RIZ AHMED Has a Real Life Heist Story

Summary

Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers: Riz Ahmed Shares a Real-Life Heist Story

Released on July 29, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers, hosts Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers welcome acclaimed actor Riz Ahmed to share his unique and thrilling real-life heist story. The conversation weaves through Riz's upbringing in London, his journey in the acting world, and an unforgettable family trip that mirrors the very essence of a movie plot. This detailed summary captures the essence of their lively discussion, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. Warm Welcome and Initial Banter [00:00 – 08:38]

The episode kicks off with Seth and Josh exchanging friendly greetings and reminiscing about a special live episode recorded in Amsterdam. They share humorous anecdotes about their parents' reactions to the podcast, highlighting the familial bond and light-hearted mistakes made, such as Riz accidentally texting a less-than-seemly comment to their family group chat.

Notable Quote:

• Seth Meyers [00:28]: “I've never, in over 1600 episodes of late night, not once has one of the guests come over and told me what they thought of the other guests. These are friends of theirs.”

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2. Introducing Riz Ahmed: Background and Early Life [08:38 – 25:18]

Riz Ahmed delves into his childhood in Wembley, a diverse suburb of northwest London, drawing parallels to neighborhoods like Jackson Heights in New York. He discusses the cultural dynamics of his family, emphasizing the role of language and humor. Riz shares memories of watching British comedies like "50-50," which, despite language barriers, left a lasting impact on his comedic sensibilities.

Notable Quotes:

• Riz Ahmed [12:05]: “Wembley is like Jackson Heights in New York, super diverse immigrant neighborhood.”
• Riz Ahmed [21:31]: “I remember just curled up on the sofa with my mom watching these parks, the Pakistani version of SNL.”

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3. Sibling Dynamics and Family Influence [25:18 – 36:11]

The conversation shifts to the influence of siblings in Riz's life. He explains how his older brother and sister became akin to parental figures, offering support and guidance that his immigrant parents, navigating a new country, sometimes couldn’t provide. Riz emphasizes the profound impact siblings have on personal growth and emotional support.

Notable Quote:

• Riz Ahmed [13:41]: “Siblings shape you massively. They are your closest friends and your worst enemies and your parents all at the same time.”

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4. Navigating the Acting Career and Parental Support [36:11 – 43:53]

Riz discusses his foray into acting, highlighting his parents' cautious yet supportive stance. They encouraged him to pursue his passion while ensuring he had a backup plan, reflecting common immigrant family values of stability and practicality. Riz recounts touching moments with his father, who recognized his achievements but remained grounded.

Notable Quote:

• Riz Ahmed [26:08]: “They were like, alright, look, if you love this, good luck. We're here. Just make sure you have a backup plan.”

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5. The Unforgettable Heist: A Real-Life Movie Plot [43:53 – 58:44]

The centerpiece of the episode is Riz’s recounting of a harrowing incident during a family trip related to his film work. While relocating from California to New York for a movie titled Relay, Riz and his family entrusted their belongings to a moving company. The van carrying their possessions was robbed, leading to a frantic search for their belongings. In a twist fitting of a movie plot, Riz’s wife undertook a detective-like investigation to recover their precious items, including a cherished journal. Their persistence paid off when the journal was miraculously returned, highlighting themes of resilience and fate.

Notable Quotes:

• Riz Ahmed [51:27]: “Our stuff gets packed into a van, and we get to New York, and our stuff doesn’t turn up. Then we find out the van was targeted in a robbery.”
• Seth Meyers [56:45]: “It's so funny. I've never thought to ask anybody...”

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6. Reflections on the Experience and Lessons Learned [58:44 – 66:59]

Riz reflects on how this experience intertwined with his professional work, noting the eerie similarities between his real-life ordeal and the narrative of Relay. He shares insights into the unpredictability of life and the importance of flexibility and support within a family. The hosts express admiration for Riz’s ability to navigate such a challenging situation with grace and humor.

Notable Quotes:

• Riz Ahmed [60:07]: “This is gonna set you up for a really easy transition into school. You don't wanna speak English.”
• Josh Meyers [63:05]: “Relay is the movie and it's out in August. Check it out, everybody.”

---

7. Fun and Light-Hearted Moments: Speed Round [66:39 – 68:33]

The episode concludes with a playful speed round, where Riz answers quick-fire questions about his preferences and hypothetical scenarios. This segment showcases Riz’s personable nature and sense of humor, further endearing him to listeners.

Notable Quotes:

• Riz Ahmed [64:07]: “It's changed. It would have been adventurous now. Definitely relaxing.”
• Riz Ahmed [65:05]: “Probably the Simpsons. I watched that show probably more than anything else ever.”

---

Conclusion

This episode of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers offers listeners a captivating blend of humor, heartfelt storytelling, and insightful reflections from Riz Ahmed. From his multicultural upbringing to navigating unexpected life challenges, Riz provides a narrative that is both entertaining and inspiring. The Meyers brothers skillfully guide the conversation, allowing Riz's personality and experiences to shine through, making it a must-listen for fans and new listeners alike.

Final Notable Quote:

• Riz Ahmed [63:05]: “It’s a trip, you know? It was this kind of crazy experience. But really, the stuff you really care about is that it's like baby pics and a journal.”

---

Key Takeaways:

• Cultural Heritage: Riz’s British-Pakistani upbringing significantly shaped his worldview and career.
• Family Support: The role of siblings as surrogate parents in immigrant families.
• Resilience: Overcoming unexpected challenges through determination and family support.
• Reflection: How real-life experiences can mirror creative work, enriching both personal and professional lives.

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Recommended For: Listeners interested in personal stories that bridge cultural backgrounds, the acting industry, and unexpected life events that feel straight out of a movie script.

Where to Listen: Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers on all major podcast platforms every Tuesday for new episodes filled with family memories, travel stories, and delightful guest interactions.

Transcript

[Sufi]

Hey, Pashi.

[Pashi]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

How are you?

[Pashi]

I'm good.

[Sufi]

How's your summer going?

[Pashi]

It's good. I mean, you know, we had that trip to Amsterdam, which was just great.

[Sufi]

Fantastic.

[Pashi]

Then I had that trip to Las Vegas. And now I've just got like six weeks in LA before the next thing happens. And the weather's been great. We've been having these nice gray mornings that I'm a big fan of. And yeah, I'm just enjoying being home.

[Sufi]

You know, we did that special live episode in Amsterdam and I'm really glad everybody had a chance to finally see it. Yeah, mom and dad got a chance to see it as well.

[Pashi]

Oh yeah, dad. Dad texted us on the family text thread and he said, watched that podcast. It's the first time we've watched on video. And that was the end of the comment. And then I made. I don't know if it was the mistake.

[Sufi]

Terrible mistake. I almost side texted you to say, what are you thinking?

[Pashi]

Then you want to tell everyone what I texted?

[Sufi]

Yeah, you said, what did you think?

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Which is a little bit like Pandora saying, I wonder what's in this little box. Here's the thing. I want to just start with the positives.

[Riz Ahmed]

Sure.

[Sufi]

You know what? I'm going to end with the positives because it's not my place to give us notes via dad on our own podcast. He thought he and mom were the best.

[Pashi]

He said. I mean, should I just read what he wrote?

[Sufi]

Well, I don't want any shade to get thrown on our other guests.

[Pashi]

Okay, well, okay then.

[Sufi]

Yeah, he thought they were the best. But I did echo back to mom and dad. Not echo back, but I did say, you know, I've Never, in over 1600 episodes of late Night, not once has one of the guests come over and told me what they thought of the other guests. Yeah, again, these are friends of theirs.

[Pashi]

Yeah. But he's, he's reviewing it as a consumer, as a.

[Sufi]

Dad's very good at stepping out of. He can wear, he can wear two hats. Yeah. Yeah.

[Pashi]

Doesn't usually wear hats. He says if you wear hats you'll go bald. So yeah, he likes to wear a visor when he golfs. And he has a very lovely head of hair.

