Riz Ahmed has made history as the first Muslim nominated for an Oscar thanks to his role in “Sound of Metal” where he played leading man, Ruben Stone, a heavey metal drummer who loses his ability to hear.
Aside from Riz’s nomination, the movie also received four other nominations including one for Best Picture.
The British-Pakistani actor took to Twitter to share his gratitude in a four tweet thread, writing “Sound of Metal is about how a health crisis can cut you off from your life and loved ones, and force you to grow in unexpected ways. In a challenging year for so many, I hope this story can inspire us to forge new and deeper connections with ourselves and others.”
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
This isn’t the first time Riz has made history though! This nomination comes after Riz won an Emmy in 2017 for lead actor in a limited series or movie for “The Night of” making him the first Asian actor and first Muslim actor to win in a lead acting category.
Riz spoke to Deadline about his nomination and said “Whether they see me as the first British-Pakistani, or the first guy from Wembley, you know, there’s so many ways to view it. But 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.”
We couldn’t be happier for him! Congratulations, Riz. We’re rooting for you!