Riz Ahmed has revealed he was banned from a supermarket after being falsely accused of shoplifting.
The celebrated British actor is best known for his roles In Rogue One, Venom, and Nightcrawler, becoming an Oscar winner in 2022 for his short film The Long Goodbye. However, in a new interview with GQ, he discussed how rising to fame did not always mean his personal life was running smoothly.
As an example, he recalled a time just after Venom was released when he was banned from a branch of Tesco in Old Kent Road, London. “They thought I was shoplifting,” he recalled. “My washing machine was broken, so I had one of those massive laundry bags full of all my laundry, and the only clothes I had were insane – I had [on] this bright green puffer and pink fucking swim shorts or something.”
Having set off the alarm falsely, security intervened. “They banned me,” he said. “And again, the texts are coming in: ‘Bro, you’re smashing it.’”
Ahmed is currently starring in the Prime Video comedy Bait, about an actor who suffers an identity crisis when he becomes linked to the role of James Bond.
Speaking on his feelings about the iconic role, he said: “on some level, everyone wants that role. It’s the pinnacle of cinematic achievement, alpha masculinity, desirability, career success. It’s like being crowned. There was an element or part of me that wanted it, but I never thought there was a massive risk that it would happen.”
Bait premieres on March 25.
Last year, Ahmed discussed the medical condition that saw him hospitalised while shooting Star Wars prequel Rogue One. “I was building myself up from scratch” he said. “It was super scary and intense and quite prolonged, actually. For a minute, I was like, ‘Am I ever going to get my life back?’
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