[Sufi]

He does have a good head of hair. I will say. Like I long was sort of waiting, sitting in wait of dad going bald so I could say, haha, I guess your hat plan didn't work. But yeah, yeah, he's got a nice head of hair.

[Pashi]

He's got lots of plans and theories. Anytime he's sick. He just eats white food. Yeah. That's his. And no doctor has ever said that, but no.

[Sufi]

Yeah. It's like toast. Rice is a big thing. He thinks you should.

[Pashi]

I feel like potatoes.

[Sufi]

I feel like potatoes.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah. I don't think any doctors ever said that for anything. Yeah. I would say, in general, a doctor would say, like, you've got to cut out white foods.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Dad used to always. Every time I would try to stay home, which was effective. I stayed home from school all the time. Right.

[Pashi]

Just being like, I got a quiz or something or.

[Sufi]

Yeah. But I'd be like, I got a sore throat. And he would say, come downstairs, have a. You have to have some tea and toast and you'll feel better. But I had a great game plan, which is he, you know, had such a long commute to Boston that I would like just. He would have to leave before I would have to leave to go to actual school. Right. And so I just knew if I could run out the clock and he had to get in the car, then I would just turn mom and I'd be like, the tea and toast isn't taken.

[Pashi]

Didn't work.

[Sufi]

I gave it the best effort I could, but it's a no go.

[Pashi]

Yeah. And she was very sympathetic to any.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

Any discomfort we were experiencing.

[Sufi]

My mom is one of the, I believe, the only teacher who ever retired in New Hampshire that had no holdover sick days.

[Pashi]

She took all.

[Sufi]

She took them all. They were. Usually they were like, we can't believe it. We thought the accounting was wrong, but it turns out you took. She thought those were. She did not think those were to be saved for a medical crisis. She believed those were hers to do with as she pleased. And one of the things she pleased to do was stay home with her children.

[Pashi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Quick note about the songs on the pod.

[Sufi]

Oh, what is it?

[Pashi]

I mentioned in an intro, I feel like I was maybe a little bit grumpy, but I was like, you know, I. I record these things and I put them on video and like 300 people watch them. Which I'm thankful to those 300 people for watching them. If they weren't doing it, then I would definitely not be doing it anymore. But then the numbers upticked pretty significantly because people were like, have said in the comments, we didn't know these were here.

[Sufi]

Yeah, that's good. Sometimes it's, you know, I think ultimately you were not at fault for telling people it was there. We just preferred if you'd be a little bit less Grumpy about it. Yeah, that I think is I could.

[Pashi]

Be less grumpy about a lot of things, I think.

[Sufi]

So that's some feedback you could take with you. Yeah, sort of. Anywhere you go. Yeah, I, I, I hosted a charity function this weekend and I feel as though this shows a lot of growth for me.

[Pashi]

Just doing anything for charity.

[Sufi]

No, I feel like I've been there for a while. And also, I don't appreciate the way you said that, but the kids were there and Addie again, couldn't be cuter. Kept coming up on stage. First time, so cute, you know, Second, third, fourth time, you know, diminishing returns. Not her fault.

[Pashi]

Right?

[Sufi]

But at the same time I was like, what am I gonna do about it? You just gotta go with the flow. You know what I mean? I know it's not the best, but it's better than me sort of being unhappy on stage. You know, we're out here for a good cause.

[Pashi]

Yeah. You didn't like snap at Alexi to.

[Sufi]

Be like, get her. I did her. I did stage. That was all my inside voice. And then, but then like the fifth time she came up, I had just said one of the auction items was, hey, there's gonna be this, a special event every Sunday in August. And you know, if you, if you win, you get to go to the event. You have preferred seating at the event. And it had been an auction item that my mother in law had told me about only an hour earlier. And so I finished the whole intro and then Addie comes up and again, it's like the fifth time she's coming up and so, and then she comes over to whisper in my ear. Now, I should say 100% of the time she's whispered in my ear. Up to this moment, she has said poop.

[Pashi]

Oh, yeah. Well, we FaceTime the other day and.

[Sufi]

She, yeah, that's like, she just likes to whisper poop to people. I'm hopeful she'll outgrow it, but, you know, who knows? Be a bummer if she didn't. But she comes up and she whispers in my ear. It was crazy. Again, imagine all you've ever heard is poop from a, you know, not even four year old. And this time they come up and goes, the event has moved to Sundays. No, she goes, the event has moved to Monday. And I'm like, what? And she calls my mother in law, Jojo. She goes, jojo wanted me to tell you the event is now Monday. And it was like, literally, I couldn't believe it. It was like she was like a stage manager at a. At the Oscars. So now I'm like, now I'm a little mad, Posh.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Now there's an auctioneer on stage as well. But I'm like, what? So I get up and I walk all the way down to my mother in law. I'm like, the auction item you told me about a hour ago is different than what you told me. She's like, yes. And I go, and you sent Addie to tell me?

[Riz Ahmed]

She's like, yes.

[Sufi]

But I get the thing. I. Well, I'm now as I'm retelling the story, like the takeaway was just Addie crushed it.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Just did what she was supposed to do. I was very, you know, very proud of her because I know, like her the fact that, you know, she wanted to whisper poop, but she realized I have something else to tell him. Right? Yeah.

[Pashi]

Yeah. Well, next time she whispers to you, probably.

[Sufi]

Yeah. It's gotta be. Boop.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Riz Ahmed is our guest today.

[Pashi]

Love this dude.

[Sufi]

Fantastic actor. There's so many different things you could know him from. He was on Girls. He was in Rogue One. Sound of Metal, Oscar nominated three lions. Is it three lions?

[Pashi]

Four. I believe it's four.

[Sufi]

Four lions, right? Yeah. Famously four lions on the. Yeah, the English crest. Yeah.

[Pashi]

And.

[Sufi]

And. And also a delightful conversation with this. This fantastic actor.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

You got anything else to add, Posh? You ready to get into it?

[Pashi]

I think we get into it.

[Sufi]

Let's get into it, people. Got stuff to do. Let's hear somebody else talk for once.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

Family chips with the M Brothers. Family chips with. That is.

[Sufi]

Here.

[Riz Ahmed]

Go.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

What's up, man? I'm excited to talk with you guys.

[Pashi]

I love it.

[Sufi]

We're.

[Pashi]

I mean, longtime fan, firsttime convo for me with you.

[Sufi]

But yeah, we were. We sometimes do this thing with guests where before you jump on, we basically realized you've been in seven things we kind of forgot we loved. Like, you're so good at just. You're also one of those actors when I. You're so good that I sometimes think, wait, did Riz lose his hearing? And then I'm like, no, no, that was. That was sounding metal. He just convincingly lost his hearing on camera.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, man. Well, listen, it's my goal above all else to be forgotten in movies, so I'm glad you guys have, you know, not forgotten.

[Pashi]

Not forgotten.

[Sufi]

Not forgotten. You just sometimes you're like, wait, because, I mean, I guess because four lions. We didn't. You maybe probably the first time we had seen you. I'm trying to think, you know, that's right. And so you sometimes forget, like, oh.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, that was back in the day. It's weird because that movie, I mean, that's such a kind of cult classic in the uk, but that's because it's. The humor is so British. So it's a movie that really doesn't travel that well, particularly in America. I remember when there was the first screening for it at Sundance Film Festival in America, all the Brits in the audience were like, cackling.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

You stepped out. And the Americans literally, like I said, so what do you think? And they were like, devastating.

[Sufi]

It is. No, I mean, we. We loved it.

[Pashi]

We grew up watching, you know, Masterpiece Theater on PBS with our parents, and then right after that was Monty Python. So from a very young age, we've been sort of mainlining that. That British humor.

[Sufi]

And then there was, I mean, and Chris Morris, who directed it. I remember when I started at snl, there were people who had, like, the different region DVD player at their apartment just so they could watch, like, Brass Eye, because they weren't. You couldn't even watch it on this is. This is Dating Me. When you're like, you had to have a different dvd.

