Ahmed wasn't the first choice to star as a decorated Marine in Amazon's sci-fi film, but after meeting with him, director Michael Pearce questioned, 'Why can’t we diversify the choices of the people that we’re looking for for this part?'
"It Made All of Us Rethink Things That Happened in Our Lives": 'THR Presents' Q&A With 'Tender Bar' Actors Tye Sheridan and Lily Rabe
He continued: “I’ve been a fan of [Riz’s] for such a long time, it just became so exciting the idea of him in this role. He’s got that steel, laser focus and fortitude and grit and determination that I could really imagine him incredibly playing a Marine. And I hadn’t seen him play that before. He’s also got this warmth and humanity in all of his characters, so I thought that father-son dynamic would be very deeply felt on-screen.
After the core family was cast, Ahmed and Janina Gavankar — who plays Malik’s wife Piya Khan — came together to rename the characters of their two sons Jay and Bobby, played by Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada, respectively. “Riz is an old friend, mostly because the Indian-Pakistani-South Asian diaspora, we’re a very tight-knit community and we’re very supportive of each other,” Gavankar said. “Riz and I have been looking for something to do together for a while. So when I signed on to this, I called him and I was like, ‘do you want to name our kids together?’”renaming her own character in the process.
And while Pearce didn’t always have Ahmed in mind for the leading role, the director said that he wrote
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Here's Rihanna, Barbados’ New National Hero, Stunning in a White Mini Dress and BlazerThat National Hero medal is the perfect accessory.
Read more »
Reality Check: The Anti-Choice Agenda Has Always Been Fueled by White SupremacyThe Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization SCOTUS case is an effort to institutionalize American racism, argues Mini Timmaraju, the president of NARAL.
Read more »
Meet The Forbes Under 30 Leading The Green Energy TransitionThese are the 10 standouts on the 2022 list who hold the future of cleantech in their hands.
Read more »
Meet The Upstarts Leading The Digital Recovery: 30 Under 30 In Enterprise TechnologyDigital disruption is the new normal. These engineers and entrepreneurs are here to help.
Read more »
Cardi B Named Playboy’s First Creative Director in ResidenceThe music star is also founding creative director and founding member of Playboy's upcoming creator-led platform, Centerford, expected to launch this month.
Read more »
Former DC mayor spokesman switches parties over Biden presidency, voted for YoungkinA now-former spokesman for District of Columbia Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser told Fox News on Wednesday that President Biden's tenure in office has led him to change party affiliation.
Read more »