Society
Ahmed and Brother Held at Knifepoint by Skinheads at Age Eight
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
Riz Ahmed: How to Silence Your Inner Critic (And Build REAL Self Worth)
"When I was about 8 years old, me and my brother got put up against a wall by a couple of skinheads. They put a knife to my brother's throat. I remember being 8 years old, looking up at him, and it was just this kind of shocking realization that, oh, I'm different. I'm different in a way that means that I could be in danger."
Riz Ahmed recounted a formative childhood trauma where racist skinheads threatened him and his brother with a knife when Ahmed was only eight years old. This violent encounter was his first awareness that his racial difference could make him a target for violence. Ahmed stated this moment set him on a lifelong journey of navigating identity and code-switching, ultimately influencing his decision to become an actor.
From this episode
On Purpose with Jay Shetty