[Riz Ahmed]

You could almost not even watch it in the UK because they got banned. Yeah, they got banned from tv. They got pulled off the air when they did the Day To Day. So it was like such an amazing group of people. It was like Steve Coogan, Chris Morris, Armando Yannucci, Patrick Marber. And they all kind of cut their teeth on this extremely intensely bizarre, provocative, and dark comedy that we probably can't even talk about on this podcast, right? Yeah.

[Pashi]

I mean, we can use all the.

[Riz Ahmed]

Advertisers if we do that.

[Sufi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you grew up. You grew up in a suburb of London?

[Riz Ahmed]

That's right. Yeah. I grew up in northwest London in Wembley. I think for American listeners, a good kind of analog for that is kind of like Jackson Heights in New York, maybe in Queens, you know, super diverse immigrant neighborhood, Real kind of mix of people. And obviously, if you're a soccer fan, famous from the stadium, which we could hear from, you know, when we'd be playing soccer in the park, you know, as kids, we could always hear the fans in Wembley if there was a Cup Final on.

[Sufi]

And what is. What was the local team for you in northwest London?

[Riz Ahmed]

I mean, there's so many London teams, but I guess you could make an argument qpr, because it's northwest London or Arsenal because it's North London or Chelsea. Because it's West London. I've got to be honest, though, I'm just a troll who doesn't really support anyone.

[Sufi]

Great.

[Riz Ahmed]

But will pick the side that whoever I'm talking to will probably hate the most. Just whoever they've just lost to, you know, that kind of thing.

[Pashi]

That's who you support.

[Sufi]

Yeah. That's very nice that you admit that, because that's not a great quality, Riz. That's not a great quality.

[Riz Ahmed]

That's a really bad sign about who I am as a man.

[Sufi]

So one sibling, is that right?

[Riz Ahmed]

No, I've got two, actually. Yeah. Older brother and an older sister, so I'm the youngest.

[Sufi]

Gotcha.

[Riz Ahmed]

So not too far apart. It's like five years between me and my sister, almost three years between me and my brother. But, you know, kind of interesting thing happens, I think, in a lot of families and I think particularly kind of children of immigrants, where there's certain terrain that your parents maybe aren't able to navigate as fluidly and. And so in a weird way, your siblings kind of become your parents. Yeah, in a way as well. There's certain stuff you can only take to them. Yeah, this. This. The kind of gap in experience and frames of reference is just so big that that kind of happens. So, yeah, they're siblings and they're quite close to me in age, but at different points in my life, they have been like parents to me, which is, you know, disturbed them massively, but was great for me.

[Sufi]

Did they embrace it? Do you feel like they appreciated they were going to be better counsel for you than your parents would?

[Riz Ahmed]

Probably not.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

Probably not. Yeah, they were. I think it was. No, no. I mean, in all seriousness, I think that this probably happens in. With a lot of siblings. You know, these dynamics are so. There's so much more complex. I mean, I feel like in therapy we talk a lot about what, how your parents shaped you, but actually, siblings shape you massively. Yeah, don't they? Because they have that. They're kind of your closest friends and your worst enemies and your parents all at the same time. And they're there the whole time.

[Sufi]

Well, also birth order. I've got three. And it's realizing how much birth order will play a role in who they are as people is fascinating to me.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah. How do you think it's shaped you?

[Sufi]

I mean, I went first, and I'm the oldest, and I think, you know, I'm well rounded and, you know, whereas Josh is the younger one and he's Just, you know, he can't do anything.

[Pashi]

I saw mistakes not to be made. Not to be made.

[Sufi]

Yeah. No, actually, Josh, I. Weirdly, like, there's a lot of times where I feel like Josh is. Is strangely the older brother, even though I've got two years on him. So we. We might not be the best example. We might not be.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah. But two years kind of becomes nothing, you know, by the time we get to our age. Right. When you're like, 9 and 7, it's like an eternity. But, yeah, at this point, you know, you guys in your mid-60s now, it means nothing. It really. It's. It's kind of. It could be any which way.

[Pashi]

I have to put my. My filter. My softening filter on. If that's what you think, Riz, how.

[Riz Ahmed]

Do you blur your foreground on Z? I want to click that button.

[Sufi]

I want you to see the painting on the wall, but I don't want you to see me at all. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support for family trips comes from Airbnb. Hey, Bashi.

[Pashi]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

You know, I can't say enough about the trip we just took to Amsterdam. And I can't say enough about just having drawer space. Oh, yeah. Do you want me to say more about this?

[Pashi]

I. Yeah, I really do.

[Sufi]

You know, when you have a home and you are an Airbnb host, you're basically giving over your home to people who are going to stay there. And your home usually has drawers that are adequate for people who are traveling, even people who are traveling with two suitcases full of gear. And that was the most lovely thing. You just show up, you unpack. Sometimes I feel like when you have limited space, you're living out of your suitcase for a few days, and the room just feels a little cluttered, and then your mind gets cluttered. You know, Pashi, how my mind gets cluttered?

[Riz Ahmed]

Mm.

[Sufi]

So everything was neat, everything was tidy. And I feel like it was just part of the wonderful experience of being in somebody's home.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

I also. I mean, I had friends who were out there at the same time as us, and they were staying on a houseboat. Like, house. There's not a hotel. Houseboat. Hotel. But no, with an Airbnb can get yourself a houseboat. Experience the city the way. The way Dutch people who are super lucky experience it.

[Sufi]

Support comes from naked wines. Hey, Bajeet.

[Pashi]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

Have you ever walked into a wine store and just said, you know what? I'm out. I'm too confused. I don't like it.

[Pashi]

Yeah, they. They can be intimidating.

[Sufi]

It's too much wine. I know this is a weird thing to say about a wine store. There's too much wine in there.

[Pashi]

Yeah. I also don't like if, like, you just want to browse and then all of a sudden there's some, like, wine snob on your shoulder.

[Sufi]

I once walked into a store in LA in Beverly Hills. I was about to host the Golden Globes, and they snootied me right out of there.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, really?

[Sufi]

Yeah. I think I wasn't dressed the way people usually dress when they walk in there.

[Pashi]

Yeah, that's. That tracks.

[Sufi]

That tracks with what you know about me and the way I dress.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yep.

[Sufi]

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[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

And, Josh, just to get ahead of what I'm sure will be the question for most of our listeners, do you have to be naked while you drink the wine?

[Pashi]

No, you don't. Yeah, but I mean, you know me. I'm a bath guy, so doesn't hurt to be in the tub.

[Sufi]

In the tub. Glass of cab.

[Pashi]

Mm.

[Sufi]

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[Pashi]

Woo.

[Sufi]

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[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

I saw it in action when you picked up the bill last time I was in la.

[Pashi]

Well, you didn't have your wallet or your phone.

[Sufi]

Oh, my phone was in my pocket. But you love your Apple Card, right?

[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

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[Pashi]

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[Pashi]

When you were very young, you spoke Urdu at home and you learned English at school.

[Riz Ahmed]

That's right.

[Pashi]

So did your siblings speak English before you did?

[Riz Ahmed]

It's a highly frustrating situation. Josh, thank you. We're getting straight to the triggers.

[Sufi]

Yeah, we like.

[Pashi]

I mean, they were older.

[Sufi]

I'm sorry, Riz, you just told us we looked like we were 60 years old. We were going to wait another 10 minutes for the triggers.

[Riz Ahmed]

The gloves are off. Gloves are off. Yeah. So like my, my. Wow. Super Freudian. I was about to say my parents obviously went to school before me, but what I meant to say was my siblings obviously went to school before me because they were slightly older. So they would come home and be speaking in English. And I just remember just running around the house going. Which means you have to spe Urdu in the home. Which they didn't. But it's kind of. I don't know, I kind of feel like I'm very pleased and very lucky that my parents just spoke to us in Urdu. I don't think it was a conscious choice. It was just the most natural thing for them to speak in. And actually all my. So many of my formative kind of TV shows and sketch comedy shows in particular that I'd watch were all VHS tapes that had been brought back by someone from Pakistan.

