run and was a member of the 12-person band Confidential Collective. Ahmed later founded his own record label, Battered Records. After releasing some singles, he released his debut studio album, "Microscope," in early 2011. A few years later, Ahmed formed the hip hop group Swet Shop Boys with American rapper Heems. The group released an EP in 2014, followed by a studio album, "Cashmere," in 2016. A second Swet Shop Boys EP was released in 2017. As a solo artist, Ahmed released the mixtape "Englistan" in 2016 and his second studio album, "The Long Goodbye," in 2020. He was also featured on the song "Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)" from "The Hamilton Mixtape."
Personal Life
In 2020, Ahmed married novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza.
