Riz Ahmed Discusses Hamlet’s Universal Fear In Coffee Chats Episode 11

The popular interview series, Coffee Chats, is back with a new episode featuring Riz Ahmed. This time on ScreenRant’s show, the star of Bait and known actor from Star Wars joins host Liam Crowley for a conversation over coffee about his new movie, Hamlet – a fresh, intense take on the classic Shakespearean play.

On this episode of Coffee Chats, Riz Ahmed trades coffee for matcha while discussing his Oscar-nominated role in Sound of Metal, his experience auditioning for Star Wars, and his new movie, Hamlet. He explains that Hamlet came about because he feels a widespread anxiety – a feeling that things have gone completely chaotic.

Coffee Chats no.11 w/ Riz Ahmed

Ahmed’s Interpretation Of Hamlet Grew Out Of A Feeling He Believes Many Of Us Feel

Ahmed first encountered Hamlet at age 17. The upcoming 2026 film adaptation retells the classic story of a son avenging his father’s death, but with a lot more action.

As a total film buff, I was really intrigued by this new take on Hamlet. It’s directed by Aneil Karia and set in contemporary London, following a British-South Asian family who run a powerful business. What’s cool is they’ve kept all of Shakespeare’s original language, but reimagined the story as a tense, high-stakes corporate thriller. This version casts Hamlet – here called Ahmed – as a seriously troubled guy at the heart of it all.

I was really blown away by Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet – it was amazing. Then, when I was seventeen, my teacher introduced me to Hamlet. I loved it because, although I appreciate poetry and beautiful language, I think people sometimes get intimidated by Shakespeare. But it’s like listening to music – you don’t need to understand every single word to feel the emotion and energy. Beyond the language itself, I found Shakespeare to be incredibly raw and emotional. It’s often seen as stuffy, and sometimes taught that way, but it really doesn’t have to be.

Hamlet captures a feeling many people experience – the sense that the world is chaotic and overwhelming. The play asks whether it’s us going crazy, or if the world truly is crazy, and that question feels particularly relevant today. We aimed to create a version of the story that felt intensely real and emotionally charged, almost like a thrilling, fast-paced ride. Our director envisioned it as an action thriller, filmed from Hamlet’s perspective – putting the audience right alongside him as he experiences everything. I’m incredibly proud of the unique and impactful version Aneil has created.

Aneil Karia Was Brought On After Working With Ahmed On An Oscar-Winning Rap Video

After Shooting The Music Video, Ahmed Knew Karia Was The Guy For The Job

Their collaboration began in 2020 when they worked together on the music video for Ahmed’s song, The Long Goodbye. This short film later won them an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short at the 2022 Oscars.

Working with people like Aneil and Mike Leslie is amazing. Aneil, the director, actually has a background in rap music videos, which was perfect for this project because we’d already made one together – “The Long Goodbye” – and even won an Oscar for it! It was a really unique blend of poetry and thriller, and it proved we could pull off something special. That’s why we knew he was the right person to tackle Hamlet. When you’re surrounded by such talent, especially writers like Mike, you feel incredibly supported and it’s just a genuinely joyful experience.

Ahmed Prepared Extensively For Sound Of Metal By Spending Time With Deaf Community

Ahmed Learned Through His Sign Language Instructor What It Means To Be A True Listener

I was so impressed with Riz Ahmed in The Long Goodbye, but I first really noticed him with his incredible performance in Sound of Metal. He plays Ruben, a drummer who suddenly and unexpectedly loses his hearing while on tour with his girlfriend, Lou. It’s heartbreaking watching his life fall apart, and then he ends up at a group home for Deaf addicts. I read an interview with Riz on ScreenRant where he talked about how much time he spent with the Deaf community to prepare. He said it wasn’t just about learning sign language, but that the experience fundamentally changed his understanding of what it means to truly listen.

Riz Ahmed had a fascinating experience learning from the Deaf community in New York. His sign language teacher, Jeremy Lee Stone, helped him understand that true listening isn’t about hearing with your ears, but about fully engaging with your attention, body, and energy. He realized you can hear sounds without actually listening. So, instead of blocking out sound, he focused on listening with his eyes, senses, and complete presence, connecting with others in the process. He believes the Deaf community fundamentally changed his understanding of what listening and communication truly mean – it’s about a deeper energetic connection.

Ahmed Sent 14 Self-Tapes For Bodhi Rook Audition

Ahmed Revealed That He Sent 14 Audition Tapes To Director Gareth Edward To Land The Star Wars Role

Though Ahmed has already achieved Oscar success with a win and a nomination, many fans remember him most fondly for his role in Star Wars. He played Bodhi Rook in the 2016 film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He recently shared that director Gareth Edwards initially contacted him, and he then recorded and submitted 14 separate audition tapes, determined to get the part.

Riz Ahmed explained that while he was filming ‘The Night Of,’ director Garreth Edwards contacted him about a role and asked for an audition tape. Ahmed admits he went a little overboard – after getting Edwards’ email address, he relentlessly sent in 14 different audition tapes over just four days, which he now realizes was pretty crazy.

Honestly, each take felt a little different – the clothes, the mood, even how I was doing the accent. I was just experimenting and trying things out. I’m pretty sure the director cast me just to get me to stop pitching ideas! There was even a little segment on the DVD extras about how much I was improvising and driving him crazy, apparently.

More About ScreenRant’s Coffee Chats

Coffee Chats combines casual conversation over coffee with an in-depth look at what our guests are currently working on. Each episode includes segments like ‘Cold Brew Open,’ where we share initial thoughts, a ‘First Sip Synopsis’ offering a quick review, ‘Coffee Callbacks’ where we discuss memorable coffee experiences, and ‘Desert Island Drinks’ where we reveal our ultimate coffee choices – and much more!

Liam Crowley, a reporter and host for ScreenRant, says he loves a good conversation, and a cafe is the perfect place for it. He used to make short ‘coffee review’ videos with friends during his time at Syracuse University. He calls it a dream come true to now expand that simple idea into a full production, especially while interviewing major Hollywood stars.

Rob Keyes, ScreenRant’s Editorial, Branding, and PR Director, explained that when he first spoke with Liam about joining the team, they planned to create more detailed and interesting interviews, including a brand new show. Liam already had a concept in mind, and ‘Coffee Chats’ is exactly what they envisioned – a unique way to connect viewers with prominent figures in the industry while also helping local businesses. They are excited to launch the series and work with local establishments on this project.

For over two decades, ScreenRant has conducted countless interviews with Hollywood’s biggest stars. As ScreenRant Content Director Alex Leadbeater explains, the site has become a familiar face at press events, premieres, and fan conventions. Their new series, Coffee Chats, expands on this history by offering a more relaxed and in-depth interview format.

Coffee Chats was made by Crowley, Keyes, and Leadbeater, with production support from Tiffany Loving, Laura Watson, Sierra Nutkevich, Jacques Reeder, John Aljets, Leah Nucum, Cesar Garcia, Kazden Risk, and Joe O’Shea.

Check out our other Coffee Chats episodes with…

Joel Kinnaman
Noah Centineo
Jack Quaid
Bryce Dallas Howard
Gabriel Luna
Ben Wang
MJF
Liza Koshy
May Hong & Arden Cho
Walker Scobell

2026-04-21 01:45