[Sufi]

Wow. So all my.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, those early years, it'd just be like curled up on the sofa with my mom all winter, just watching these parks. The Pakistani version of snl.

[Sufi]

Yeah, I know, it's. I. And that was. Was that a very popular show it was.

[Riz Ahmed]

It was a show called 50 50.

[Sufi]

Okay.

[Riz Ahmed]

And I'm pretty confident that both the. Obviously the language, but also all the humor would be lost in translation.

[Sufi]

Right.

[Riz Ahmed]

So don't watch it. But it's. Yeah, it was. It was just kind of. It was. It was what was really cool about it, in a way, which is it was. You know, it was aimed at adults, but I was just kind of watching it as a kid. You know, me and my mom at home, we were just very close. We were kind of like best friends. And. Yeah, I still remember some of those. Some of that humor to this day. I just feel like. I feel like everyone saw it because it was such a massive part of my upbringing. Like, you remember that thing with the, like. No. No one. No one seen this. No British Pakistanis of my generation have seen this. A very specific, like, early 80s VHS tapes.

[Sufi]

It's very funny. Cause I've talked to, you know, I've had a lot of, you know, immigrants that I've interviewed over the years. And so many of them have said, like, the leap for them wasn't school, but it was watching English language television. And it's interesting that your mom, in a way, was just like, I'm gonna help you develop a very adult Pakistani sense of humor. Like, I'm not gonna help you.

[Riz Ahmed]

This is gonna set you up for a really easy transition into school. You don't wanna speak English. All your jokes are gonna be musical. They're gonna be musical comedy. So there is that. You know, when I really think about it, I don't know when we actually started watching English. English tv, because I don't know if you guys know this, but the biggest soap operas, particularly throughout the 80s and 90s in the UK, were Australian.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

So we all just watched Home and Away and Neighbors.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

And so that was. And the reason for that is because, you know, in Britain, we have this tradition of being miserable. Right. And so when no one had a kind of escapist, aspirational soap opera to turn to, the way you guys did in America, you had Dallas. So we'd watch Dallas, and then for our hit of, like, Sunshine and Surfing, we'd watch Neighbors and Home and Away. So I didn't really start watching British TV for a very long time.

[Pashi]

When did, like, was. Do you remember eastenders starting, like.

[Riz Ahmed]

Because I remember it, but we just never watched it in my house. Yeah, we just. But the whole family would sit down and tune into Neighbors and Home and Away. And then when anyone would kiss, you know, the protocol is everyone had to put their hands over their eyes for a second, and whoever was sat closest to my mom or dad would get a whack for like, how dare you. We talk misbehaving. Not a big whack. Just like, what.

[Sufi]

What do you mean?

[Riz Ahmed]

So you'd kind of strategically pass the remote to your sibling as the kissing scene's about to start. So they got. They got the blame for what the screenwriters had decided would happen.

[Sufi]

Did you. Did you continue to talk Urdu at home with your family? Did it ever. Did that switch?

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah. No. I mean, I guess once you start going to school, you know, it's just extra hassle and, you know, math or whatever to do in your head. So, yeah, definitely went for many, many years with. They'd speak to me in Urdu. I'd respond in English. Now we kind of speak in both. But I think in a way, like, one of the cool things about, you know, this job is you get to learn and sometimes relearn things. So I did a movie with Mira Nair in 2011 called the reluctant Fundamental. And in it, I had to play someone from Pakistan, which is very different to being, like, British Asian, you know.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

And. And so I had to really get my Urdu up for that and, you know, poetry and news and, you know, really trying to kind of pass myself off as someone who's a native speaker, fluent speaker, that doesn't have an accent and any of that kind of stuff. So I really kind of reconnected to my Urdu speaking back then, just like, you know, 14, 13 years ago or something. And so now I really enjoy speaking to them in Urdu. You know, I really enjoy being able to switch in that way. And, you know, now I have a kid myself. Is something that I'm really eager to try and pass on, but I'm pretty sure I'll fail because it doesn't. It just doesn't quite come totally naturally to me. You know, my. I dream in English. It's, you know.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it's.

[Riz Ahmed]

My first language is English now.

[Sufi]

So were your parents excited about the fact that all of a sudden, late in life, you were getting better at it?

[Riz Ahmed]

I think they were, yeah. They were less excited than I'd hoped they'd be.

[Sufi]

That's always the way. That's always.

[Riz Ahmed]

I thought maybe I'd get some kind of pat on the back for this. It'd be like, yeah, what's the big deal? I've been doing that my whole life.

[Sufi]

Were they excited about your path as an actor? I mean, I know you went to it you know, university, you'd already made that choice. Was that something they supported?

[Riz Ahmed]

It was. It was something they supported. But I think they had a very sane, rational response that most parents of any background would have when the kid says, want to be an actor? Which is, please, God, don't do this.

[Sufi]

Right.

[Riz Ahmed]

You know, it's. It's just. It's such a lottery, you know, and you guys know this. It's like there's so many incredibly talented people that don't get the break. It's so much. There's so much luck involved. And I. I really. And actually, I'm joking a little bit, because they didn't say, please, God, don't do this. They didn't say that at all. I should be clear about that. They were like, all right, look, if you love this, good luck. You know, we're here. Just make sure you have a backup plan. And. And, you know, good luck, basically.

[Sufi]

Did you have. And you probably didn't have the heart to tell him that rapping was your backup plan, Right?

[Riz Ahmed]

This podcast is going to be the first time they realize that. Thanks for. Thanks for outing me, man. This is so. This is going to be solo therapy, not family therapy.

[Sufi]

If they actually. It turns out they were a huge fan of Riz mc. They just had never made the connection.

[Riz Ahmed]

This guy. Be more like, this guy. This guy's cool. But, you know, the funny thing is, is, like, yeah, my parents was super, cautiously supportive, I'd say, and, you know, obviously very proud, you know, when. When things turned out okay. But the thing that's really funny is I remember when I did my first kind of. In about, like, 2013, I did this film called Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

And it was like, one of the first. You know, that. And Reluctant Fundamentalists was like, you know, the first movies I was doing in America. And I was like, wow. Like, these people. I've watched their movies, and now I'm in a film with Kate Hudson and Jake Gyllenhaal and really admired these people. These are people who my dad recognizes, which is. That's a shift. Right?

[Sufi]

You know what I mean?

[Riz Ahmed]

It's like, okay, cool, you did a British indie film. I don't care. I'm watching 50 50. That's, like, one thing. And then it's like, okay, yeah, that guy seems familiar. I've seen him in xyz. And I remember when I came back from Toronto or some film festival, and I was like, yeah, you know, it was cool. We had a film at this festival. And I remember going up into my childhood bedroom and kind of having a moment and going, like, man, I remember being in here thinking, I wonder if I can make it work as an actor. And this is kind of emotional and, you know, who knows what will happen from here on in? But this is a great moment for me just personally, you know, to gone done this film and come back and my dad comes in and smiles and looks at me. And I remember thinking, he's having the exact same thought right now. This is going to be a rare moment of emotional connection across culture and generations. And I was sat on the edge of my bed, and he came and sat down next to me and he looked at me and he put his hand on my shoulder, and I was going to tear up at this point. That's all it takes, right? And then he said, you know, it's not too late to become a banker. I was like, what? He was like, you've done it now. You did a movie and went to America. What's the. What do you want to do? What are you going to do now? So I think that kind of cautiously support if they. That backup plan thing is still very much alive and kicking.

[Sufi]

That's really funny. I went home, I had a, you know, my. Our parents, our mom sort of keeps our bedrooms shrines to us. And I went back recently, and on the bookshelf is a book they bought, like, the 25th anniversary of SNL. They bought me that book for, like, a Christmas present. And I remember I was like, holding it and the same. My mom was like, oh, do you want to bring that home with you? And I'm like, oh, no, I don't. You know, I don't need to bring it home with me. She goes, okay, because I think we might throw all this stuff away. I was like, oh, I kind of liked that it was here. She's like, oh. I was like, this is a nice memory. She's like, oh, really? Because we thought it was garbage, by the way. I, I just. Because you mentioned him. I, Jake Gyllenhaal gave my son a haircut.

