Riz Ahmed reveals why he sees himself in ‘Hamlet’

Riz Ahmed, the British Pakistani actor, opened up about his personal connection with Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

The Relay actor is starring as the titular character in the upcoming modern adaptation of literary classic.

Ahmed in conversation with the People magazine, shared that as person belonging from Pakistani heritage, during his teenage years, he often felt like an “outsider”, both in school and in British society.

When he first came across the play, he immediately related to the Danish prince.

“I had a really inspirational English teacher who gave it to me,” he said. “And actually, I found a character, the heart of this play, that just feels as much of an outsider as I did at that time.”

Drawing parallels between the lead role’s inner turmoil and his own experiences of cultural displacement and identity struggle, he noted that many people currently feel the same alienation.

The Oscar winner explained, “I think the central question of the play is, ‘Am I losing my mind or has the world gone crazy?’ And I think we are feeling that way.”

Ahmed further said that he finds it powerful that the character resonates with him, especially in a world so focused on differences and divisions.

He continued promoting the project saying that the new adaptation aims to bring Shakespeare’s timeless themes to life in a fresh, relatable way.

He said, “We just wanted to make something that didn't feel like a museum piece.”

Following a premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Hamlet is slated to release on April 10.

It co-stars Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn, Sheeba Chaddha, Avijit Dutt, Art Malik, Timothy Spall and more.

RELATED: Riz Ahmed reminisces about 'Slumdog Millionaire' casting experience