The first time I saw Riz was in Four Lions. He was hilarious, vulnerable and angry. Then I saw him in Nightcrawler and he was playing a completely different, twitchy, excitable guy. I was just starting to act after years of being a comedian and I thought "I hate this guy."
And then I was watching Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and something very strange happened. I was seeing a guy who looked like me (in my dreams), but a guy of Pakistani descent playing an action hero in a major Hollywood blockbuster. And not just any major Hollywood blockbuster. I saw a guy who looked like me playing an action hero in a Star Wars movie. And I started getting tears in my eyes.
He's kind, he likes good food, and he is passionate about making South Asians feel like they are a valuable part of pop culture and the world at large.