[Riz Ahmed]

Doesn't he do that? It's a weird thing he does to everyone.

[Sufi]

He buzzed my son's hair. So that.

[Riz Ahmed]

Cute is. Why did he do that? Was this something you asked him to do or was it.

[Sufi]

Yeah, we. Well, no, it's more my son.

[Riz Ahmed]

Thank.

[Sufi]

My son ran into Jake Gyllenhaal and, and said, I want a haircut like him. And then Jake, to his credit, said, I'll give it to you. And he was like, great.

[Pashi]

Yeah. This haircut takes zero skill to give.

[Sufi]

Zero skill. Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

And then I said I was, I.

[Sufi]

Should say I wasn't there. It, it, I was not there when it happened. And my wife was with, with Axel. And then afterwards I said to Jake, I go, thanks so much for doing that. He goes, I'll never forget what he said. When I finished, he looked at me and said, thanks, John.

[Riz Ahmed]

I love it. I love it.

[Pashi]

Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors.

[Sufi]

Support comes from uplift desk. Hey, Bhaji.

[Pashi]

Hey Sufi.

[Sufi]

I went to your apartment, got a big old uplift desk.

[Pashi]

I do.

[Sufi]

I love it.

[Pashi]

I love it so much. And you know, I showed it off to our friend Jill the other day and she's like, why do you stand on this like little like rockerboard.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

And it's so I stay active. Because when you're sitting at a desk all day, you really, you're just sitting. You're so, I mean, sedentary.

[Sufi]

Yeah, I'm sitting most of the day. I will be honest.

[Pashi]

Yeah. And you just feel better. You're not like insanely active, but you're more active. You got your little leg muscles twitching and, and I just don't get as tired. I don't sort of. I feel like I can work for longer and it's great.

[Sufi]

I really love it. Your little pashi's little noodle legs are just going back and forth.

[Pashi]

It's a beautiful desk. Like that's something that I kind of can't get over.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it's big.

[Pashi]

It has changed the room entirely.

[Sufi]

Also, it's customizable. There's over 200,000 desk combinations to match your space, style and workflow. Your workday doesn't have to leave you feeling worn out. Go to upliftdesk.com trips and use our code TRIPS to get four free accessories, free same day shipping, free returns and an industry leading 15 year warranty that covers your entire desk plus an extra discount off your entire order. That's uplifT-E-S-K.com trips for this exclusive offer. It's only available through our link. Support comes from Blueland. Hey, Bhaji Yasuvi, you know what I don't care for?

[Pashi]

What's that?

[Sufi]

Microplastics.

[Pashi]

Oh man. You rail on microplastics.

[Sufi]

I might even like them less than I like macroplastics.

[Pashi]

Yeah. Which you're also not a fan of.

[Sufi]

But here's the thing. If you're using detergent pods Your clean might not be as clean as you think. 90% of parents are concerned about microplastics and cleaning products. The other 10% are just saying go nuts. Yeah.

[Pashi]

I mean, they're not great parents.

[Sufi]

You've seen those parents, Reesa, you know what I'm talking about. The playground causing trouble.

[Pashi]

Yeah. They regret that they're parents.

[Sufi]

Yeah. I think a lot of them, you can see in their dead eyes, they regret that their parents. But if you're, if your eyes are full of light, with love for your children and you're worried about microplastics, you can soothe your anxiety. And this is the number one thing I've done around the house to limit my microplastic intake. I've made the switch Pasche to Blueland. Across all the cleaning products around my house, their products meet the highest standard of clean. They're effective, yet gentle. Oh, I love gentle. Pashi.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Both my family and Planet Blueland was also named an EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year. From cleaning sprays and toilet bowl cleaner to dishwasher and laundry detergent tablets, Blueland's formulas are 100 microplastic free, made with certified cleaning ingredients, free from chlorine, bleach and harsh chemicals that are safe to use around my family, my pets, my plants. I love not having to choose between the safe option and what actually gets my house clean. Pacha, you use Blue lan. What do you prefer?

[Pashi]

I mean, I use it sort of housewide as well on everything. I like the dishwasher tablets. I just like that they're not these sort of like little plastic pods that are clearly full of chemicals and sort of weird liquid goofy. These are just sort of a nice, tight compressed tablet. No extra water, which means no extra money for shipping. I got water, sue, you got water.

[Sufi]

And you like, and you like to keep it tight.

[Pashi]

And I did.

[Sufi]

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[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

Here we go. Did you guys. Did you ever go back? Was Pakistan a vacation or a place you guys went back to?

[Riz Ahmed]

No, I've been there, like, a couple times. I went, yeah, I went when I was 2 to get circumcised, just to kind of make a part. Yeah, obviously everyone's celebrating, apart from you. Actually, my earliest memory then I went back when I was like, 15 and then 18. The 18 was a really. Was. Was a fun trip that was. That was kind of nuts. And then. And then after that, it was more for work. So I did a movie when I was like, 23. I went there, then I went back in 2018. So it's kind of like, you know, twice that I can consciously remember as family trips. So I never. Yeah, I've never thought of it as home, you know, obviously.

[Sufi]

Did your parents. Do you feel like your parents felt a pull to go back or had they. Did they just sort of move on?

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, it's interesting, you know, I think they always had. They had always planned to go back. And I think a lot of immigrants have this, right? They go, look, we're going to come here for a minute, we're going to stack, we're going to, you know, save up some money, and then we're going to go home. Why would we stay here? And, you know, one thing leads to another. You kind of develop ties to a place. You know, a military coup takes place in your. In your, you know, country of origin. You guys can relate as Americans. And what starts. You start thinking, actually, maybe I won't go back. So. So, yeah, it's. It kind of, you know, life takes its own course in its own way. But now it's like, I sometimes say, hey, do you want to head back? They're like, nah, you know, yeah, yeah, I'm chilling. They've, you know, they've lived here for, like, 50 of their 70 years.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

You know, so what did you guys.

[Sufi]

What was a trip you guys would do as a family? Would you ever take them?

[Riz Ahmed]

You know, family trips were not a massive part of growing up, if I have to be honest. The trip that I thought we'd talk about is something that I did much more recently as an adult, actually. But I can talk about, like, child trips as well. We can touch on a bunch of trips. Why not? I remember going to Disneyland when I was 6, and I remember just spending the whole time in lines, waiting in lines. Yeah, that's my main memory of Disneyland. That's so funny because Disney World, I think it was in Florida.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

I just. Josh and I brought my oldest to an amusement park recently and I kind of thought, oh, I bet. For kids. Cause as an adult I'm certainly aware of the lines and I'm like, maybe it'll be worth it for a kid. Like, the rides are all you remember. So it's fascinating that all these years later you're like, no, the lines, I.

[Pashi]

Feel like in the gap, though, from when we were kids, you know, Seth and I. Well, before you, Riz, obviously.

[Sufi]

Obviously. But in our 60s, being in our mid to late 60s. Yeah.

[Pashi]

But that amusement parks have figured out that lines need to be interesting and engaging. And I feel like back in the day they were just sort of. You're going back and forth and there's not a lot of sort of decoration or atmosphere to them. And now, like, we were just at this park and there is a lot of atmosphere to the waiting.

[Riz Ahmed]

What are they doing in lines now? I've completely missed out on this. What do they do to make lines interesting?

[Sufi]

If you're at like a Harry Potter world, like, I feel like as you go through the line, there's like just crazy screens with like Dumbledore is like, say, you know, it's like really good three dimensional stuff where it's not just like sort of concrete and heat.

[Pashi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

Okay. Wow. One of the many things we missed out on in our childhood.

[Sufi]

Yeah. Just staring at the back of the guy in front of you. That was pretty much all you were doing.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah. But I remember, I remember there was that. Yeah. Kind of going to amusement parks in America, there being lots of lines. That was a big one. And then kind of like. Yeah, 15. We went to Pakistan and then 18. And the 18 years old one was. That was quite fun.

[Sufi]

What was. What made it a fun trip? Was it that you were 18?

[Riz Ahmed]

It was just. It was kind of nuts. Yeah, it was like. So it was just a very. Yeah, you're that age. Right. Well, one thing was the age you can obviously enjoy things a bit more when you're 18. But the other big thing was that we. We all went. My whole extended family in the uk, all of my mum's side, six siblings, all their kids, grandparents who went. And so it was, you know, such a unique experience, such a weird kind of moment. And, you know, suddenly all these uncles that you'd kind of be hiding stuff from in the uk, they go back to Pakistan and their inner teenager comes out. So they're like, you know, they're rolling. They're rolling, you know, the stuff up for you to smoke on the roof. They're like, hey, yo. You're like, you've become a teenager. This is great. So there was that, and. Yeah, just kind of, you know, enjoying the. The culture, the food in a different way. I actually had my first ever driving lessons there as well. I didn't like, rush to start driving. I was. I would just always be the guy riding shotgun with all my friends. But when I went to Pakistan, I was like, let me do it here, and it's cheaper. It was a really bad idea. To this day, I'm a terrible driver because of. So, you know, it was like the classic. Not that Pakistani drivers are terrible. You know, in most of the world, the crazier the roads are, the better the driver is. But I just, you know. So when you indicate.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it's not. There's not a lot of driver's ed schools operating on beep the horn.

[Riz Ahmed]

Everything you shouldn't do. Beep the horn. Why have you got your seatbelt on? You won't be able to maneuver properly if you have to jump out the car. You know, make sure you cross your hands. You'll get more leverage. You can really yank it. There was all that kind of stuff going on, so. Yeah.

[Pashi]

And were you. Were you in a city then?

[Riz Ahmed]

We were. We were in Karachi. And, you know, Karachi is a wild place. I remember we kind of found out that one of our cousins there was a gangster, and he was. We should have kind of worked it out, because when we'd be sitting with him, just hanging out at the local cafe, there'd just always be a. That steady stream of people pulling up in a car, getting out, respectfully asking him for something, shaking his hand, like, you know, kissing his hand, and then bouncing. We were like, friendly guy, honestly. This guy's. This guy's popular. And then I remember we were in Pizza Hut, and him and his friends got a call. He went, be right back. This is actually quite dark. And he left, and he came back pretty sure they had blood on their shirts. Yeah, we were like, yeah, I think he's definitely. I think something definitely going on.

[Sufi]

I will say I like to think that he's a gangster, but he was so excited that his whole family was visiting from England. He was like, I don't have time to go change into a new shirt.

[Pashi]

These people, they're only gangsters.

[Sufi]

They're not here that often.

[Riz Ahmed]

Family guy. This thing about gangsters, family guys, they prioritize Family. So that was a fun one. I remember my brother because he was a little bit older when that same cousin said, listen, we got to go buy some weed. And so I was like, okay, where are we going to do that? They pull up outside a building and they pulled out. So I pulled up outside the police station. So I was like, what? So my cousin takes my brother into the police station to buy weed.

[Sufi]

Wow.

[Riz Ahmed]

And you literally just go into the back office and they're like, this is how you know this stuff's good. They only confiscate the good stuff. And so it's got the like seized by customs and excise stamp on it. And I didn't go on that little mini adventure. My brother was kind of protecting me from that as my semi parent. But yeah, that was. That was.

[Sufi]

If I had ever in my life been at a party where somebody brought in a bag of weed, there, had said, seized on it, it would have been the most exciting party of my life.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, it was a bad.

[Sufi]

That's great. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from Visit Baltimore. Hi, Bashi.

[Pashi]

Hey, Sufi.

[Sufi]

Are you looking for your next summer getaway and have you found it? And is it Baltimore?

[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

But there's a problem, Pasci. I like going places where you can see the water.

[Pashi]

Oh, well, then Baltimore's Inner harbor has it all. Stunning waterfront views, iconic attractions, and incredible food.

[Sufi]

I got another problem. I want to see fish, but I don't want to go into the harbor.

[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

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[Pashi]

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[Sufi]

Oh, but let me guess. I gotta bring my own food. Oh, no, no, no, no.

[Pashi]

When it's time to eat, you can grab a table and at Phillips Seafood or Rusty Scupper for fresh Maryland crab cakes and unforgettable harbor dining.

[Sufi]

But I bet the views are only, like, real. Lil.

[Pashi]

No, no. I would suggest that you finish with a Photo at the Visit Baltimore sculpture and then take in panoramic views from Federal Hill Park.

[Sufi]

I'm sold. Pasci. Baltimore's inner harbor is where the city meets the sea. This summer, make a Baltimore. Baltimore's just a quick drive or train ride from New York, Philly and D.C. in a quick hop from BWI Airport, only 15 minutes from downtown. For more information to plan your visit, including where to eat, what to see and do, visit baltimore.org that's baltimore.org Baltimore slogan is you won't get it till you get here. Go to baltimore.org to plan your vacation or getaway. Today, support comes from Delete Me. Hi, Bhaji.

[Pashi]

Hi, Suvi.

[Sufi]

Right now the headlines are chock full of data breaches and regulatory rollbacks, making us all vulnerable. But you can do something about it. To Delete Me is here to make it easy, quick, and safe to remove your personal data online. Posh. I value your privacy. Do you think it's worth protecting?

[Pashi]

Yeah. And I also, like, this is one of those things where, you know how there are things that you know you're not good at.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

Yeah. Well, this is a perfect example. I know.

[Sufi]

I know a lot of things you're not good at. Is that what you meant?

[Riz Ahmed]

Well, this.

[Pashi]

This one is pretty high up the list. I wouldn't know how to go about sort of eliminating my data from the sites of data brokers online. If people have stolen my information, I don't know how to stop them. And I wouldn't even know where to start. But all you need to do is sign up with Deleteme and they handle all of it for you. And it's not like they sort of do a quick cursory check and then it's done. You get these quarterly reports of all the work they've been doing in your stead, which just gives you real peace of mind.

[Sufi]

Yeah. There was a recent Coinbase data breach. I was reading about it, how a hacker obtained names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and I was like, I don't know, that might be me. I have no idea. Yeah, because I buy all those coinbases. First base is a penny, second base is a nickel. It's so funny. Teaches your kids about baseball and change. Take control of your data and keep your private, private life private by signing up for Delete Me now at a special discount for our listeners. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to join deleteme.com trips and use promo code trips to checkout. The only way to get 20% off is to go to JoinDeleteMe.com trips and enter code trips to checkout. That's JoinDeleteMe.com tripscode trips.

[Riz Ahmed]

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[Sufi]

Here we go.

[Pashi]

When you were in England, would you ever just go away for the weekend? Would you go? Because, you know, it's so easy on trains.

[Riz Ahmed]

But, you know, I. I have to say that it wasn't a massive part of our growing up. Like, we did go on some trips, but I, I. The. The trip actually that I have in mind, I wanted to kind of talk to you guys about, which was something that kind of really hit different and was a real trip in every sense. The word was. Was this one. It was. It was me, my wife, and my kid, right? So we just had a baby, and I'd said to them, listen, give me three months off before I start the movie. And they came back and said, great. Definitely a couple of weeks go by, call back and say, so weird thing with, like, how the financing works, but the movie's gonna fall apart unless we start in, like, four weeks. Okay, how are we gonna do this? So actually gave the script to my wife. It's this movie that. The one that I'm kind of promoting at the moment that's gonna be out end of August. It's called Relay. So I showed her the script, and the test they had to pass was like, would she watch it? And she was like, this is so annoying because I really don't want you to work right now, but I would definitely watch this, and you should definitely do this. This is good. So your wife.

[Sufi]

You trust your wife's taste? She has.

[Riz Ahmed]

She has impeccable taste.

[Sufi]

Great.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. She. I go to her with every kind of creative question, and weirdly, she doesn't come to me for any.

[Sufi]

And she's also a creative person.

[Riz Ahmed]

She's a novelist. She's an author. She's a novelist. She's also been kind of asked to write some screenplays, which she's doing a bit more of.

[Sufi]

Does she ever Say to you, like, would you read this? And if you say no, she's like, then I'm onto something.

[Riz Ahmed]

There is something like that. There is something like that happening. Because I remember early on in our relationship, she would show me what she'd written, and I would give her feedback, and she'd kind of nod and smile and glaze over, and she just changed the subject. And I thought, what's happening here? So, yeah, I think it's pretty clear what's happening. So anyway, we're like, okay, we've got to relocate from California to New York to do this movie. It's a New York movie. It's a New York thriller. So we're like, yeah, they want to do it on location. And so we pack up everything. We pack up our whole life. We've been living in California at this moment. So, you know, your entire life, everything from plates and blenders to TVs to all your clothes, furniture. But also because we just had a kid. Like, you know, baby pics.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

And, like, hard drives with photos on them, and, like, cameras full of photos and all that kind of stuff. Toys, gifts that had been given. And we get. We fly over to New York, and all our stuff gets packed up into a. Into a van, and we get to New York and our stuff doesn't turn up. But, okay, seems to be a bit of a delay. We check in. They go, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a bit of a delay, but it should be there. A week goes by, 10 days go by, two weeks go by. We go, what's going on? They went, oh, yeah. So the van that had all your stuff in it was targeted in a robbery. And. But they found the van in Mexico. And we're like, oh, my God, thank God. He goes, yes, but it doesn't have any of your stuff in it.

[Pashi]

Oh, no.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, okay. He said there were two other families with all their stuff in there. We're like, right? And he said all this stuff was still in it. So we were like, oh, man. This is like. This is a weird, crazy situation. We're very confused that somebody specifically targeted us. They used our real names on it. Not that anyone would care, but some people out there are weird. And so looking through our stuff, do we have to get people, security consultants, to go scrolling through the dark web to see if photos of our kids being sold? It's a whole thing. Meanwhile, the movie that I'm there to shoot is all about someone who is trying to get precious things safely from A to B. And I think, like, stories have this, this mystical element to them, like the thing that you're living ends up in the movie and vice versa. So I'm kind of living through a version of what I'm shooting in this film and more precisely, actually, my wife is living through a version of what I'm shooting in this film. Because my wife basically then becomes a private investigator whilst also being, you know, a brand new mom. And she is just won't take no for an answer from the police. She starts calling up the moving company. The two drivers have gone missing. It turns out, you know, one of them kind of like got a history of meth something. And the guy with the van company's like, I can't help you, I can't help you. There's nothing I can do. My wife basically patches together like a straight up gumshoe private investigator robbery trail. She identifies in one of the photos that was sent that there's something on the floor of the driver's side is a receipt, and it's a receipt to a storage unit. She calls up the storage unit company, matches the ID and serial numbers to those lockers to realize it's one of only three storage units in the Sacramento area. Right? She calls those guys up. She then at every point she's trying to basically getting people to bend the rules a little bit and say, hey, listen, come on, you wanna do this for me? They identify the people on CCTV cameras coming into the storage unit in that unit. She speaks to the personal reception desk. They go into the unit, they open it up. There's stolen stuff in there, but it's not ours. Oh, right. And this literally like four week investigation and my wife is doing is like happening. It's like I'm coming back from work, like, yeah, what did you shoot today? He goes, well, today, you know, I had to try and find some hidden stuff in a storage unit to try and make sure that people was like, what, what did you do today, babe? She's like, right, so this is what I actually did. And, and so it was this kind of crazy experience. But to be honest, because my wife's a writer, the one thing that she really, really did not want to lose was her journals. You know, she had journaling about becoming a mother and, you know, those, those early months and that whole experience and she was really distraught about that. And weirdly, it was when she, she finally just said, look, I, I surrender this, you know, I let go. I light a candle, say a prayer and say, all right, I let go of that. And then we get an email on, like, the second last day of shooting from this woman in Oregon, and she says, is this your journal? And my wife's got her email address and says, how do you have this journal? This is the one thing out of everything that was stolen that we want to get back. She goes, well, my stuff was in a van. Apparently it got robbed, but our stuff didn't get robbed. But this journal ended up in one of my boxes of Nikes, which is like, what is going on, man? And we got that journal back, and it was such a. It was a trip, you know?

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

It just really kind of like, blew our minds in terms of just, you know, just the mysteries of the universe and. And how this stuff works and also kind of reminded us in a way, like, we actually didn't. It was. It was difficult losing stuff. There was insurance, and the producers of the movies helped out and all of that stuff. But really, the stuff you really care about is that it's like baby pics and, like, a journal. Right. But that was a family trip that was like. I know on this podcast, normally people talking about, like, you know, nearly dying on river rapids with their. With their dad, you know, but this is. This was a different kind of trip because the journey itself kind of stayed with us, you know, in the aftermath of it.

[Sufi]

And if there's a moral, it's drive your own stuff. You know, think.

[Pashi]

What a strange, like, sort of racket of saying, we're gonna move.

[Sufi]

This is so heartbreaking. I mean, in my life, that thrill of finding a receipt in a picture like that, I feel like only happens in movies where there's a leap of logic that, you know, there's never a receipt facing up that's in a photo and then tracking it to a storage unit. I can't believe.

[Riz Ahmed]

She'S an absolute G. But, yeah, that's the kind of crazy thing about all of this is when you went back and looked at this moving company, it was like this company was founded, like, three months ago, and it has one. One star review. Why did we use this place again?

[Sufi]

It said on the website we have two drivers, one of whom does not have a history of meth. And that should have made you suspicious. One of whom never touches.

[Riz Ahmed]

Eats a small pr. Yeah, man.

[Sufi]

Did you enjoy shooting in New York?

[Riz Ahmed]

I actually kind of loved it. Yeah, I know. You know, it's. It's. It's very much a New York movie. And David McKenzie, our director, he kind of is very much into, I guess, chaos. I'll just say it straight up he's like a big chaos guy. You know, freedom is another way of saying it. So we did not try and control any of the pedestrians, any of the traffic as far as we could. So you just really feel the kind of buzz and the frenetic energy of the city in there. You know, sometimes there's problems. I remember Sam Worthington, who's also in the movie, kind of ended up getting into it with, like, a couple of passers by who did not realize a movie was happening. Like, someone comes up to him, goes like, hey, man, don't talk to her like that. She's like, Sam just starts going with it. Sam catches a wave and just decides to start surfing. And we're like, someone should break this up. Something's gonna happen. Yeah, but, I mean, our first day of shooting, we shot in Times Square.

[Sufi]

Wow.

[Riz Ahmed]

So I was just. It was just wild, you know, it's just New York's got such an energy to it, and I think that comes across in a movie that's slightly kind of anything could happen kind of vibe.

[Sufi]

Also a quick shout out to the Phoenician scheme, which I loved.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, man, I'm glad.

[Sufi]

Very fun time. Very fun time. A lot of Riz out there. We're very happy about that.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, thank you, Wes Anderson. I mean, like, you big Wes Anderson guys.

[Sufi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like. Yeah. When I was. I think when I saw Bottle Rocket, it was like, around the same time as Reservoir Dogs, where you just realize, oh, I'm gonna see movies from these guys forever, and it's gonna be the best feeling.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, it's. It's kind of wild being on a set. As a kind of massive fan myself, both me and my wife. I'm huge fans of Wes's because it's really hard to concentrate. Cause all I was. All I wanted to do was steal stuff.

[Sufi]

You know what I mean?

[Riz Ahmed]

It's like. I'm like, you just. You're in a scene in someone, right? You come in here, you pick up this pen, you sign this thing. You're like, cool, cool, cool. And you just look at the pen and go, oh, my. Look how well designed this pen is. Are you kidding me? Did Montblanc do a limited edition colorway on this for Wes? I have not seen this. And, yeah, there's just every bit of furniture, furnishing, props, costume. You're just like, oh, my God.

[Sufi]

And you probably felt like you were owed some stuff since you just got robbed, you know?

[Riz Ahmed]

Exactly.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

It's why I did the movie, sir. Is Why I did the movie trying to get some cover, but it didn't work.

[Sufi]

It's so funny. I've never thought to ask anybody. I mean, I always love talking to actors who do Wes Anderson because, you know, it seems like it must require a slightly different kind of acting because I feel like everything becomes. It's so wonderfully set designed that as an actor you're part of the set too. And it never occurred to me that how that stuff is real and it would be really fun to steal it.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, it would be. But they don't let you just.

[Sufi]

They don't. Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

It's not honestly like each prop, each piece of costume, each piece item, furniture is archived, tracked. There's someone whose job it is because there's going to be a theme park at some point, at least I hope, you know, and the lines there will be extremely entertaining.

[Sufi]

The lines, they say. They say the lines at the Wesley Anderson park are better than the rides.

[Riz Ahmed]

So, yeah, man, it was a lot of fun.

[Sufi]

Young. You got a young one. But does your child travel well? Is it too early to tell?

[Riz Ahmed]

My child doesn't sleep.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

In general.

[Riz Ahmed]

Overnight. In general. That's changed now, thankfully. But yeah, on planes and all of that kind of stuff. What's your protocol?

[Sufi]

I mean, we planes at this point, we just let it ride. I mean, yeah, there's not much to do.

[Riz Ahmed]

Were you a screen. Are you like ever a no screens person?

[Sufi]

So we're very.

[Riz Ahmed]

Please tell me about that.

[Sufi]

We're no screens with our kids. Except we finally caved on planes where.

[Pashi]

Because they all have their own screens, it's so hard to say. You have this thing right in front of you and you can't use it.

[Sufi]

Every single, every other person on the plane gets it, but you don't. My wife has tried like, she brings like a full satchel full of like clays and you know, maze books and coloring and by the time we're taxiing, they're like done with all of it. They're like, we're done. We finished every maze. We finished. We've colored in everything and we're ready to go. And so it's just so hard, especially, you know, on a, you know, when you go coast to coast and it's six hours. Like it's so unfair to tell a kid, like, no, you're just gonna read and think it is unseen.

[Riz Ahmed]

And yet that is what I plan on continuing to do.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

But with. With zero success, you know, I mean, right now getting punched in the face by my kid is Painful, but it doesn't totally knock me out. That will change soon.

[Sufi]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

And yeah, they're gonna watch whatever they want, man. Yeah.

[Sufi]

Just out of full strength.

[Riz Ahmed]

Exactly.

[Sufi]

It is. What a delight it has been to talk to you, Riz. Just thank you so much. We're both such huge fans.

[Riz Ahmed]

Thank you, guys. I'm a massive fan of both of you guys.

[Sufi]

And also, I keep mentioning your work. I'll say one last thing. As we're talking about screens, my two boys have been working their way through the Star wars universe. And Rogue One. That's the one, man. That's the best one.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, man. People say that, but I should really check out the other ones to compare. I should watch them at some point.

[Pashi]

Well, now that you got a kid, wait till. Just wait. Wait until they're old enough to watch them and. Yeah, go through them with.

[Sufi]

Yeah, with a little buddy. Also, you did better than most. Like, as. What was your Rogue One was Bodhi. I feel like you had a cool name.

[Riz Ahmed]

Bodhi Rook.

[Sufi]

Yeah, Bodhi Rook. Come on, Bodhi.

[Riz Ahmed]

Rookie Rook.

[Sufi]

I mean, there's some weird ones in the Star wars universe. Kind of like.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, it's kind of like a porn star name. Yeah, it's got a swagger to it.

[Sufi]

It really does. I mean, that kind of ruins it for me, but it really does. All right, Josh is going to ask you our speed round questions, Riz. All right.

[Riz Ahmed]

Thank you, man. Here we go.

[Pashi]

You can only pick one of these. Is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational?

[Riz Ahmed]

It's changed. It would have been adventurous now. Definitely relaxing.

[Pashi]

Very good. What is your favorite means of transportation?

[Riz Ahmed]

I think the train.

[Pashi]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

It's a nice train.

[Sufi]

Yeah. For me, it's the back of a van full of your stuff while a guy. While a messed out guy drives to Mexico.

[Riz Ahmed]

That was. I can't wait till you do that episode of Family Trip. Someone's just gonna come and go see you.

[Sufi]

I was in the back of a van going to Sacramento and it was a digital camera and it was full of pictures of Riza and his family.

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, my.

[Pashi]

If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a vacation with?

[Riz Ahmed]

Oh, wow. This is a good one. Any family other than my own family, I think probably. Probably the Simpsons.

[Pashi]

Great.

[Sufi]

It's weird.

[Riz Ahmed]

Random, but just. Yeah. Watched that. Watch that show probably more than anything else ever. Probably will never clock those number of episodes.

[Sufi]

It's fun because I love that show, but I Don't. I'm never like. They seem like a fun hanging.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah, yeah. No, no.

[Pashi]

Well, something fun's gonna happen, right?

[Riz Ahmed]

It'll be traumatic.

[Sufi]

Yeah, it'll be traumatic.

[Pashi]

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be?

[Riz Ahmed]

Probably my wife.

[Sufi]

Yeah. I would have picked that for you as well, based on what you've called.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah. Because I know that she can put up with me.

[Sufi]

Yeah, yeah.

[Riz Ahmed]

She can handle it.

[Pashi]

And you're from Wembley. Would you recommend Wembley as a vacation destination?

[Riz Ahmed]

You know what? If you're trying to get some amazing authentic Indian food. 100.

[Sufi]

Great.

[Pashi]

Excellent.

[Riz Ahmed]

Come through, man. Come through. I'll show you.

[Pashi]

Very good. And then Seth has our final questions.

[Sufi]

Have you been to the Grand Canyon?

[Riz Ahmed]

Yes.

[Sufi]

Was it worth it?

[Riz Ahmed]

Yes. Okay. Incredible. I wish I'd kind of hiked down here. They do that thing now where you can hike down and kind of camp out in there. I listened to the Gilroy's episode. That sounded wild and crazy.

[Sufi]

I mean, I would do it with the Gilroys, but certainly.

[Riz Ahmed]

Exactly, exactly. Annoyed they didn't invite me.

[Sufi]

I know. Next time.

[Riz Ahmed]

Yeah.

[Sufi]

Thank you so much. Congrats on everything. It's like I said, we're always fans to see you. And it's really fun that you got a movie out now and another one coming.

[Riz Ahmed]

Thank you, guys. Much appreciated. And yeah, see you in Wembley. Yeah.

[Sufi]

All right. Absolutely. Relay is the movie and it's out in August. Check it out, everybody. Thanks.

[Pashi]

Phoenician Scheme still in theaters right now.

[Sufi]

Bye.

[Pashi]

Bye, Riz. Thank you. All the way across the country.

[Riz Ahmed]

And you choose it.

[Pashi]

Choosing a moving company.

[Riz Ahmed]

Heads up that it might not be the best plan.

[Pashi]

Hiring a random dude who's got a van that he.

[Riz Ahmed]

He just drives around with his friend.

[Pashi]

They'll go cruising.

[Riz Ahmed]

Cruising away with all your things.

[Pashi]

You'll be losing.

[Riz Ahmed]

Everything. That really stings.

[Pashi]

Hard drives, photos and baby stuff. Your wife is a detective.

[Riz Ahmed]

Not specific.

[Pashi]

Journal resurfaces out of the blue.

[Riz Ahmed]

Maybe next time you will read. Refuse to use it.

[Pashi]

Use in the first place that you.

[Sufi]

Find.

[Pashi]

And remove it.

[Riz Ahmed]

Any doubtful peace of mind. Come on. Wrist. You know this, don't you?